44-77976 – C-46D-15-CU

Photographer:
 Bill Larkins
With a 10th Air Force insignia on the tail. At San Francisco in August 1955.

History:

44-77976 (c/n 33372/CU1908) to RFC Mar 8, 1946.  WFU and stored at Walnut Ridge,

Arkansas.  Bought by United Services For Air Apr 5, 1948 as NC51820.

Bought by China National Aviation Corp Jul 26, 1948 as XT-156.  Bought

by Civil Air Transport Dec 19, 1949 as N8379C.  Reregistered

Mar 1950 as B-854.  Sold to Los Hermanos Sebastian y Gomez SA of

Panama May 1963.  Interests of Los Hermanos transferred to

TASA (Turismo Aereo SA) of Panama with concurrence of Air Asia and

reregistered as HP-314P (no. 2) to TASA.  The provisional HP

registration was not taken up but cancelled Aug 10, 1964.  Bought

by Indian Ministry of External Affairs Sep 1960 and registered as

VT-DRI Oct 5, 1963 assigned to Aviation Research Center (which was an

Indian intelligence agency acting in cooperation with the CIA) and used to

fly secret missions in support of agents in Tibet.  Returned

to Air Asia Co, Ltd Sep 1964 as B-926, reregistered XW-DGD for

Air America May 1969.  Flown to Tainan and put into inactive storage

Jul 22, 1971.  Scrapped at Tainan Feb 1974
.