Commando 44-77981

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-15-CU Commando

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77981

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 33377

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1913

FATE: Unknown

  March 1945 to September 1947

  44-77981 - USAAF (USA)

March 1945

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

Assigned to I Troop Carrier Command, 805^th AAF Base Unit, George Field, IL, Squadron B.

18 June 1945

Damaged at George Field, IL in a taxi accident.

Pilot: Sidney D. George

While taxiing at George Field, IL, the Commando hit parked sistership 44-78031 belonging to the same squadron. Both airplanes were damaged.

  September 1947 to August 1963

  44-77981 - USAF (USA)

18 September 1947

Transferred.

Converted to TC-46D.

Unknown date

Assigned to the 2465^th Air Force Reserve Training Center based at Wold-Chamberlain Field, OH.

10 September 1950

Received major damage at Wold-Chamberlain Field, MN in a landing accident.

Pilot: Gordon B. Dodge

Unknown date

Assigned to Ohio Air National Guard, 145^th Aeromedical Transport Squadron, based at Akron-Canton, OH.

1 November 1958

Assigned to the Arizona Aircraft Storage Squadron and stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.

20 August 1963

Departed Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ for Miami, FL.

23 August 1963

Assigned to the 1045^th Operational Evaluation and Training Group, effectively the CIA's air arm.

Supplied to foreign country under the Military Assistance Program.

  August 1963 to February 1964

  N10709 - MARATHON AVIATION CORPORATION (USA)

7 March 1963

Registered.

August 1963

Overhauled by Intermountain Aviation at Marana, AZ.

9 January 1964

Ferried to India via Bahrain.

5 June 1964

Registration cancelled, exported to Thailand.

  February 1964 to February 1970

  VT-DRO - MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (INDIA)

12 February 1964

Registered.

Operated by the Aviation Research Center (ARC) of India with the technical support of the CIA as part of operation Oak Tree.

Based at Charbatia AB, Odisha, India, flying clandestine missions over Chinese-occupied Tibet.

  February 1970 to April 1973

  44-77981 - USAF (USA)

28 February 1970

Returned to the USAF.

Assigned to the 56^th Special Operations Wing based at Nakhon Phanom AB, Thailand.

1 April 1973

Struck off charge.

Fate unknown, probably never left India.