by "ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
Published 10/04/2017 at 12:35
by "ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
Published 10/04/2017 at 12:35
Tags: wingspan
; Planelopnik
; planes you've (probably) never heard of
STARS: 13
Aside from perhaps the Douglas C-47 Skytrain and Lockheed C-130 Hercules , cargo planes rarely garner as much fame as more glamorous military aircraft. The Fairchild C-123 Provider is one of the lesser-known cargo aircraft in US Air Force history. Nevertheless, it proved to be a utilitarian workhorse that served throughout the Vietnam War and beyond. But the tale of the C-123 actually begins with a giant glider.
During WWII, the use of gliders in large-scale invasions such as the D-Day invasion of France allowed the delivery of more troops and equipment than could be accomplished by parachute drops alone. However, paratroops often referred to the crash-prone wooden gliders as flying coffins, and many gliders were actually built by coffin manufacturers along with other woodworking trades. Following the war, the Army requested a much larger glider capable of carrying more troops and vehicles. The Chase Aircraft Company responded with the XG-20, built entirely of metal and the largest glider ever built in the United States. By the time flight testing was completed, however, the Air Force had abandoned gliders in favor of helicopters and powered transports. Only two prototypes were ever built, and only one of them ever flew.
Though the glider was canceled, Chase had planned all along for the possible attachment of engines. A pair of Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radials were fitted to create the XC-123, while four General Electric J47 turbojets, the same engines used on the Boeing B-47 Stratojet , were added to create the XC-123A, making it the first jet-powered transport to be built for the US Air Force. However, the jet engines didn’t provide the performance that the Air Force hoped for, nor did the XC-123A outperform the piston-powered alternatives. Only one was ever built.
The C-123, however, with powerful radial engines that were eventually supplemented with a pair of General Electric J85 turbojets, was a hit. With accommodations for 61 troops or 50 stretchers, the Provider was used widely in Vietnam, where its short-field capabilities made it popular for the resupply of forward bases. It also gained a measure of fame, or perhaps infamy, for its role in spraying Agent Orange defoliant over the jungles of Vietnam as part of Operation Ranch Hand . The US Air Force Thunderbirds used a Provider for hauling supplies and ground crew members, but it was involved in a crash that remains the single worst accident in Thunderbirds history. Providers were built in a number of variants, including a conversion to nighttime reconnaissance and ground attack, a search and rescue version for the US Coast Guard, and numerous export variants for international customers. Fairchild Aircraft , which had taken over production from Chase early on, eventually built 307 Providers from 1949-1970, and the type was retired by the Air Force in 1980.
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If you enjoyed this post, please join in the conversation and let me know. For more posts about aviation history and aircraft oddities, head over to
Wingspan
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"Spaceball-Two" (spaceball-two)
10/04/2017 at 12:49, STARS: 1
Lets not forget this gem.
Edit: Tried finding a good pic of the jet powered C1234 in Die Hard 2.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
10/04/2017 at 13:00, STARS: 0
I thought about mentioning that in the article, but I figured somebody else would post it. They used three different C-123s for that movie, only one of which was airworthy. Unfortunately, that aircraft, N709RR, was destroyed in a crash in Alaska in 2010, with three fatalities.
"WilliamsSW" (williamssw)
10/04/2017 at 13:00, STARS: 3
Great story - here’s another one that made it to Oshkosh this summer.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
10/04/2017 at 13:02, STARS: 2
I want one.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
10/04/2017 at 13:04, STARS: 2
It’s only a model....
I had forgotten about this. Actually, I think I had blocked it from my memory.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
10/04/2017 at 13:05, STARS: 1
I think theXC-123A is dead sexy, even for a cargo plane. It looks like something a Bond villain would fly in.
"Spaceball-Two" (spaceball-two)
10/04/2017 at 13:07, STARS: 1
A very poor one at that.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
10/04/2017 at 13:09, STARS: 3
I would wear black when I fly it and talk to the tower in a Russian accent. Just because.
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
10/04/2017 at 13:23, STARS: 2
A Provider features very heavily in Operation Dumbo Drop. Probably the most Hollywood screen time outside Con Air.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
10/04/2017 at 13:31, STARS: 0
I did not know that, though I have never seen the film. Thanks for they info!
"user314" (user314)
10/04/2017 at 16:01, STARS: 1
It’d be insanely expensive and a cast-iron-bitch to get FAA approval, but I would totally convert a junker -123K into an XC-123A, only with modern jets.
"greasemonkey235097" (greasemonkey235097)
10/04/2017 at 22:21, STARS: 1
Dont forget Air America with Mel Gibson and Robert Downy Jr
"greasemonkey235097" (greasemonkey235097)
10/04/2017 at 22:32, STARS: 1
Die Hard 2 used ILM build models
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
10/04/2017 at 23:52, STARS: 0
Never saw that either.
"Only Vespas..." (64allstate)
10/16/2020 at 15:23, STARS: 0
C-123. Crazy. Starts as a glider, then props, then jets. I think it was the first America n jet transport,[ unsuccessful] , as well. Classic shaggy dog story. There’s also some fuzzy memory of a couple of Providers being intentionally crushed during the Iran-Co ntra mess. One can’t write this stuff.
"Only Vespas..." (64allstate)
10/16/2020 at 15:26, STARS: 1
It kind of looks like what they used/created for Air Force One in Escape from New York ...another classic of 70's filmmaking.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
10/16/2020 at 15:26, STARS: 0
I thought the Chase XC-123A was a very attractive a/c.