The C-123 troop and cargo transport was designed by the original Chase Aircraft Company. A production order for 300 C-123B, held by the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation (which had acquired a majority interest in the Chase company in 1953), was cancelled in June 1953. New bids were asked for, as a result of which production of the C-123B was assigned to Fairchild. The first Fairchild-built C-123B flew on 1 September 1954 and production aircraft entered service with the USAF's 309th Troop Carrier Group in July 1955. Orders totalling more than 300 aircraft were completed by mid-1958, six going to Saudi Arabia and 18 to Venezuela.
In 1955 the prototype C-123B was fitted experimentally with two Fairchild J44 turbojet engines mounted at the wingtips to provide auxiliary power for use in an emergency. As a result ten production aircraft were modified into C-123J with turbojet engines fitted. Meanwhile a small number of C-123H had been produced with wide-track landing gears.
The prototype YC-123H was later experimentally fitted with CJ610 auxiliary turbojet engines and flown on 30 July 1962. Having been tested in South Vietnam as a counter-insurgency aircraft, 183 more C-123B were given 12.68kN General Electric J85-GE-17 auxiliary turbojet engines in underwing pods and designated C-123K. Some were further converted to AC-123K Spectre gunships for service during the Vietnam conflict.
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Specification |   |
CREW | 2 | |
ENGINE | 2 x P+W R-2800-99W, 1840kW | |
WEIGHTS | ||
Take-off weight | 27240 kg | 60054 lb |
Empty weight | 14100 kg | 31085 lb |
DIMENSIONS | ||
Wingspan | 33.6 m | 110 ft 3 in |
Length | 23.3 m | 76 ft 5 in |
Height | 10.4 m | 34 ft 1 in |
Wing area | 113.6 m2 | 1222.78 sq ft |
PERFORMANCE | ||
Max. speed | 392 km/h | 244 mph |
Ceiling | 7000 m | 22950 ft |
Range w/max.fuel | 2350 km | 1460 miles |
Comments | 1-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 101-120 |
JOSEPH WALSH, e-mail, 23.02.2024 Dave Gagnon
HELLO,DAVE GOOD MORNING THESE OLD WAR BIRDS BRING BACK SOME GOOD TIMES WHEN I WORKED WITH THE US AIR FORCE 95TH STRATIGIC AIR COMMAND GOOSE AIR BASE IN LABRADOR ,CANADA. WE HAD A FLEET OF 30 KC97 STRATO FUEL TANKERS AND DURING THAT TIME IN THE EARLY SEVENTIES AIR AMERICA MADE A FEW TRIPS BACK FROM VIETNAM AND STOPPED AT THE BASE AND I DONE ENGINE REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENT FOR THEM OF THE OLD P&W R2800 18 CYL ENGINES I CAN STILL REMEMBER THE SOUNDS OF THE OLD PRATTS STRATING UP AT THE BASE IN LATE AUGUST WHEN AT TIMES IN LABRADOR IT WAS COLD -5 BELOW AND THE CYLINDERS WOULD GET SHOCKED COOLED AND CRACK WITH THE TEMPERATURE VARIATION I LIKED THE OLD C123 PROVIDER DAVE IT HAD ISSUES BUT I STILL LOVED THE OLD BIRD IT WAS SIMPLER TIMES BACK THEN DAVE AVIATION IS NOT THE SAME TODAY I MISS THE RADIAL ENGINE DAYS. TAKE CARE DAVE ALL THE BEST JOE WALSH
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Jon Hemp, e-mail, 07.05.2022 Dewey Oliver
Dewey, I've got a work-in-progress project /catalogue on the Provider. Any details on your dis-assembly of the YC would be very much valued and appreciated.
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ED LAUGHARY@gmail . Com, 27.07.2023 Jon Hemp
Today is Thurs. JULY 27,2023! My Crew lost the YC-123 w /J85 Jet Engines to assist in Shortfield TAKEO, as the Nose Gear collapsed under the steel deck after striking a 6” steel spike on initial touchdown on the PAP( aluminum), affecting the entire airframe, delivering 2
Army 7500 lbs each, increasing the pay load from 5000x 3, allowing a total of 15,000 lbs, if it were not for lone vertical steel shaft left exposed after iniating a perfec landing. By use of the entire runway, endangering the entire crew, plus maintenance personnel ! The co*ckpit was totally cracked in half, exposing the remains runway ahead. The large heavy NAVIGATORS WAS BLOWN VERTICALLY AND COMPLETELY THROUGH THE ASTRODOME, unfound.
As the NAVIGATOR ON THIS LANDING DESTRUCTION, I barely escaped Death by SECONDS, wishing I had a copy of the photos to reveal the unbelieveable wreckage, within inches, less than a foot, and NOT a SCRATCH!, spared by GOD ALMIGHTY!!! MY 2 pilots were certain I was under the mass pile of twisted iron, as I had taken the firs web seat(forward)next to the twisted exit door finally hanging within inches of my body!!!! I literally pushed it out of the doorway, and exited the aircraft which was bleeding every used liquid From every possible crevice, and ran well distanced from the totaled
craft after I had assured my pilots declared safe!!!
Please help me locate the pictures! At 90 yrs. Of age, I really’d like to have the pic
Please call ED LAUGHARY(mesa, AZ
480-580-9345! Signed GRATEFUL!!
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Ed Laughary, e-mail, 28.07.2023 ED LAUGHARY@gmail . Com
The collapsed Gear Story of July 27 2023
The occurred in support of SWIFTSTRIKE III IN MID SUMMER OF 1963, on a PAP RUNWAY approx. 15 miles southwest of LAURINBERG-MAXTON Airfield , North Carolina!
The YC-123 was classed 26 as it SAT! I have exhausted the limit of AVAILABLE PHOTOGRAPHY!!
Iam 90 years young, and would be so grateful if I could procure a set of pics that
Reveal the undisturbed wreckage!!
Call me if you can assist in any way !
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Ed Laughary, e-mail, 28.07.2023 ED LAUGHARY@gmail . Com
The collapsed Gear Story of July 27 2023
The occurred in support of SWIFTSTRIKE III IN MID SUMMER OF 1963, on a PAP RUNWAY approx. 15 miles southwest of LAURINBERG-MAXTON Airfield , North Carolina!
The YC-123 was classed 26 as it SAT! I have exhausted the limit of AVAILABLE PHOTOGRAPHY!!
Iam 90 years young, and would be so grateful if I could procure a set of pics that
Reveal the undisturbed wreckage!!
Call me if you can assist in any way !
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nam54259flebno, e-mail, 27.05.2021 aaouellettte@sbcglobal.net
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nam54259tetcher, e-mail, 25.05.2021 aaouellettte@sbcglobal.net
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nam54259tetcher, e-mail, 23.05.2021 aaouellettte@sbcglobal.net
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grora, e-mail, 20.04.2021 aaouellettte@sbcglobal.net
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grora, e-mail, 15.04.2021 aaouellettte@sbcglobal.net
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num474558tetcher, e-mail, 23.02.2021 Joshua Harel
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nem30754flebno, e-mail, 02.01.2021 Joshua Harel
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nym30754tetcher, e-mail, 02.01.2021 Joshua Harel
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Ра Ñ Ð¸ м Ра м л o Ñ e p , e-mail, 21.12.2020 Joshua Harel
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Ро б Ñ Ñ Ð¹ д е н Ñ ! Ð Ð, e-mail, 20.12.2020 Joshua Harel
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I flew Candlestick missions out of NKP in 1971. I had the honor of getting a hole blown in the tail of the C123 while directing fighters in on trucks on the Ho Chi Minh trail. The same crew flew the next night and worked Navy fighters on more trucks. Is there anyone around that was on the crew that night. It would be interesting to make contact with any of those guys. My newer e-mail is gchyde1@cox.net
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Ро д Ñ Ð° в л Ñ Ðµ м ! Ро , e-mail, 24.11.2020 Gordon Hyde
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Ро д Ñ Ð° в л Ñ Ðµ м ! Ра , e-mail, 19.11.2020 Gordon Hyde
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Olton Gaines, e-mail, 05.11.2021 olton gaines
hey ralph did u forget me your assingned flt mech olton gaines we flew many missions drops with harry kazuma remember theday we earned the dist flying cross ac got hit on take off at dam teing land back on field we got engine fire out i sure would like t talk to u again crew called leauge of nations harry japanese me black u irish co pilots were usually different our air crew stayed pretty much stable ralph d kenney ssgt made chief mas sgt last saw u at rein main germany
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Bob Worn, e-mail, 03.03.2018 05:07 I was an EWO and Air Intel On the Black birds (no insignia, no tail number) at 1st Flight Det, Nha Trang 1968 and 1971-72. I'll tell you, that airplane was fabulous - it would take ground fire and keep-on keepin' on. We did take the gear doors off early in the program so the vegetation and banana trees didn't rip them off in some of our more 'interesting' landings. Gary (redacted) and I found out that, if you land without putting the gear down, it took all the power from our two recips and two jets just to taxi. reply |
Marcus Franklin, e-mail, 04.11.2017 06:45 BTW, my email is marcusrf7@yahoo.com. Thanks again! Mark reply |
Marcus Franklin, e-mail, 04.11.2017 06:20 Can someone give me the dimensions of the cargo bay of the C-123? Also, I would like to know if the section of the tail above the cargo ramp was moveable (upward)? If it was, would a HU-1E fit in it? Thanks, Mark reply |
jeremiah Conn, e-mail, 21.10.2017 10:18 Looking for my dads old friends. His name was Charles Conn and was assigned to the 4408th CCTS, Lockbourne AFB in 1970. Email me of you have anything. JDCONN@GMAIL.com reply |
Paul Zomnir, e-mail, 25.08.2017 18:54 I flew the C-123b & K models from TSN AB, Vietnam in 1968 and had a crew chief noseart a K-models with my wufes and daughter's name on it. I have had a model made in The Phillipines and it looks great, with the proper tail number (54-684) and all other appropriate markings of the 19th SOS. I am looking for a pilot's flight manual to go along with a flight manual I have from another source. Is there anyone who can put me in contact with a pilot's flight manual for the C-123K? Thanks for any efforts you may incur. reply |
olton l gaines, e-mail, 25.08.2017 00:10 ac flt mech 309 acs battery located in rh interior wheel well below apu ( elect start) inside at floor level reply |
Bill Zemotel, e-mail, 10.08.2017 00:10 Worked the C-123 at Elmendorf early 60s, Instrument Tech... reply |
John Cygan, e-mail, 22.07.2017 21:39 I was stationed at NKP AFB from 8 /1970 thru 8 /1971. I worked in the 56th FMS Aero Repair operation. I'm looking for anyone who has knowledge of our team working on C123 to inspect and replace aileron brakets due to cracks during that time period. Pilots, Crewchiefs, Squadron Leader, Parts Depot individuals: Any information or leads you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, John reply |
Baz, e-mail, 17.05.2017 03:46 Hi boys ! reply |
jedynak, e-mail, 15.01.2017 12:05 je recherche le père de mon fils, il etait au Vietnam a reply |
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