Commando 44-78517

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

  June 1945 to September 1947

  44-78517 - USAAF (USA)

June 1945

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

  September 1947 to unknown date

  44-78517 - USAF (USA)

18 September 1947

Transferred.

  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 56^th Special Operations Wing based at Nakhon Phanom AB, Thailand.

1 April 1973

Struck off charge.

Fate unknown, probably never left India.