Indian Government
Operator History
British India was a vast and diverse piece of land that included modern-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Burma. Early Indian independence movements from British rule started after World War I. By the 1930's, legislation was slowly being implemented to give Indians more autonomy. The independence process was brought to a standstill during World War II, amidst threats of Japanese invasion, but was resumed in 1945. In August 1947, the partition of India gave birth to two new independent countries: India and Pakistan.
Commando Operations
April 1946 to July 1957*
The Indian Government purchased a large quantity of Commandos that remained in India on 10 April 1946. Conditions of the sale are not known, but it seems likely that the aircraft were essentially transferred for a bargain price to the British who still administered India at the time. There is no evidence that any of these Commandos was actually operated by the Indian Government. Their is no evidence of them receiving a British or Indian registration, thence in the absence of any other information they are listed here under their USAAF serial number.
During the 1950's, several American brokers purchased these essentially abandonned Commandos, restored them to flying condition and ferried them to the USA. Many of them ended up sold to various Latin American airlines.
Commandos Operated
- Curtiss C-46A-5-CK Commando: 43-47018
- Curtiss C-46A-30-CU Commando: 42-3565
- Curtiss C-46A-35-CU Commando: 42-3594, 42-3596, 42-3617
- Curtiss C-46A-40-CU Commando: 42-61071
- Curtiss C-46A-41-CU Commando: 42-60954, 42-61011, 42-61021, 42-61026, 42-61027, 42-61061, 42-61069, 42-61070, 42-61086, 42-107280, 42-107292, 42-107301 (probable)
- Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando: 42-107393, 42-96555, 42-96580, 42-96598, 42-96647, 42-96685, 42-96694, 42-96724, 42-96730, 42-96732, 42-96794
- Curtiss C-46A-50-CU Commando: 42-96821, 42-101108
- Curtiss C-46A-55-CK Commando: 43-47050, 43-47054, 43-47074, 43-47087, 43-47121, 43-47122, 43-47144, 43-47147, 43-47155, 43-47160, 43-47175, 43-47201
- Curtiss C-46A-60-CK Commando: 43-47206, 43-47218, 43-47224, 43-47270, 43-47273, 43-47321, 43-47341
- Curtiss C-46A-60-CS Commando: 43-47310, 43-47312
- Curtiss C-46D-5-CU Commando: 42-101043, 42-101078, 42-101167, 42-101198, 42-101224, 42-101230, 42-101231, 42-101233, 44-77297, 44-77303, 44-77304
- Curtiss C-46D-15-CU Commando: 44-78013
Last edited: 12/01/2024