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Curtiss C-46D Commando · C-FAVO · Buffalo Airways

Curtiss C-46D Commando illustration in Buffalo Airways livery Illustrative image; it may differ from the actual aircraft.

Curtiss C-46D Commando

C46-33242Unknown
RegistrationCAC-FAVO
Verified aircraft dataagainst the official civil aviation registerWhat does this badge mean?We checked that this aircraft’s registration, serial number and model match the official civil aviation register: Transport Canada (Canada), data as of Oct 9, 2026.That makes its identity more reliable. The verification expires after 12 months: if the register stops confirming it, the badge disappears.How we verify
OperatorBuffalo Airways
7operators
0incidents
0accidents
0logbook years
0photos

Curtiss C-46D Commando. Has operated for United States Army Air Forces, Capitol Airways and Buffalo Airways.

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.

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Technical data

Country of registrationCanadá
MSN33242
Hex / ICAO 24-bitC00231
VerificationIdentity verified against the official register of Transport Canada (Canada) · Oct 9, 2026

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

With its 5,069 km range, from Yellowknife it could fly non-stop as far as:

CUNCancún5,060 kmHAVHavana5,004 kmMEXMexico City4,928 kmMIAMiami4,791 kmATLAtlanta3,832 km
Beyond its rangeLHRLondon6,092 km

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

Airports

Airports of the airlines that have operated it

1994–2026Buffalo Airways airline base
Base
YZFYellowknife

Flight logbook

Under research

Aircraft chronology

Feb 1, 1945
Delivered to United States Army Air Forces
Delivered to United States Army Air Forces as 44-77846.
Feb 8, 1961
Transferred to Capitol Airways
Transferred to Capitol Airways.
Jan 12, 1973
Transferred to Shamrock Air Lines
Transferred to Shamrock Air Lines.
Apr 5, 1974
Transferred to Ortner Air Service
Transferred to Ortner Air Service.
Dec 1, 1987
Transferred to Northland Air Manitoba
Transferred to Northland Air Manitoba.
Feb 14, 1994
Transferred to Buffalo Airways
Transferred to Buffalo Airways.

Operators

1945-02-01
United States Army Air Forces
Registration 44-77846
1961-02-08
Capitol Airways
Registration N9891Z
1964-03-01
Capitol Airways
Registration N9891Z · Lessor: Lufthansa Cargo
1969-11-01
Capitol Airways
Registration N9891Z
1973-01-12
Shamrock Air Lines
Registration N9891Z
1974-04-05
Ortner Air Service
Registration N9891Z
—
Trans Continental Airlines
Registration N9891Z
1987-12-01
Northland Air Manitoba
Registration C-FAVO
1994-02-14
Buffalo Airways
Registration C-FAVO

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Current position of the aircraft

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Cite

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This page was last updated on October 15, 2026

APA

Vuelopedia. (2026, October 15). Curtiss C-46D Commando · C-FAVO · Buffalo Airways. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/C46-33242

MLA

“Curtiss C-46D Commando · C-FAVO · Buffalo Airways.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 15 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/C46-33242. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Vuelopedia. “Curtiss C-46D Commando · C-FAVO · Buffalo Airways.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 15, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/C46-33242.

Harvard

Vuelopedia (2026) Curtiss C-46D Commando · C-FAVO · Buffalo Airways. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/C46-33242 (Accessed: 17 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{vuelopedia_en_aircraft_c46_33242,
  author       = {{Vuelopedia}},
  title        = {{Curtiss C-46D Commando · C-FAVO · Buffalo Airways}},
  publisher    = {Fundación Poderia},
  year         = {2026},
  date         = {2026-10-15},
  url          = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/C46-33242},
  howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/C46-33242}},
  urldate      = {2026-10-17},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-17}
}

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/C46-33242 |title=Curtiss C-46D Commando · C-FAVO · Buffalo Airways |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-15 |access-date=2026-10-17 |language=en}}