Illustrative image; it may differ from the actual aircraft.

Curtiss C-46-CU Commando

C46-26372Written off

Registration41-5170

UNOperatorUnited States Army Air Forces

2operators

0incidents

0accidents

0logbook years

0photos

Curtiss C-46-CU Commando. Operated for United States Army Air Forces and Eastern Air Lines.

Vuelopedia is a work in progress: it currently holds about 30% of the information we expect to have by the third quarter of 2027. Although we use only official, highly reliable sources, some aircraft data and history may still contain errors or inaccuracies. We work hard to clear every anomaly from the records using specialized verification tools.

Technical data

MSN26372

VerificationPending check against the official civil register

The model · Curtiss C-46 Commando

Figures for the C-46A variant, the most representative of the family

Length23.3 m76 ft

Wingspan32.9 m108 ft

Height6.6 m22 ft

Range5,069 km2,737 NMWith a typical passenger load

Cruise speed278 km/h150 ktMach 0.26

Service ceiling7,468 m24,501 ft

Maximum take-off weight20,412 kg45,001 lb

Maximum payload6,501 kg14,332 lbIts 40 passengers with baggage would weigh about 4.0 t; the rest is fuel and cargo

Typical capacity40 passengers

Endurance18 h 14 minAt cruise speed, non-stop

The type first flew in 1940 (86 years ago) · About 3,181 units built · Production ended in 1945

Figures for the type, not for this particular aircraft: each variant and each configuration changes something. They are shown in both systems used in aviation.

The full story of the Curtiss C-46 Commando Compare this aircraft

Flight logbook

Under research

Aircraft chronology

Sep 21, 1942

Delivered to United States Army Air Forces

Delivered to United States Army Air Forces as 41-5170.

Oct 2, 1942

Transferred to Eastern Air Lines

Transferred to Eastern Air Lines.

Operators

1942-09-21

United States Army Air Forces

Registration 41-5170

1942-10-02

Eastern Air Lines

Registration 41-5170

In memoriam

This aircraft suffered a serious accident or hull loss. Out of respect for what happened and for the people who may have been affected, this record does not enable the register of memories.

Cite

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This page was last updated on October 10, 2026

APA

Vuelopedia. (2026, October 10). Curtiss C-46-CU Commando · 41-5170 · United States Army Air Forces. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/C46-26372

MLA

“Curtiss C-46-CU Commando · 41-5170 · United States Army Air Forces.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 10 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/C46-26372. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Vuelopedia. “Curtiss C-46-CU Commando · 41-5170 · United States Army Air Forces.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 10, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/C46-26372.

Harvard

Vuelopedia (2026) Curtiss C-46-CU Commando · 41-5170 · United States Army Air Forces. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/C46-26372 (Accessed: 17 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{vuelopedia_en_aircraft_c46_26372,
  author       = {{Vuelopedia}},
  title        = {{Curtiss C-46-CU Commando · 41-5170 · United States Army Air Forces}},
  publisher    = {Fundación Poderia},
  year         = {2026},
  date         = {2026-10-10},
  url          = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/C46-26372},
  howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/C46-26372}},
  urldate      = {2026-10-17},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-17}
}

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/C46-26372 |title=Curtiss C-46-CU Commando · 41-5170 · United States Army Air Forces |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-10 |access-date=2026-10-17 |language=en}}