List of surviving Curtiss C-46 Commandos

C-46 Commando in flight

This is a list of surviving Curtiss C-46 Commandos, including both airworthy and on display or stored aircraft.

As of November 2016, there are five aircraft known to be regularly flown in active revenue service; two with Everts Air Cargo, two with Everts Air Fuel and one (C-FAVO) with Buffalo Airways. As of late 2016; Buffalo Airways is reactivating C-GTPO after the crash of C-GTXW in 2015, which would bring them back to two serviceable units. In addition, there is one airworthy Museum example; Tinker Belle (N78774) which frequently takes part in Spring/Summer/Autumn airshows and museum events.

There are two airworthy examples in Bolivia, one of them (CP-1655) owned by Eco Express Cargo Services, was being brought back to serviceable condition prior to 2012,^[1] and one more (CP-973) is set up for passenger configuration, however it is reportedly now up for sale.^[2] The future use of these two Bolivian examples is uncertain as the C46 has been grounded since the crash of CP-1319 (Skyteam Flight Training^[3]) in 2012.

There is one additional airworthy example C-GIBX which is stored serviceable, but with the Certificate of Registration cancelled,^[4] at Gimli, Manitoba, Canada. This aircraft was tied up in receivership, however according to First Nations Transport, as of Jan 2016, the aircraft is claimed to be airworthy with two new engines and available for sale with the fire bottles and props needing updates.

One last example; China Doll (N53594) was airworthy and flown by the Commemorative Air Force Museum, however it is currently grounded due to Federal Aviation Administration regulations regarding propeller time as well as having corrosion issues. She was originally scheduled to be restored back to airworthy status by 2019,^[5][6] however the severity of the corrosion was more extensive than first thought and the funds to bring her back to serviceable condition are not available.

Everts has several mothballed air-frames which they hold mainly for spare parts, but some of them could possibly be returned to service if the need arose.

Survivors

Argentina (January 2016)

• 42-96729 - Donated to the Loreto municipality originally in 1980 to become part of an Argentina Air Force theme park.^[7] Re-located to a Public Square at Loreto (Santiago del Estero) representing the City of Loreto^[8] - LQ-IYV 30391 C-46A-45-CU - Mounted on concrete pedestals and on static display.^[9] Aircraft does not show well with corrosion and areas of damage and poor repair visible.

Bolivia (November 2016)

• 42-3638 - Lineas Aereas Canedo,^[10] located at La Paz, El Alto Airport - CP-1080 26771 C-46A-35-CU - Stored^[11]
• 42-107410 - (Formerly Air Beni^[12]) Current owner unknown, located at La Paz, El Alto Airport - CP-987 27079 C-46A-45-CU - Stored^[13]
• 44-77545 - Lineas Aereas Canedo,^[10] Cochabamba - CP-973 32941 C-46D-10-CU - Stored Serviceable (Currently the only C46 in Passenger configuration)
• 44-77572 - (Formerly Aerovias Las Minas) Wreck at San Borja - CP-1077 32968 C-46D-10-CU - Wreck/Parts (January 2016, unconfirmed if this wreck is still in existence)
• 44-77898 - Eco Express Charter Services,^[14] located at La Paz, El Alto Airport - CP-1655 33294 C-46D-15-CU - Stored Serviceable^[1]
• 44-78605 - 100% Camba - Sky Team, La Paz, El Alto Airport - CP-1319 22428 C-46F-CU - Aircraft Crashed at Santa Cruz, Bolivia April 21, 2012 and was completely destroyed.
• 44-78678 - (Formerly NEBA North East Bolivian Airways) Current owner unknown, located at Trinidad Airport - CP-1616 22501 C-46A-45-CU - Stored Derelict - Broken up for scrap Oct/Nov 2016

Brazil (January 2016)

As of January 2016, the Brazilian Register lists PP-BTP PP-BTZ PP-ITE PP-NAO PP-NMH PP-VCE PT-AYA PT-LBP^[15] All show cancelled airworthiness certificates. PP-VCE & PT-LBP are confirmed preserved, PP-NMH exists derelict, however it is not known if any of the other 5 listed still survive.

• 41-12381 - SAVA - Serviços Aéreos do Vale Amazônico, Itacoatiara - PP-NMH 26508 C-46A-10-CU - Abandoned Derelict (very poor condition with damage and corrosion throughout)^[16]
• 42-101201 - Museu Eduardo André Matarazzo,^[17] Bebedouro, São Paulo - PP-VCE 30656 C-46A-50-CU - Display
• 43-47084 - Museu Aeroespacial (MUSAL) - Campo dos Afonsos - Rio de Janeiro - PT-LBP 2058 155 C-46A-55-CK - Display
• 43-47368 - (Formerly Royal Taxi Aereo), Belem - PP-ITE 439 C-46A-65-CK - Stored (January 2016, unconfirmed if this air-frame is still in existence)

Canada (November 2016)

According to the Transport Canada database there are four C46's currently registered.^[18] One remains active, two are stored and one was recently withdrawn from use after crash landing.

• 44-78028 - Buffalo Airways, Yellowknife, NT - C-FAVO 33424 C-46D-15-CU - Active^[19]
• 44-78649 - SASCO Ltd (First Nations Transportation), Gimli, Manitoba - C-GIBX 22472 C-46F-CU - Stored Serviceable (Certificate cancelled)^[4]
• 44-78733 - Buffalo Airways, Yellowknife, NT - C-GTPO 22556 C-46F-CU - Under restoration to flyable condition^[20]

Known surviving wrecks in Canada

• 42-96724 - Hay River Air Services Ltd. (Formerly Buffalo Airways), Yellowknife, Northwest Territories (NT) - C-GTXW 30386 C-46A-45-CU - Written off at Deline, NT September 25, 2015^[21]
• 44-78552 - Miss Piggy - (Formerly Lambair) Wreck at Churchill Manitoba - 22375 (ex C-GYHT) - Wreck in 1979 - Abandoned
• 44-78692 - (Formerly North Coast Air Services) Wreck near Bryce Bay, Thompson Manitoba - 22515 (ex CF-CZH) - Wreck in 1977 - Abandoned
• 42-96804 - (Formerly Reindeer Air Service) Wreck near Sachs Harbour, Northwest Territories - 30466 (ex CF-HQI) - Wreck in 1973 - Abandoned
• 43-47378 - (Formerly Wheeler Airlines) Wreck on the DEW line (site 28), Kugaaruk (Formerly Pelly Bay), near Scarpa Lake, Nunavut - 448 (ex CF-IHQ) - Wreck in 1960 - Abandoned
• 44-78596 - (Formerly Nordair) Wreck on the DEW line (site 28), Kugaaruk (Formerly Pelly Bay), near Scarpa Lake, Nunavut - 22419 (ex CF-HEI) - Wreck in 1961 - Abandoned
• 44-78586 - (Formerly Flying Tiger Line) Wreck on the DEW line (site 28), Kugaaruk (Formerly Pelly Bay), near Scarpa Lake, Nunavut - 22409 (ex N9995F) - Wreck in 1956 - Abandoned

China (January 2016)

• 4?-????? - Lushan Air Pavilion, Luyang Ranghe Zhen Airbase - (Possibly 00508) Dark green with medium blue undersides, massive yellow white lightning stripe, bold yellow leading edges and red Chinese lettering on the nose.^[22][23] - Display
• 4?-????? - Lushan Air Pavilion, Luyang Ranghe Zhen Airbase - (Possibly 00508) Grey finish.^[23][24] - Display
• 4?-????? - Chinese Air Force - China Aviation Museum,^[25] Xiaotangshanzhen, Changping, Beijing - White with light grey undersides, code faded (impossible to read, possibly s/n 36044, 36045, or 36047) - One of two displayed as a pair with below.
• 4?-????? - Chinese Air Force - China Aviation Museum,^[25] Xiaotangshanzhen, Changping, Beijing - White with light grey undersides, code faded (impossible to read, possibly s/n 36044, 36045, or 36047) - Two of two displayed as a pair with above.
• 4?-????? - China Civil Aviation Museum,^[26][27] Xie Dao, Beijing - White with light grey undersides, code faded (impossible to read, possibly s/n 36344, 36044, 36045, or 36047) C46A - Display

Colombia (January 2016)

• 42-3679 - Danny - Private Owner Bogota, El Dorado - HK-3150 26812 C-46A-35-CU - Stored Servicable^[28][29]

Haiti (January 2016)

• 41-12369 - (Formerly Air Haiti), stored at Port-au-Prince - HH-AHA 26496 C-46A-10-CU - Derelict Fuselage (Wings removed, broken windows, overall poor condition with damage and corrosion)
• 42-96792 - (Formerly Air Haiti), stored at Port-au-Prince - HH-AHD 30454 C-46A-45-CU - Derelict Fuselage (Wings removed, broken windows, overall poor condition with damage and corrosion)

Honduras (January 2016)

• 44-78447 - (Formerly LANICA) Abandoned at Tegucigalpa, Toncontin Airport - AN-BPN 22270 C-46D-20-CU - Abandoned Derelict Fuselage (Wings removed, broken windows, overall poor condition with damage and corrosion, dumped into a ditch and abandoned)
• 44-78708 - Museo del Aire de Honduras - AN-BRX 22531 C-46F-1-CU - Preserved Derelict Fuselage (Wings removed, broken windows, overall poor condition with damage and corrosion)

Israel (November 2016)

• 44-78628 - Atlit Detention Camp Museum - N23AC 22451 C-46F-CU - Display (Nov 15th, 2016; crated for delivery & currently in transport from Everts Air, Alaska to Israel. Anticipated arrival in the next 2 months)

Japan (January 2016)

C-46A at the Tokorozawa Aviation Museum

C-46D at Kawaguchiko Motor Museum

• 42-107366 - JASDF - Gifu Air Field, Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture - 91-1141 27053 C-46A-40-CU - Display^[30]
• 42-101098 - JASDF - Hamamatsu Air Base, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture - 91-1138 30553 C-46A-50-CU - Display^[30]
• 42-101115 - JASDF - Miho Air Base, Tottori Prefecture - 91-1139 30570 C-46A-50-CU - Display^[30]
• 43-47222 - Tokorozawa Aviation Museum - Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture - 91-1143 293 C-46A-60-CK - Display^[30]
• 43-47225 - Hijiri Aviation Museum - Omi, Nagano Prefecture - 91-1144 296 C-46A-60-CK - Display (Nose and some other parts only)^[30]
• 43-47328 - JASDF - Iruma Air Base, Saitama Prefecture - 91-1145 399 C-46A-65-CK/EC-46D - Display^[30]
• 44-77859 - Kawaguchiko Motor Museum, Kawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture - 61-1127 33255 C-46D-10-CU - Display^[30]
• 44-78480 - Private collection - Tokyo Prefecture (Nose only) - 61-1130 22303 C-46D-20-CU - Stored (On roof of Marutaka Autos, 2-10-1 Morishita, Koto Ward, Tokyo 134-0004) (January 2016, unconfirmed if this nose is still in existence)^[30]

Mexico (January 2016)

• 42-101231 - Explora Museum in Leon, Guanajuato - TEC-6047 30686 C-46D-5-CU - Display^[31][32][33]

Philippines (January 2016)

• 44-78748 - (Formerly USAF, Flying Tiger & Astro Air Transport) - Cut up for scrap with the wings and cockpit/nose salvaged and preserved as part of restaurant theme^[34][35] at Cagayan de Oro - RP-C1132 22571 C-46F-CU

South Korea (January 2016)

• 44-77592 - Korean AF, displayed at Pusan - 44-77592 32988 C-46D-10-CU^[36] - Display (January 2016, unconfirmed if this air frame is still in existence)
• 44-78053 - Republic of Korea Air Force Academy, Cheongju - 33449 C46D-20B-2^[37] - Display
• 44-78541 - War Memorial Museum, Seoul - 10-541 22364 C-46D-20-CU - Display

Taiwan (January 2016)

• 4?-???? - Republic of China Air Force Museum,^[38][39] Gangshan, Kaohsiung. Tail has the numbers stenciled C46-045^[40] - Display

Thailand (January 2016)

• 44-78738 - Located at Chonburi, Thailand - HS-SKD 22561 C-46F-CU - Stored Derelict - Formerly located at Lad Phrao, Bangkok and set up as 'Apichart' coffee shop in 1985; moved to Chonburi 2001^[41]
• 4?-????? - Located at the Police Training Camp on Highway 22, Udon Thani, Thailand^[42] - Stripped fuselage^[43] (Basic shell only; brought by helicopter to Udon Thani in 1973)^[44]

United States (November 2016)

• 42-101198 - Museum of Aviation adjacent to Robins AFB in Warner Robins, Georgia - 30653 C-46A-50-CU - Display^[45]
• 43-47202 - Dumbo - Everts Air Cargo Express, Fairbanks, Alaska - N7848B 273 C-46A-55-CK - Active
• 43-47218 - Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California - N74173 289 C-46A-60-CK - Display^[46]
• 43-47350 - National Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola, Florida - (ex N611Z) 421/CK398 C-46A-65-CK - Display
• 44-77424 - Air Commando Park, Hurlburt Field, Florida - 32820 C-46D-5-CU - Display
• 44-77559 - Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, California - 44-77559 32955 C-46D-10-CU - Stored Derelict (Unrestored & missing parts)^[47]
• 44-77575 - Honey Gal - Castle Air Museum in Atwater, California - 32971 C-46D-10-CU - Display
• 44-77635 - Syracuse Shackrat - Pima Air & Space Museum, adjacent to Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, Arizona - 33031 C-46D-10-CU - Display
• 44-77889 - Maid in Japan - Everts Air Cargo Express, Fairbanks, Alaska - N54514 33285 C-46D-10-CU - Active
• 44-78018 - National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio - 33414 C-46D-15-CU - Display^[48]
• 44-78019 - Joe Davies Heritage Airpark, Palmdale, California - N33415 C-46D-15-CU - Display
• 44-78394 - Everts Air Fuel, Fairbanks, Alaska - N54584 22318 C-46D-20-CU - Derelict for parts
• 44-78565 - Hot Stuff - Everts Air Fuel, Fairbanks, Alaska - N1837M 22388 C-46F-CU - Active
• 44-78573 - 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum at Fort Bragg, North Carolina - 22396 C-46F-CU - Display
• 44-78576 - Everts Air Fuel, Fairbanks, Alaska - N1651M 22399 C-46F-CU - Stored
• 44-78663 - China Doll - CAF Southern CA Wing, Camarillo, California - N53594 22486 C-46F-CU - Display
• 44-78674 - Everts Air Cargo Express, Fairbanks, Alaska - N1845M C46 22497 - Derelict for parts (Partially broken up)
• 44-78698 - Salmon Ella - Everts Air Fuel, Fairbanks, Alaska - N1822M 22521 C-46F-CU - Active
• 44-78725 - Everts Air Cargo Express, Fairbanks, Alaska - N1663M 22548 C-46F-CU - Derelict for parts (Badly damaged by a mini-tornado at Laredo, TX in 2003. Everts cut it up into pieces, salvaged usable parts inclluding 1 wing and relocated the parts to their storage yard at Fairbanks)^[49][50]
• 44-78772 - Owned by Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, on loan to Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, New York - N800FA 22595 C-46F-CU - Display
• 44-78774 - Tinker Belle - Warriors & Warbirds Museum, Monroe, North Carolina - N78774 22597 C-46F-CU - Active
• 44-78778 - Everts Air Fuel, Fairbanks, Alaska - N801FA 22600 C-46F-CU - Derelict for parts.
• 42-96578 - Everts Air Cargo Express, Fairbanks, Alaska - N4860V C46 30240 - Derelict for parts (Partially broken up) - Part of rear fuselage acquired by Buffalo Airways for repair of C-FAVO 33242 C46D which was severely damaged on May 26, 2004.^[51][52][53]
• 4?-????? - Fuselage only (minus wings and empennage) originally bought by Cheryl Williams and Jean Sutherland as US Army surplus in 1947. It was moved on Sutherland's property at Rubidoux Ave in Riverside California and converted into a home.^[54][55][56] Still exists as of Jan 2016.

References

External links

• The Survivors List - DC3PUBLISHING
• Curtiss C-46 Commando Survivors - Air-and-Space.com
• Curtis C-46 Commando Registry - Warbird Registry