Commando 44-77757
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77757
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 33153
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1689
FATE: Unknown
Operational Record
January 1945 to May 1947
44-77757 - USAAF (USA)
24 January 1945
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
Probably assigned to the 13th Air Force, 403rd Troop Carrier Group 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-836 - CNRRA AIR TRANSPORT (CHINESE NATIONAL RELIEF AND REHABILITATION ADMINISTRATION) (CHINA)
19 May 1947
Transferred to CNRRA Air Transport.
Initially assigned to the reserve fleet and stored at Tien Ho, Guangdong, China.
February 1949
Rebuilt and put into service, painted in dark grey with white titles and white CAT logo on the tail.
20 November 1949
Evacuated the Chinese President Li Tsung-Jen from Nanning to Hong Kong.
30 November 1949
Took part in the Shanghai - Hsuchow airlift.
10 December 1949
Took part in the evacuation of CAT's Chengdu, Sichuan base.
Right: XT-836 being rebuilt at Tien Ho in early 1949.
Photo credit: Dr. Joe F. Leeker / The Early Days II - CAT Operations in China 1949-1950
January 1950 to March 1950
N8420C - CAT (CIVIL AIR TRANSPORT) (TAIWAN)
5 January 1950
Transferred to CAT.
13 April 1950
Registration cancelled.
March 1950 to 1957
B-876 - CAT (CIVIL AIR TRANSPORT) (TAIWAN)
March 1950
Reregistered. [sometimes also listed as XT-876]
1953
Fitted with long-range tanks.
Took part in Operation Repat, carrying 2500 Chinese Nationalist guerillas back from Lampang, Thailand to Taipeh, Taiwan.
March 1957
N9883F - ROBERT HEWITT ASSOCIATES (USA)
18 March 1957
Purchased.
27 March 1957
Registered.
March 1957 to January 1967
N9883F - DELTA AIR LINES (USA)
29 March 1957
Purchased.
Converted to C-46R. [date of conversion TBC, possibly done at Officine Aeronavali]
7 October 1957
Delivered, marked "103" on the tail.
9 October 1957
Entered service as a freighter.
12 December 1958
Received major damage at Atlanta, GA in a takeoff accident.
The Commando made a belly landing after an engine failed on takeoff from Atlanta, GA.
Repaired.
Below: several shots of N9883F in Delta colors, date & location unknown.
Photo credit, top left: El Cobrador / Flickr
Photo credit, rest: Batman_60 / Flickr, including a shot by Paul Zogg / Zoggavia.com
January 1967 to September 1967
N9883F - AVIATION ASSOCIATES OF GEORGIA (USA)
31 January 1967
Purchased. [date also noted as 4 January 1967]
September 1967 to October 1967
N9883F - CAROLINA AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)
6 September 1967
Purchased.
October 1967 to June 1969
N9883F - THUNDERBIRD AIRWAYS (USA)
31 October 1967
Purchased by Dominic J. Acerra & Jerald R. Cureton of Shrewsbury, NJ and operated by Thunderbird Airways.
June 1969 to December 1971
N9883F - TRANS ARCTIC INC. (USA)
30 June 1969
Purchased.
18 April 1970
Received major damage at Saguan, AK in a landing accident.
The Commando overran the runway on landing and nose over.
December 1971 to August 1972
N9883F - C-46 PARTS INC. (USA)
10 December 1971
Purchased.
4 January 1972
Registered.
16 August 1972
Registration cancelled, exported to Bolivia.
August 1972 to unknown date
CP-991 - AEROVIAS LAS MINAS (BOLIVIA)
August 1973
Purchased.
November 1974
Withdrawn from use and stored at La Paz El Alto, Bolivia.
1990
Seen derelict at La Paz El Alto, Bolivia.
Fate unknown.
Last edited: 15/07/2024