The Curtiss Commando Page
The Curtiss Commando Page

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-836CNRRA 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.

  1957 to March 1957

  B-876 - ASIATIC AERONAUTICAL COMPANY LTD. (TAIWAN)


1957

Purchased for 1 US$.

  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