curtisswrightcw20

Apparently ground crew attaching a glider tow rope to USAAF Curtiss C-46D Commando (USAAF Ser. No. 44-77604; c/n 3300). This aircraft would be lost will the lives of all four crew on April 10, 1945, after a mid-air collision with a Royal Air Force (RAF) Spitfire (possibly RAF Ser. ML232) piloted by Group Captain Gordon Learmonth "Raffy" Raphael in the skies between Woodchurch and Dungeness, England. G/Capt. Raphael would also perish as a result of the collision.

Talking about landing accidents and the C-46 undercarriage problems..... Is it possible to read the tail number?? Stig

Stig Jarlevik Hopefully you can make this one: www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/45748042032/in/datepo...

Thanks Alan Unfortunately the three last digits are too unclear and with too many options. At face value I read 44-77535 which indeed was assigned to 313TCG, but its recorded accident on 16 April 1945 was with 47TCS (N3 code) and here we have a 49TCS code. On top the listed accident was a bad cat 4 crash which killed the crew (or part of it) while on this photo it looks more like a cat 2/3 accident (that landing gear again) and no obvious reason for anyone in the crew to get killed. Again a great thanks for your efforts!! Stig

First photo of the huge Curtiss C-46D. Not much used in Europe since they came late. 313TCG seems to have got theirs a few months before the end of the war. A great workhorse moving practically anything across the Hump to China from 1943 and onwards. Marred by a weak undercarriage it had many landing and take off accidents, but in Curtiss defence they flew often overloaded....but on the other hand so did the C-47.... Stig

Curtiss C-46D Commando (C-46D-10-CU), USAAF Ser. No. 44-77592 (c/n 32988). This aircraft is reportedly still extant in Korea. See: www.warbirdregistry.org/c46registry/c46-4477592.html