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Product description



　　(Photo source: Ardvark Arnold, via

　　FAA Alaska Region.)

　　History: In 1943, the Chase Aircraft Company was created to design and build

　　a heavy assault cargo glider for the US Army. Several early prototypes eventually led to

　　the production of the XG-20 glider in 1949. The new US Air Force

　　expressed an interest in a powered version of the aircraft, so the company installed two

　　2,200-hp Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp engines and named it the XC-123

　　Aviatruc. It was first flown on 14 October 1949.

　　In 1953, a production order for 300 C-123B

　　Providers was received by the Kaiser-Frazer Company, which had since

　　acquired a majority holding in the Chase Company. When Kaiser-Frazer had production

　　difficulties, Fairchild stepped in and took over the C-123 program. The first production

　　aircraft reached the Air Force in late 1954, and immediately became popular with tactical

　　transport aircrews for its ruggedness and reliability. A small number were delivered to

　　Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, the Philippines, Taiwan and South Vietnam.

　　In the early 1960s, a couple of Fairchild J-44

　　turbojet engines were fitted in pods under the wing, giving the aircraft a big boost in

　　performance and resulting in the C-123J. Later, the C-123K

　　variant appeared, which featured two 2,800-lb thrust J85 turbojets in similar pods.

　　Most US Air Force C-123s served in the Vietnam War, where

　　they served as troop and cargo haulers. Some were utilized as defoliant (Agent Orange)

　　sprayers (UC-123Ks) in Operation Ranch Hand, and at

　　least two were modified as armament-carrying AC-123K / NC-123Ks,

　　which operated at night against enemy truck convoys. The C-123 soldiered on into the

　　1980s, serving with several Air National Guard units, some being fitted with wheel/ski

　　landing gear for use in Arctic conditions.

　　Today, surplus C-123s are popular with small freight

　　companies throughout the Americas, and a few are even found on the warbird circuit.

　　Several are repeatedly used in television advertising and movies when the need arises for

　　the representation of a large, generic military cargo aircraft.

　　Nicknames: Bookie Bird

　　Specifications (C-123K):

　　     Engines: Two 2,300-hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800-99W Double Wasp

　　18-cyinder radial piston engines, and two 2,850-lb thrust General Electric J85-GE-17

　　auxiliary turbojets.

　　     Weight: Empty 35,335 lbs., Max Takeoff 60,000 lbs.

　　     Wing Span: 110ft. 0in.

　　     Length: 75ft. 3in.

　　     Height: 34ft. 1in.

　　     Performance:

　　          Maximum Speed: 245mph

　　          Cruising Speed: 205

　　          Range: 1,470 miles

　　     Armament: None

　　Number Built: 302 by Fairchild. (Three additional experimental airframes were built for US

　　Air Force evaluation by the Stroukoff Aircraft Corporation. These included the YC-123D,

　　which was similar to the C-123B but with a boundary-layer control system; a YC-123E

　　with a revised vertical stabilizer and rudder, and retractable land/water skis and floats;

　　and a YC-134A, which incorporated both systems.)

　　Number Still Airworthy: Unknown; Probably at least 40

　　Links:

　　"Air

　　America" Aircraft in Vietnam

　　Air Heritage, Inc. C-123 "Thunder

　　Pig" -- Beaver Falls, PA, USA

　　Photovault

　　C-123 Photo Page

　　The Aviation

　　Zone -- C-123 page

　　USAF Air Mobility Command Museum C-123 Page

　　C-123 book from Amazon.com:

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　　Doublestar Group, unless otherwise noted.

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