Commando 44-77995
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-15-CU Commando
USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77995
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 33391
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1927
FATE: Unknown
Operational Record
March 1945 to September 1947
44-77995 - USAAF (USA)
March 1945
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
Assigned to I Troop Carrier Command, 805th AAF Base Unit, George Field, IL.
23 March 1945
Damaged at George Field, IL in a ground accident.
Pilot: Albert J. Hopkins
While taxiing at George Field, IL, the Commando hit parked sistership 44-77969 belonging to the same squadron. Both airplanes were damaged.
September 1947 to September 1963
44-77995 - USAF (USA)
18 September 1947
Transferred.
Unknown date
Assigned to 2347th Air Force Reserve Training Center, based at Hill AFB, UT.
14 February 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.
10 September 1963
Departed Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ for Miami, FL.
24 September 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.
September 1963 to March 1964
N10701 - MARATHON AVIATION CORPORATION (USA)
7 March 1963
Registered.
September 1963
Overhauled by Intermountain Aviation at Marana, AZ.
29 January 1964
Ferried to India via Bahrain.
5 June 1964
Registration cancelled, exported to Thailand.
March 1964 to February 1970
VT-DRV - MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (INDIA)
31 March 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
44-77995 - 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