Fairchild C-123 Provider

Military Transport Aircraft [ 1956 ]

The C-123 Provider transport had a unique propulsion scheme in that the aircraft was powered by both radial piston-driven propellers as well as turbojet engines to achieve desired performance.

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The Fairchild C-123 Provider served as a twin-engined military transport aircraft for several air services of the world throughout the Cold War years. It was utilized to good effect by both American and South Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam War (1955-1975). One of the more unique aspects of the aircraft's design was its use of a combination propulsion scheme - traditional radial piston engines driving propellers and turbojet engines (mounted under the wing mainplanes) providing additional driving force for short take-off distances. The aircraft served from the mid-1950's into the late-1960's and formed a vital part of United States operations during the Vietnam conflict. Beyond the Untied States and South Vietnam, the product was also taken on in number by the forces of Brazil, Cambodia, El Salvador, Laos, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Venezuela. Within the U.S. military, the Provider was also fielded by the United States Air Force (USAF) and Coast Guard services.

On the whole, the C-123 utilized a typical transport configuration with a raised empennage, high-mounted wings for good ground clearance of the large-diameter propellers, and a low fuselage ground profile to ease loading / unloading actions. The standard operating crew numbered four personnel and a further 60 combat-ready troops could be carried aloft (or up to 50 medical litters or 24,000lb of cargo).

Drive power stemmed from 2 x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-99W series "Double Wasp" 18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines producing 2,300 horsepower each, their nacelles held under the wings. This power was further augmented by the use of 2 x General Electric brand J85-GE-17 turbojet engines held outboard under the wings.

The actual design of the aircraft was by Chase Aircraft with serial manufacture completed by Fairchild Aircraft. Total production yielded 307 units.

The C-123 was originally conceived of as an all-metal military glider through the "XCG-20" prototype but gradually evolved into the engined derivative. The C-123 was later fielded in Vietnam where her Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) characteristics and rough-field operational qualities were much appreciated. With this practical wartime use at hand, the Provider series began to evolve into other specially-modified versions as needed that included night time operators (two converted in this fashion) and Search & Rescue (SAR) platforms (for the USCG) though it was primarily used as a supply transport servicing both American and South Vietnamese fighting elements. Some appeared VIP transport guises with the most notable being General William Westmoreland's "White Whale".

The C-123 is perhaps best known for its use in "Operation Ranch Hand" during the conflict, an initiative designed to defoliate parts of South Vietnam in an effort to remove undergrowth used as both cover and nutrition for the advancing North Vietnamese troops. This was particularly of importance in the Mekong Delta where United States Navy (USN) patrol boats increasingly ran the risk of well-hidden ambushes from river shorelines. Operation Ranch Hand revolved around the use of several types of herbicides produced by various corporations and included such names as "Agent Pink", "Agent Green", "Agent Purple", "Agent Blue", "Agent White" and "Agent Orange". Agent Orange is perhaps the most famous for the serious side effects brought about on its users (and recipients below) and was the most widely-used of the agents in the deforestation program. This particular agent was tainted with dioxin environmental pollutants and users/recipients were stricken with mysterious illnesses and generational defects even after the war had ended. A large supply of Agent Orange was manufactured in New Zealand and sent to Southeast Asia for use in the region. A small settlement was received by U.S. veterans in 1984 though no official recognition of the effects of Agent Orange were admitted by the US government with most of the presented cases. These "spraying" aircraft were usually noted by their "U" prefix in the designation.

The C-123 Provider went on to appear in various Hollywood motion pictures - taking center stage in several productions - including "Con Air" and "Air America". A silver C-123 Provider from the Vietnam conflict is on display at the United States Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio, USA.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Chase Aircraft / Fairchild Corporation - USA
Manufacturer(s)

Brazil; Cambodia; El Salvador; Laos; Philippines; Saudi Arabia; South Korea; Vietnam (South); Taiwan; Thailand; Venezuela; United States
Operators

National flag of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

1956
Service Year

United States
National Origin

Retired
Project Status

4
Crew

307
Units

SPECIAL-MISSION: SEARCH & RESCUE
Ability to locate and extract personnel from areas of potential harm or peril (i.e. downed airmen in the sea).

TRANSPORT
General transport functionality to move supplies/cargo or personnel (including wounded and VIP) over range.

VIP SERVICE
Used in the Very-Important-Person (VIP) passenger transport role, typically with above-average amenities and luxuries as standard.

INTELLIGENCE-SURVEILLANCE-RECONNAISSANCE
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.

78.5 ft
(23.92 meters)
Length

110.0 ft
(33.53 meters)
Width/Span

34.0 ft
(10.36 meters)
Height

35,367 lb
(16,042 kilograms)
Empty Weight

59,525 lb
(27,000 kilograms)
Maximum Take-Off Weight

+24,158 lb
(+10,958 kg)
Weight Difference

2 x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-99W "Double Wasp" 18-cylinder radial piston engines developing 2,300 horsepower each driving three-bladed propeller units; 2 x General Electric J85-GE-17 turbojet engines developing 2,850 lb of thrust each.
Propulsion

228 mph
(367 kph | 198 knots)
Max Speed

28,871 ft
(8,800 m | 5 miles)
Ceiling

1,035 miles
(1,666 km | 900 nm)
Range

1,150 ft/min
(351 m/min)
Rate-of-Climb

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

None.

XCG-20 - Prototype Model Example; two produced by Chase Aircraft as military transport gliders.

XG-20 - Redesignation of XCG-20 Prototypes

XC-123 - Prototype Model based on XG-20 prototype; fitted with Pratt & Whitney R-2800-23 engines of 2,200 horsepower.

XC-123A - Prototype Model based on the XG-20 prototype; fitted with General Electric J47-GE-11 turbojet engines.

C-123B - Based on the XC-123 prototype; fitted with 2 x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-99W engines of 2,300 horsepower; 307 examples produced between Fairchild Aircraft and Chase Aircraft (5).

UC-123B - Based on the C-123B model series as a crop destroyer.

VC-123C - Proposed VIP Transport Model based on the XC-123A; never produced.

YC-123D - Single Experimental Example; improved short runway capabilities.

YC-123E - Single Experimental Example; redesigned tail assembly and fuselage.

YC-123H - Single Prototype Model Example; fitted with J85 rocket boosters; redesigned undercarriage.

C-123J - C-132B conversion models featuring J44-R-3 rocket boosters; 10 examples.

C-123K - C-123B conversion models featuring enlarged landing gear wheels and J85 series rocket boosters; 183 examples.

AC-123K - C-132B conversion model; single production model; nighttime reconnaissance with specialized sensor equipment.

NC-123K - C-132B conversion model; single production model; nighttime reconnaissance with specialized sensor equipment.

HC-123B - Search & Rescue Variant (S&R) for United States Coast Guard usage.

UC-123K - Thirty-Four C-123K conversion models for crop destroying.

VC-123K - Based on the C-123K model; converted into VIP transport.

YC-134 - Single Example Produced based on C-123B model series; redesigned landing gear system and other refinements.

YC-134A - YC-134 model when fitted with "Pantobase" landing gear systems.

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