A rare C46 back in service

[Mick G]

Buffalo got their second C46 back serviceable. They used to have 3 air frames; 2 active and 1 in storage, but lost one in a crash landing in the fall of 2015. Now they are back to 2 serviceable units.

With this, it leaves 7 examples that are currently airworthy, 2 with Buffalo, 4 with Evert's and 1 Museum bird "Tinker Bell"

Nice to see a now rare warbird put back in service.

https://buffaloairwearnewsletter.wordpr ... 0cf198f3d1

[quemerford]

Dammit when you wrote "rare C46 (C-46)" I thought you were going to report on a step-screen C-46B!

Still good to see however, now that all flying C-46s are rare.

[menards]

Buffalo got their second C46 back serviceable. They used to have 3 air frames; 2 active and 1 in storage, but lost one in a crash landing in the fall of 2015. Now they are back to 2 serviceable units.

With this, it leaves 7 examples that are currently airworthy, 2 with Buffalo, 4 with Evert's and 1 Museum bird "Tinker Bell"

Nice to see a now rare warbird put back in service.

https://buffaloairwearnewsletter.wordpr ... 0cf198f3d1

What happened to the one that bellied in? was it left in the weeds or did they cart it out and use it for parts?

[Steve Nelson]

Good to hear! I was under the impression that Buffalo had pretty much folded up.

SN

[Mick G]

Oh, it was picked over alright..............

[Chris Brame]

That would make a cool cabin (or houseboat)!
Re the flyables: Could the passenger version that was for sale down in Central or South America recently be added to that list?

[Mick G]

That would make a cool cabin (or houseboat)!
Re the flyables: Could the passenger version that was for sale down in Central or South America recently be added to that list?

That one in Bolivia hasn't been used since restoration in ~2010, so unless it gets bought (Been listed literally for years) it can't be considered currently an active air-frame, there are still a few parts airplanes down there and I believe at least one other which was flying about 10 years ago. There is one in Gimli Manitoba stored as well whcih hasn't flow in ~8 years, but technically could be active if someone bought it. I guess that puts the total at 9, if these two were ever bought and put back in service.

If money was no object, wouldn't it be neat to see all 9 flying formation !

[JohnB]

If you read much about the C-46 or the "hump", you're likely to see a photo of a wrecked C-46 being used as an office or Officer's Club at a base along the route.
Spray it OD with proper markings and you've got a neat piece of history...a great addition to a museum. Perhaps the folks at Dover could use it?

[helinut]

How would they get it out there are no roads going into that village,in winter there is a ice road,.

[menards]

Oh, it was picked over alright..............

ooooooo.gif

Now that is a sad shot...

[marine air]

I would put the Bolivian C-46 in the airworthy category. It’s fully restored and in great shape. If purchased , within a short time it would be flying to it’s new home.

[menards]

I would put the Bolivian C-46 in the airworthy category. It’s fully restored and in great shape. If purchased , within a short time it would be flying to it’s new home.

My only trepidation would be "airworthy" in Bolivia might not mean "airworthy" in the States. Once its imported, a significant amount of work MAY need to be completed to reach "airworthy" status according to the FAA. A friend of mine tried to import a simple Cherokee from south of the border. while the plane looked good, doing the US annual they to bring everything to "faa approved" and naturally the cost of such an endevour meant the plane got scrapped.

[Mark Sampson]

The Glenn Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, NY, has a C-46 on display. It's a shame that that one can't fly again- IIRC it had been a DEA recovery, and it was parked nearby at Geneseo for some years before being trucked to the museum.

[Mick G]

The Glenn Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, NY, has a C-46 on display. It's a shame that that one can't fly again- IIRC it had been a DEA recovery, and it was parked nearby at Geneseo for some years before being trucked to the museum.

I believe that one is technically owned by the Smithsonian and on loan to the Glenn Curtiss Museum.

[airnutz]

Great to see they got her back in shape! I was browsing through their Air Wear catalog and wish they'd make up some wearables with the winged charging buffalo with the maple leaf blaze between the horns motif they're using to advertise the newsletter. That's pretty cool.
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