Commando 44-77736

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77736

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 33132

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1668

FATE: Unknown

  January 1945 to May 1947

  44-77736 - USAAF (USA)

20 January 1945

Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.

Probably assigned to the 5^th Air Force, 54^th Troop Carrier Wing operating in the Southwest Pacific theater.

22 February 1945

Departed the USA for Brisbane Eagle Farm, Queensland, Australia.

Unknown date

Assigned to Nichols Field, Philippines.

  May 1947 to January 1950

  XT-834 - CNRRA AIR TRANSPORT (CHINESE NATIONAL RELIEF AND REHABILITATION ADMINISTRATION) (CHINA)

19 May 1947

Transferred to CNRRA Air Transport. [registration sometimes given as XT-832, which is actually Commando 44-77756]

Initially assigned to the reserve fleet and stored in Tien Ho, Guangdong, China.

October 1948

Rebuilt, registered and put in service to replace lost aircraft.

  January 1950 to March 1950

  N8419C - CAT (CIVIL AIR TRANSPORT) (TAIWAN)

5 January 1950

Transferred to CAT and reregistered.

13 April 1950

Registration cancelled.

  March 1950 to early 1956

  B-874 - CAT (CIVIL AIR TRANSPORT) (TAIWAN)

March 1950

Reregistered.

Unknown date

Fitted with long-range fuel tanks.

1951

Assigned to Operation Paper, and used to drop agents in Thailand and Burma to support rebels in southern China.

11 July 1951

Positioned from Taipei, Taiwan, to Kadena, Japan. Loaded CIA material and flew to Clark AB, Philippines.

12 July 1951

Flew from Clark AB, Philippines to Bangkok, Thailand.

14 & 15 July 1951

Flew local flights from Bangkok in support of General Li Mi's guerilla in southern China (respectively 7.4 and 8.4 hours).

17 May 1953

Dropped supplies to the Thai National Police over Monghsat, Thailand.

23 May 1953

Flew from Taipei, Taiwan to Clark AB, Philippines, Bangkok, Thailand and Koke Kathiam, a rebel base in northern Thailand.

25 May 1953

Flew from Koke Kathiem, Thailand to Kadena, Japan, to Clark AB, Philippines and to Bangkok, Thailand.

26 May 1953

Flew from Bangkok, Thailand to Koke Kathiem, Thailand and to Taipei, Taiwan in 8.15 hours.

November 1953

Took part in Operation Repat, carrying 2500 Chinese Nationalist guerillas back from Lampang, Thailand to Taipeh, Taiwan.

  Early 1956 to February 1957

  B-874 - ASIATIC AERONAUTICAL COMPANY LTD. (TAIWAN)

Early 1956

Purchased.

  February 1957 to March 1957

  N9884F - ROBERT HEWITT ASSOCIATES (USA)

25 February 1957

Purchased.

6 March 1957

Registered.

  March 1957 to January 1967

  N9884F - DELTA AIR LINES (USA)

8 March 1957

Purchased.

31 August 1957

Delivered.

Converted to C-46R. [date of conversion TBC]

1 October 1957

Entered service, and operated as a freighter.

Left: N9884F in flight.
Photo credit: unknown

Below, left: the same at Chicago Midway, IL circa 1958.
Photo credit: Midway Airport (Pat B.) / Flickr

Below, right: a rare color shot, unknown date & location.
Photo credit: Ed Coates

Bottom, left: N9884F visiting Miami, FL on 24 January 1966.
Photo credit: Peter Keating / Air Britain

Bottom, right: N9884F at its Atlanta, GA base in May 1966.
Photo credit: John F. Ciesla / Airliners.net

  January 1967 to April 1967

  N9884F - AVIATION ASSOCIATES OF GEORGIA (USA)

31 January 1967

Purchased.

   April 1967 to unknown date

  9Q-CZF - CONGOFRIGO (CONGO KINSHASA)

9 April 1967

Delivered to Kinshasa, Congo via Prestwick, UK along with sistership 9Q-CZE.

Fate unknown.

Below: 9Q-CZF stopping at Prestwick on 9 April 1967 during its ferry flight from the USA to Congo.
Photo credit: Ken Marshall / dhc-2.com