Commando 44-78488
Aircraft Identification
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
Operational Record
June 1945 to September 1947
44-78488 - USAAF (USA)
June 1945
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
Unknown date
Assigned to 5th 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 2347th 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 1045th 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 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