Commando 44-78043
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-15-CU Commando
USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-78043
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 33439
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1975
FATE: Unknown
Operational Record
March 1945 to September 1947
44-78043 - USAAF (USA)
March 1945
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
Unknown date
Assigned to the 434th Troop Carrier Group, 71st Troop Carrier Squadron based at Greenville AAB, SC.
12 March 1946
Reveived minor damage at Walnut Ridge AAF, AR in a ground collision.
Pilot: Wynfield E. Lynn
September 1947 to November 1965
44-78043 - USAF (USA)
18 September 1947
Transferred.
Unknown date
Assigned to the Mobile Air Materiel Area based at Brookley AFB, AL.
24 October 1954
Received minor damage at Brookley AFB, AL in a takeoff accident due to an engine failure.
Pilot: Robert D. Barnette
Unknown date
Assigned to the West Virginia Air National Guard, 130th Air Resupply Squadron based at Kanawha County Airport, WV.
4 November 1957
Assigned to the Arizona Aircraft Storage Squadron and stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.
November 1965 to April 1967
N62388 - MARATHON AVIATION CORPORATION (USA)
22 November 1965
Transferred.
5 October 1966
Departed Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.
April 1967 to August 1969
N62388 - TRADEWINDS CARGO INC. (USA)
14 April 1967
Registered.
Overhauled by Intermountain Aviation at Marana, AZ.
20 August 1968
Registration cancelled, exported to Thailand.
August 1969 to February 1970
VT-DYX - MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (INDIA)
August 1969
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
44-78043 - 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