GARY HEBBARD COLLECTION
No. 3704. Curtiss CW-20B-4 C-46F Commando (5Y-IBX c/n 22472) Relief Air Transport
Photographed at St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, 1995, by Gary Hebbard

Boeing 299-O B-17G Flying Fortress

08/31/2006. Remarks by Jack McKillop: "This aircraft was delivered to the USAAF (US Air Force effective September 18, 1947) in July 1945 as a C-46F-1-CU s/n 44-78649. It was leased to Pan American Airways (Pan American World Airways effective January 3, 1950) from September 17, 1948 to January 14, 1953 registered N74171 and used as a cargo carrier in the Caribbean and Central America.

It was sold to Transocean Air Lines of Oakland, California, USA, on July 29, 1955 and registered N74171; the airline went into bankrupcy in July 1960 and the aircraft was sold to Aviation Finance, Inc. on September 11, 1961. It was leased to Ortner Air Service of Wakeman, Ohio, USA, from September 1961 to January 7, 1963. It was later sold to several companies and became derelict at Wakeman, Ohio, until sold to Northland Air, Manitoba, Canada in March 1985 and registered C-GIBX.

The aircraft was transferred to Nunasi-Northland Airlines in August 1988 and leased to Northland Air, Manitoba in November 1989. It was sold to Air Manitoba in December 1990 and leased to Kenya's Relief Air Transport from August 1994 to March 1996 and registered 5Y-IBX. In November 1996, it was sold to Commando Air Transport registered C-GIBX. As of April 2006, this aircraft was operated by FNT Transport from Gimli Industrial Park, Gimli, Manitoba, to haul freight to northern communities."

Read the type remarks on page 9966.


Created September 13, 2004