C-123 Provider

C-123 Provider
Name	C-123 Provider
Caption	A United States Air Force C-123K in flight.
Type	Military transport aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Chase Aircraft, Fairchild Aircraft
Designer	Michael Stroukoff
First flight	14 October 1949
Introduced	1955
Retired	1980 (USAF)
Primary user	United States Air Force
More users	United States Coast Guard, Republic of Vietnam Air Force, Royal Thai Air Force
Number built	307
Developed from	Chase XCG-20
Variants with their own articles	See text

C-123 Provider. The Fairchild C-123 Provider was an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and later produced by Fairchild Aircraft. It served as a rugged STOL-capable cargo and troop carrier, seeing extensive service with the United States Air Force during the Cold War, most notably in the Vietnam War. The aircraft was also operated by several allied air forces and civilian agencies, performing diverse roles from aerial spraying to search and rescue.

Development and design

The aircraft's origins trace back to the Chase XCG-20 cargo glider, designed by Michael Stroukoff. Seeking a powered version, Chase Aircraft fitted two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engines to the prototype, which first flew on 14 October 1949. After Chase Aircraft encountered financial difficulties, production rights were acquired by Fairchild Aircraft, which refined the design. The resulting airframe was a high-wing, twin-engine monoplane with a slab-sided fuselage, a rear loading ramp, and sturdy fixed tricycle landing gear, optimized for operations from rough, forward airstrips. An important later development was the C-123K variant, which added two underwing General Electric J85 turbojet pods for improved hot and high performance.

Operational history

Entering service in 1955, the C-123 became a workhorse for Military Air Transport Service and Tactical Air Command. Its most intensive use occurred during the Vietnam War, where it flew countless supply missions, aerial resupply to Special Forces camps, and aeromedical evacuation sorties under the operational control of the Pacific Air Forces. The United States Air Force also employed modified Providers, under projects like Operation Ranch Hand, for aerial spraying of herbicides such as Agent Orange. Beyond Southeast Asia, the aircraft saw service in other global hotspots, supported the Berlin Airlift (in a later capacity), and performed search and rescue duties with the United States Coast Guard. It remained in USAF service until approximately 1980.

Variants

* XC-123: Prototype powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engines. * C-123B: Initial production model built by Fairchild Aircraft. * JC-123B: Modified for Project Moby Dick, sampling upper atmosphere particles. * C-123J: Fitted with skis and Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engines for Arctic operations, used by the United States Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force. * C-123K: Definitive variant with two auxiliary General Electric J85 turbojets and improved systems. * UC-123K: Designation for aircraft configured for aerial spraying duties. * C-123T: Proposed modernized version with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 turboprops, not produced.

Operators

Primary military operators included the United States Air Force, the Republic of Vietnam Air Force, the Royal Thai Air Force, the Philippine Air Force, and the Republic of China Air Force. The United States Coast Guard operated the HC-123B for search and rescue. Following military service, many aircraft were transferred to civilian agencies like the United States Forest Service for firefighting, and to commercial cargo carriers. Surplus Providers were also supplied to several allied nations under the Military Assistance Program.

Specifications (C-123K)

General characteristics * Crew: 4 (pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer, loadmaster) * Capacity: 60 troops or 50 stretchers or 24,000 lb (10,900 kg) cargo * Length: 76 ft 3 in (23.24 m) * Wingspan: 110 ft 0 in (33.53 m) * Height: 34 ft 1 in (10.39 m) * Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-99W "Double Wasp" radial engines, 2,500 hp (1,900 kW) each * Powerplant: 2 × General Electric J85-GE-17 turbojet engines, 2,850 lbf (12.7 kN) thrust each (auxiliary) * Maximum speed: 228 mph (367 km/h, 198 kn) * Range: 1,470 mi (2,370 km, 1,280 nmi) * Service ceiling: 29,000 ft (8,800 m)

Notable appearances in media

The C-123 has been featured in several films depicting the Vietnam War, most famously in *Air America* (1990), which starred Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Jr. and depicted the activities of the Central Intelligence Agency-front airline. It also appears in *The Green Berets* (1968), starring John Wayne, and in *Bat*21 (1988), a film about a downed United States Air Force officer's rescue. Documentaries about Operation Ranch Hand and the Vietnam War frequently feature archival footage of the aircraft in action.

Category:Military transport aircraft of the United States Category:Cold War military aircraft of the United States Category:Fairchild aircraft