EL AL Fleet – Historic – Curtiss C-46 Aircraft

4X-ACE. No photo available.

C-46A-15-CU, built Buffalo NY. MSN 26532/LN 172. Delivered to US Army Air Force (‘USAAF’) 17 Jun 43, 41-12405. Assigned to India-China Wing, Air Transport Command (India-China Division from 1 Jul 44), 7 Jul 43. Returned to USA 15 Aug 44 at Brookley Field (Mobile AL). To Reconstruction Finance Corporation (‘RFC’), a U.S. government agency responsible for disposal of war surplus, at Ontario, CA, 30 Oct 45. Acquired by Al Schwimmer for Service Airways and then registered in Panama for Lineas Aéreas de Panamá, S.A. (‘LAPSA’) as RX-137. Panamanian registration canceled 17 Sep 48. To Israel Air Force (‘IAF’), serial no. 1707, May 48. Registered to EL AL as 4X-ACE, 24 Jan 50. Withdrawn from use early 1955 and registration canceled 1 Mar 55. 

4X-ACF (later re-registered as 4X-ALB) at Eilat, Israel, 1950. (EL AL Archive)

C-46A-55-CK, built Louisville KY. MSN 261/LN 238CK. Delivered to USAAF 14 Feb 45, 43-47190. Assigned to Troop Carrier Command, Baer Field (Fort Wayne, IN), and remaIned in U.S. To RFC at Walnut Ridge, AR, 6 Nov 45. Sold to Howard Korth Nov 45. To Transportes Aereos Centro Americano (TACA), El Salvador, 15 Dec 45, probably registered YS-35, 4 Sep 46. Registered in U.S. to Intercontinental Airways as NX75393. Registered in Panama for LAPSA as RX-130 by Apr 48. Then registered in Cuba to Intercontinental Aerea de Cuba as CU-T-450. Operated by IAF as RX-130 and with serial 1701; force-landed at Rhodes on route Czechoslovakia to Ekron AB and impounded, then freed. Registered in name of EL AL as 4X-ACF, 24 Jan 50, and named ‘Eilata’ in Hebrew (meaning ‘To Eilat’). Operated some EL AL refugee airlift and other flights under Cuban registration CU-T-450. 4X-ACF registration canceled 17 Dec 50, and probably continued to operate under Cuban registration. Re-registered to EL AL as 4X-ALB 14 May 52. Registration 4X-ALB canceled 18 Jul 55. Sold to AAXICO (American Air Export and Import Company) and registered N75393, 24 Aug 55. Successively acquired by TACA, EL Salvador (registered YS-35), and Aeromar (HI-196), Argo and Aerovias Mundo SA (HI-495/495SP), each of the Dominican Republic. Withdrawn from use and stored in Santo Domingo, Apr 94..

4X-ACG at Avraham Field, Israel, 17 March 1949. (Noam Hartoch collection)

C-46A-50-CU, built Buffalo NY. MSN 30575/LN 1111. Delivered to USAAF 21 Sep 44, 42-101120. Assigned to Central African Wing (Air Transport Command-Central African Division, from 1 Jul 44). Returned to U.S. at Morrison, NJ, 24 Jul 45. To RFC at Ontario, CA, 14 Oct 45. Registered to A.W. Schwimmer in U.S. as NX67926, 1947. Registered in Panama in name of Lineas Aereas de Panama (‘LAPSA’) as RX-138 in early 1948 (being the first of two C-46s that had an RX-138 registration, the other being 4X-ACT/4X-ALC)). To IAF, serial 1708, May 48. Registered in name of Al-Sam Ltd. (a fictitious name used by the Israeli Government) 10 Nov 48. Per EL AL Capt. Sam Lewis’ log book, flew under EL AL name on 22 Jan 49, and was used on EL AL special flight carrying Finance Minister Eliezer Kaplan to European cities, 31 Jan – 17 Feb 49. Crashed 17 Mar 49, following failure of port engine, upon landing at Sde Avaham Mar, an improvised landing strip about 55km (31mi) north of Eilat, established as part of Operation Fact (also known as Operation Uvda), an IDF/AF mission to supply Israeli troops who advanced to Eilat and occupied it on 10 Mar 49. All 13 persons on board the aircraft survived without serious injury. Withdrawn from use and registration cancelled 17 Mar 49.

4X-ACT (later re-registered as 4X-ALC) at Eilat, 28 February 1950.(EL AL Archive)

C-46A-45-CU, built Buffao NY. MSN 30202/LN 738. Delivered to USAAF 7 Jul 44, 42-96540,.and remained in U.S. To RFC at Walnut Ridge, AR, 6 Nov 45. Registered in Mexico as XB-JED. Then bore registration RX-138 in name of LAPSA (the second C-46 to have that registration, after the crash of the first one, 4X-ACG). Registered as 4X-ACT in name of Al-Sam Ltd., and transferred to Arkia, 11 Oct 49. Registered to EL AL, 24 Jan 50. Operated first official flight to Eilat 28 Feb 50. Probably operated at times under Cuban registration. Re-registered to EL AL as 4X-ALC, 14 Oct 52. Reverted to Arkia 27 Feb 55. Registration canceled 17 Feb 56 as sold to AAXICO and registered in U.S. as N5141B, 27 Jan 56. Sold to LANICA, Nicaragua, and registered AN-AIR, 26 Mar 56. Sold to H. Davis 17 Sep 58 and registered N4198A, 12 Feb 59. Final fate unknown.

4X-AEF. No photo available.

C-46A-35-CU, built Buffalo NY. MSN 26805/LN 445. Delivered to USAAF 3 Feb 44, 42-3672. Assigned to Central African Wing, Air Transport Command, 8 Mar 44. Returned to U.S. at Morrison, NJ, 21 Jul 45. To RFC at Ontario, CA, 6 Nov 45. Acquired by Al Schwimmer for Service Airways and then registered in Panama for LAPSA as RX-131 in 1948. To IAF, serial 1702, May 48. Panamanian registration canceled 17 Sep 48. Registered as 4X-AEF in name of EL AL 12 Mar 52. Registration canceled 8 May 53, sold to Al Schwimmer. Registered in U.S. as N2714A, 8 May 53. Sold to John S. Russell Jr. 26 Jun 53, then American Aviation Leasing 18 Aug 53, and then 4th Street Corp., Miami, FL, 8 Oct 54. With Aerovias Sud Americana May 55. Believed leased as HP-228 to Aerovias Panama 1958/59 and later to COPA. To HK-791 Taxader, Colombia, prior to 1964. Sold about 1968 to Luis Bonilla and leased to Aeropesca. To Aeronorte 1971 and then Lineas Aéreas Orientales Ltda.,Mar 72. Blew tire on landing and crashed 30 Apr 73 at Leticia Airport, Colombia, and written off.

4X-ALA at Tel Aviv – Lod Airport (later named Ben-Gurion Airport), 4 July 1953. (EL AL Archive)

C-46A-36-CU, built Buffao NY. MSN. 26809/LN 449. Delivered to USAAF 10 Feb 44, 42-3676. Assigned to Central African Wing, Air Transport Command, 10 Mar 44. Returned to US at Morrison, NJ, 2 Jul 45. To RFC at Ontario, CA, 24 Oct 45. Acquired by Al Schwimmer for Service Airways. Adopted LAPSA Panamanian registration RX-134 (after another C46 registered to LAPSA as RX-134 crashed on takeoff from Mexico City while enroute from the US to Panama). To IAF, serial 1705, May 48. Registered as 4X-ALA in name of EL AL, 4 Apr 52. Sold to Alaska Airlines Feb 56 and registered N5140B, and Israeli registration canceled 4 Mar 56. To AAXICO 2 Mar 56. Damaged in hard landing short of runway at Granite, AK, 20 Oct 56. Crashed at Dyess AFB, Abilene, TX, 2 Sep 59.

4X-ALE (previously registered as 4X-AQD) at London-Heathrow, about 1954.
(J M G Gradidge photo via John Wegg)

C-46D-10-CU, built Buffalo NY. MSN 33271/LN 1807. Delivered to USAAF 12 Feb 45, 44-77875. Assigned to Troop Carrier Command, Baer Field and remained in US. To RFC at Walnut Ridge, AR, 12 Mar 46. Registered in Mexico as XB-JIM, and In Aug 48. Adopted LAPSA Panamanian registration RX-132 (after another LAPSA C46, MSN 26948, had its registration changed from RX-132 to RX-133, following the crash of the original LAPSA C46 registered RX-133, MSN 26797, at Ekron AB, Israel, 5 Jul 48). To IAF, serial 1703, Nov 48. Registered in Cuba to Intercontinental Aerea de Cuba as CU-T-449, and registered to EL AL as 4X-AQD, 28 Jul 50. Operated some EL AL refugee airlift and other flights under Cuban registration CU-T-449. Registration 4X-AQD canceled, and re-registered as 4X-ALE, 14 Oct 52. Sold 27 Jan 56 to AAXICO, registration 4X-ALE canceled, and registered N10012. Then to Cordova Airlines, Alaska, and then to Reeve Aleutian Airways in 57. Went through ice on landing at Nondalton, AK, 10 Feb 71, and written off. 

4X-ALF (previously registered as 4X-AQE) at London-Heathrow, about 1954.
(J M G Gradidge photo via John Wegg)

C-46D-15-CU, built Buffalo NY. MSN 33452/LN 1988. Delivered to USAAF 21 Mar 45, 44-78056. Assigned to Troop Carrier Command, Baer Field and remained in US. To RFC at Bush Field GA 30 Jan 47. Acquired by Al Schwimmer from Service Airways, then adopted LAPSA registration RX-136 after another LAPSA C46 registered RX-136, MSN 26995, crashed and was written off at Ekron AB, Israel 22 May 48. To IAF, serial 1709, May 48. Registered as 4X-AQE in name of EL AL, 28 Jul 50. Probably operated under Cuban registration for airlifts of refugees to Israel. 4X-AQE registration canceled, and re-registered to EL AL as 4X-ALF, 14 May 52. Registration canceled 18 Jul 55 and sold to Jorge Carnicero for AAXICO Aircraft Sales Inc., 27 Jul 55, and registered N2052A. Ultimate fate unknown.