Commando 44-78052

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

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-78052

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 33448

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1984

FATE: Unknown

  March 1945 to September 1947

  44-78052 - USAAF (USA)

March 1945

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

  September 1947 to September 1963

  44-78052 - USAF (USA)

18 September 1947

Transferred.

Unknown date

Assigned to the 516^th Troop Carrier Group, Medium, 346^th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium based in Memphis, TN.

8 February 1952

Received major damage at Wheeler-Sack AAF, NY in a landing accident.

Pilot: Harold M. Ludlow (survived, went on to fly in the Korean War and retired a USAF Major)

Unknown date

Assigned to the Califonia Air National Guard, 129^th Air Resupply Squadron based at Hayward, CA.

16 April 1958

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

19 September 1963

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

1 October 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.

  September 1963 to July 1964

  N10705 - MARATHON AVIATION CORPORATION (USA)

8 August 1963

Registered.

September 1963

Overhauled by Intermountain Aviation at Marana, AZ.

28 February to 30 March 1964

Assigned to Intermountain Aviation for high altitude takeoff tests in order to provide performance charts to the Ministry of External Affairs of India which intended to use its Commandos in the Himalayas. Equipped with a 1,000-USGal tank filled with water to test various takeoff weights. Tests performed in Albuquerque, NM (5,350ft), Bogota, Colombia (8,000ft) and La Paz, Bolivia (13,300ft).

Crew:
Capt. Connie Seigrist of Air America, Captain
Capt. Gearke, First Officer
Garfield Thorsrud, Test Supervisor
Robert E. Roberts, Intermountain Aviation President, Performance Engineer

5 June 1964

Registration cancelled, exported to Thailand.

  July 1964 to February 1970

  VT-DRY - MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (INDIA)

22 July 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

  44-78052 - 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.