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Description
| Manufacturer: | Fairchild | |
| Base model: | C-119 | |
| Designation: | C-119 | |
| Version: | J | |
| Nickname: | Flying Boxcar | |
| Designation System: | U.S. Air Force | |
| Designation Period: | 1925-1962 | |
| Basic role: | Transport | |
| See Also: | ||
Specifications
| Length: | 86' 5" | 26.3 m | |
| Height: | 26' 7" | 8.1 m | |
| Wingspan: | 109' 3" | 33.3 m | |
| Gross Weight: | 66,899 lb | 30,340 kg | |
| Max Weight: | 66,900 lb | 30,340 kg | |
Propulsion
| No. of Engines: | 2 | ||
| Powerplant: | Wright R-3350 | ||
| Horsepower (each): | 3500 | ||
Performance
| Range: | 2,000 miles | 3,220 km | |
| Cruise Speed: | 200 mph | 322 km/h | 174 kt |
| Max Speed: | 290 mph | 466 km/h | 251 kt |
| Ceiling: | 30,000 ft | 9,143 m | |
Examples of this type may be found at
| Museum | City | State |
| United States Air Force Museum | Wright-Patterson | Ohio |
C-119J on display
United States Air Force Museum |
Recent comments by our visitors
| Ken Joy NEW VIENNA, OH | My father was a civilian employee of the Clinton County AFB in Ohio, which closed in 1971. If I remember correctly, they had C-119's at the base. 02/26/2011 @ 16:39 [ref: 36405] |
| marlon banks BLOOMINGTON, IN | So many memories. The southern Indiana sky used to be full of these wonderful old airplanes. I was very young,early 1960's, but was always thrilled by the sound that the old bird made. 434th Troop Carrier Wing, Columbus Indiana. 12/23/2009 @ 06:47 [ref: 25461] |
| Don Fair Mechanicsburg, PA | My association with Corona Satellite film recovery ranged
from October 1968 through March 1973. While working as an Operations Controller at various satellite tracking stations for the Air Force 6594th Instrumentation Squadron, I would command the satellite to eject the film recovery vehicle and send it from orbit. The cannister was encased in a heat shield that separated along with a thrust cone and finally deploy a drouge and main parachute after reentering the atomshpere. This became the film bucket affectionally known as the falling star. Which while on the main chute the film cannister was recovered near Hawaii by the Air Force 6593th Instrumentation Squadron (STAR CATCHERS). At first they used the C-119 later switching to C-130s when the C-119 was retired. I supported the last 16 missions of the Corona Program which ended June 1972 and was replaced with the Hexagon Satellite Program. 12/09/2008 @ 05:41 [ref: 23211] |
| Jim Cunningham Lititz, PA | The description of the C-119J fails to account for 48 119's of the 456th TCW Charleston AFB that were converted from F's to J's in 1954 and 55 and were used in the Alaska and Pacific theatre during late 1955 and early 1956. the "Beaver Tail" flight oprerable doors allowed operations to recover packages from high altitude baloons. Further info should be available from some archive of 456th History. I was the squadron historian for our squadron deployed to Misawa AB from Nov.1955 to May 1956. 11/10/2008 @ 16:53 [ref: 23010] |
| Terry Galbreath Calhan, CO | The aircraft type listed, "J" refers to a special series. There were 5 aircraft produced as J models. These aircart could be identified by the beavertail rear of fuselage, which could be opened in flight, swinging upward, instead of the standard clamshell doors, which could not be opened in flight. The "J" models also had various antenne installed on the nose, either radar, radio direction tracking or a combination of both. These aircraft were used to snatch Corona/Discovery "buckets". "Bucket" was the term used for the film cannister that was ejected by the spacecraft, then deprbited. It would deploy a parachute and the C-199J aircraft would "snatch" the chute in mid-air. At the time - the Corona, a military spy camera satellite, was one of the nations best kept secrets. It had a "cover" story of being the Discovery research spacecraft, when in fact, they were the same item. The Corona did usually carry a "science" package, in various forms, from mice to sensors and recorders. The aircraft at the USAF museum, 51-8037, was one of these aircraft, and can be readily identified by the "beavertail".
Tery Galbreath 02/01/2008 @ 10:50 [ref: 19500] |
| Colin Gill Southampton, NH | This type of aircraft was used several times by my British
Teritorial Army unit, 14 Para, HQ Southampton UK. In the early 1950's most of the Brtish transport planes were elsewhere and so we used an American unit from Germany for our parachuting. Good plane to jump from. No strong slipstream from them unlike the British Hastings currently in use with the RAF. Note delete the 'New@ from the state for a UK county. 01/10/2008 @ 05:02 [ref: 19211] |
| James E . Lee aka Cocker Camp Hill, PA | 1949-53 My assignment was to The All Weather Flying Division ALL WX , which was transferred from Wilmington ,Ohio , Clinton County AFB and became The All Weather Branch at Wright Patterson . For several years a lone C-119 sat out as far away as possible from the rest of the Flight Line , Doors and Hatches open to the weather and I became concerned about deterioration of the Aircraft . I made it a point to ask Pilot Lew Kesterson , If he knew about why it was out there all alone . He said , "You do not want to go near it". He explained that he and his crew had flown it to Gibraulter so as to bring back a load of Barbary Apes for the Rocket Sled Tests in anticipation of Rocket Vehicle Launches and the Rocket Sled was in need of test animals . The Barbary Ape was most Human like in size and physical condition and was easily placed in a Space Suit and was given rides on the Rocket Sled and perhaps also the "G" Force Merry-go-Around" . Lew explained that the C-119 smelled worse than a Zoo and could not be deodorised . Perhaps it is the Barberry Ape that was seen as the Little Green Men in Space Suits that has been so popular with the General Public .
There was another C-119 with Four Engines , which could carry a portable Pod for Hospital or Transport use . When the Pod was not installed , There was a long Accordian folding Ladder for access to the Flight deck . My interest in the C-82 and C-119 go back to the flying story`s of legendary Pilot "Earth Quake MagGoon" of the Viet Nam War . While assigned to Lawson AFB ,Columbus ,Georgia , The C-119 was used for training the 82nd Airborne with jumps at Pope Field . Respectfully . Jim Lee 10/20/2005 @ 16:52 [ref: 11530] |
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