Commando 44-77982
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-15-CU Commando
USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77982
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 33378
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1914
FATE: Unknown
Operational Record
March 1945 to September 1947
44-77982 - USAAF (USA)
March 1945
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
September 1947 to August 1963
44-77982 - USAF (USA)
18 September 1947
Transferred.
Unknown date
Assigned to the 3075th Aircraft Ferry Squadron based at Tinker AFB, OK.
4 March 1949
Received major damage at Wold-Chamberlain Field, MN in a takeoff accident due to mechanical failure.
Pilot: Charles G. Herrick (survived, went on to fly in Korea, later died in an Air America Commando crash in Laos)
Unknown date
Assigned to 2577th Air Force Reserve Training Center, based at Brooks AFB, TX.
3 May 1958
Assigned to the Arizona Aircraft Storage Squadron and stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.
2 February 1959
Sent to reclamation, then removed from surplus list.
23 August 1963
Departed Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ for Miami, FL.
28 August 1963
Assigned to the 1045th 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
N10708 - MARATHON AVIATION CORPORATION (USA)
3 July 1963
Registered.
August 1963
Overhauled by Intermountain Aviation at Marana, AZ.
Unknown date
Test-flown by Capt. Connie Seigrist out of Marana, AZ.
10 January 1964
Ferried to India via Bahrain.
5 June 1964
Registration cancelled, exported to Thailand.
February 1964 to February 1970
VT-DRT - MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (INDIA)
22 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
44-77982 - USAF (USA)
28 February 1970
Returned to the USAF.
Assigned to the 56th Special Operations Wing based at Nakhon Phanom AB, Thailand.
1 April 1973
Struck off charge.
Fate unknown, probably never left India.
Last edited: 16/01/2024