Commando 44-78488

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-20-CU Commando

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-78488

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 22311

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU2420

FATE: Unknown

  June 1945 to September 1947

  44-78488 - USAAF (USA)

June 1945

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

Unknown date

Assigned to 5^th Air Force Headquarters based at Johnson AAB, Japan.

  September 1947 to September 1963

  44-78488 - USAF (USA)

18 September 1947

Transferred.

31 October 1947

Received major damage over the ocean 16km east of Johnson AAB, Japan in a midair collision.

Pilot: Henry I. van Neote [surname probably mispelled]

Unknown date

Assigned to 2347^th Air Force Reserve Training Center based at Hill AFB, UT.

21 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.

13 September 1963

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

3 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 May 1964

  N10702 - MARATHON AVIATION CORPORATION (USA)

7 March 1963

Registered.

September 1963

Overhauled by Intermountain Aviation at Marana, AZ.

18 May 1964

Ferried to India.

5 June 1964

Registration cancelled, exported to Thailand.

  May 1964 to February 1970

  VT-DRX - MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (INDIA)

18 May 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

  44-78488 - 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.