Illustrative image; it may differ from the actual aircraft.

Curtiss C-46-CU Commando

C46-26375Scrapped

Registration41-5173

UNOperatorUnited States Army Air Forces

2operators

0incidents

0accidents

0logbook years

0photos

Curtiss C-46-CU Commando. Operated for United States Army Air Forces and TWA Transcontinental and Western Air. Scrapped.

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

MSN26375

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 28, 1942

Delivered to United States Army Air Forces

Delivered to United States Army Air Forces as 41-5173.

Oct 9, 1942

Transferred to TWA Transcontinental and Western Air

Transferred to TWA Transcontinental and Western Air.

Nov 23, 1942

Transferred to United States Army Air Forces

Transferred to United States Army Air Forces.

Operators

1942-09-28

United States Army Air Forces

Registration 41-5173

1942-10-09

TWA Transcontinental and Western Air

Registration 41-5173

1942-11-23

United States Army Air Forces

Registration 41-5173

Memories coming soon

The register of memories is not open on this aircraft yet. We are enabling it gradually, record by record, as we consolidate each aircraft's information.

Before opening it we check the aircraft identity — its registration, its serial number and its model — against the civil register of the authority that registered it, so that every memory belongs to the exact aircraft that lived it. When that work reaches this record, the register will open here.

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This page was last updated on October 10, 2026

APA

Vuelopedia. (2026, October 10). Curtiss C-46-CU Commando · 41-5173 · United States Army Air Forces. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/C46-26375

MLA

“Curtiss C-46-CU Commando · 41-5173 · United States Army Air Forces.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 10 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/C46-26375. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Vuelopedia. “Curtiss C-46-CU Commando · 41-5173 · United States Army Air Forces.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 10, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/C46-26375.

Harvard

Vuelopedia (2026) Curtiss C-46-CU Commando · 41-5173 · United States Army Air Forces. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/C46-26375 (Accessed: 16 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{vuelopedia_en_aircraft_c46_26375,
  author       = {{Vuelopedia}},
  title        = {{Curtiss C-46-CU Commando · 41-5173 · United States Army Air Forces}},
  publisher    = {Fundación Poderia},
  year         = {2026},
  date         = {2026-10-10},
  url          = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/C46-26375},
  howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/C46-26375}},
  urldate      = {2026-10-16},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-16}
}

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/C46-26375 |title=Curtiss C-46-CU Commando · 41-5173 · United States Army Air Forces |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-10 |access-date=2026-10-16 |language=en}}