Commando 44-78517
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-20-CU Commando
USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-78517
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 22340
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU2449
FATE: Unknown
Operational Record
June 1945 to September 1947
44-78517 - USAAF (USA)
June 1945
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
Unknown dates
N9073R - CURTISS-WRIGHT CORPORATION (USA)
Unknown date
Registration alloted, but not taken up.
Unknown date to January 1958
44-78517 - CALIFORNIA EASTERN AVIATION INC. (USA)
Unknown date
Probably leased from the USAF by California Eastern Aviation.
January 1958 to November 1965
44-78517 - USAF (USA)
21 January 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.
November 1965 to April 1967
N64859 - MARATHON AVIATION CORPORATION (USA)
22 November 1965
Transferred.
5 October 1966
Departed Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ for Miami, FL.
April 1967 to May 1969
N64859 - TRADEWINDS CARGO INC. (USA)
11 April 1967
Registered.
Overhauled by Intermountain Aviation at Marana, AZ.
5 March 1969
Registration cancelled, exported to Thailand.
Right & below: N64859 being overhauled by Intermountain Aviation a Marana, AZ in 1968.
Photo credit: Neil Aird / dhc-2.com
May 1969 to February 1970
VT-DYY - MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (INDIA)
May 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
44-78517 - 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: 18/01/2024