Commando 44-77715
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando
USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77715
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 33111
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1647
FATE: Broken up
Operational Record
January 1945 to September 1947
44-77715 - USAAF (USA)
January 1945
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
September 1947 to February 1961
44-77715 - USAF (USA)
18 September 1947
Transferred.
Unknown date
Assigned to the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, 140th Air Transport Squadron (Medium) based at Spaatz Field, PA.
16 July 1958
Assigned to the Arizona Aircraft Storage Squadron and stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.
2 February 1959
Sent to reclamation at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.
Withdrawn from surplus list.
Right: 44-77715 with the Pennsylvania ANG at Spaatz Field, PA in 1957
Photo credit: USAF / Wikimedia Commons
February 1961 to March 1964
N9890Z - CAPITOL AIR (USA)
8 February 1961
Purchased from USAF.
7 April 1961
Registered.
March 1964 to July 1969
N9890Z - LUFTHANSA CARGO (WEST GERMANY)
16 March 1964
Ferried to Germany via Prestwick, UK.
Operated by Capitol Air for Lufthansa Cargo Services, based at Berlin Tempelhof, West Germany.
Retained full Capitol colors throughout the contract.
ca 1967
Repainted in new Capitol livery.
July 1969
Lease contract ended.
Line 1 below, left: N9890Z freshly delivered to Europe, seen at London Heathrow, UK in March 1964.
Photo credit: Brian G. Nichols / Air Britain
Line 1 below, right: N9890Z at its Berlin Tempelhof, West Germany base on 24 October 1965.
Photo credit: Ralf Manteufel / Airliners.net
Line 2 below, left: the same probably again at Berlin Tempelhof, West Germany in 1965.
Photo credit: BerlinSpotter.de
Line 2 below, right: N9890Z at Amsterdam Schiphol, Netherlands in 1966.
Photo credit: Jan Buisman / Air Britain
Line 3 below, left: on short final at Berlin Tempelhof, West Germany in November 1966.
Photo credit: Ralf Manteufel / Airliners.net
Line 3 below, right: same shot on a brighter day with the new Capitol livery in August 1968.
Photo credit: Ralf Manteufel / Airliners.net
Line 4 below, left: refueling in progress at Munich Reim, West Germany in the winter of 1968-1969.
Photo credit: Jurgen Lang / Flickr
Line 4 below, right: N9893Z taxiing at Berlin Tempelhof, West Germany on 17 May 1969.
Photo credit: Ralf Manteufel / Airliners.net
July 1969 to August 1969
N9890Z - CAPITOL AIR (USA)
31 July 1969
Ferried back to the USA via Prestwick, UK.
August 1969 to April 1971
N9890Z - JONATHAN LOGAN INC. (USA)
13 August 1969
Purchased. [also spelled Jonathan Logan Inc. by some sources]
October to December 1969
Operated for the Butte Knitting Mills subsidiary.
Left: N9890Z wearing Butte Knitting Mills titles, unknown date & location.
Photo credit: Terry Fletcher / AV.CA
July 1971 to December 1971
N9890Z - PRIVATE (USA)
23 July 1971
Purchased by Ed Cantrell of Hammond, NY.
Right: N9890Z at Panama Tocumen, Panama on 15 November 1971.
Photo credit: Ron Mak / Ruudleeuw
December 1971 to July 1972
N9890Z - UNKNOWN (USA)
20 December 1971
Repossessed by the American National Bank of ???.
July 1972 to October 1977
N9890Z - CLARKS AERIAL SERVICE INC. (USA)
11 July 1972
Purchased.
Probably used as a sprayer.
October 1977 to March 1978
N9890Z - BROWNFIELD AERIAL INC. (USA)
7 October 1977
Purchased.
Below: N9890Z at Brownsfield, TX, seemingly abandoned in December 1977.
Photo credit: Zane Adams / Flickr
June 1978 to April 1979
N9890Z - ADVANCE AVIATION INC. (USA)
7 June 1978
Purchased.
27 June 1978
Delivered to Miami, FL and withdrawn from use.
April 1979 to unknown date
N9890Z - PRIVATE (USA)
10 April 1979
Purchased by Pedro A. Garcia of Miami, FL.
1 July 2013
Registration cancelled, expired.
Fate unknown.
Last edited: 30/06/2024