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Description
| Manufacturer: | Fairchild | |
| Base model: | C-123 | |
| Designation: | C-123 | |
| Version: | B | |
| Nickname: | Provider | |
| Designation System: | U.S. Air Force | |
| Designation Period: | 1925-1962 | |
| Basic role: | Transport | |
Specifications
| Length: | 75' 9" | 23.0 m | |
| Height: | 34' 1" | 10.3 m | |
| Wingspan: | 110' | 33.5 m | |
| Wingarea: | 1,223.0 sq ft | 113.6 sq m | |
| Empty Weight: | 29,900 lb | 13,560 kg | |
| Gross Weight: | 71,000 lb | 32,199 kg | |
Propulsion
| No. of Engines: | 2 | ||
| Powerplant: | Pratt & Whitney R-2800-99W & 2 2850Lb J85-GE | ||
| Horsepower (each): | 2300 | ||
Performance
| Range: | 1,470 miles | 2,367 km | |
| Cruise Speed: | 205 mph | 330 km/h | 178 kt |
| Max Speed: | 245 mph | 394 km/h | 212 kt |
| Climb: | 1,150 ft/min | 350 m/min | |
| Ceiling: | 29,000 ft | 8,838 m | |
Known serial numbers
Examples of this type may be found at
| Museum | City | State |
| Museum of Aviation | Warner Robins AFB | Georgia |
| Olympic Flight Museum | Olympia | Washington |
| Pima Air & Space Museum | Tucson | Arizona |
C-123B on display
Olympic Flight Museum | Pima Air & Space Museum |
Recent comments by our visitors
| Rich Brown Burdett, NY | I saw mention of Bookie Bird 54-660. I was crew chief of that bird taking over from Jim Hallet early 1970, going to night shift in 310TAS at Phan Rang. We made almost all on time take-offs except for a few days after Col Blood attempted an assult landing at Cam Ranh and only 1 prop went into reverse. We got her back but took a few hours to straighten her out. When I outprocessed Dec 70 the Vietnamese were flying them. I hope most were returned to the states. Many memories- like filling fuel tanks on top of a greasy wing when Charlie started lobbing morters down the runway. 09/29/2015 @ 13:11 [ref: 69262] |
| Warren Bailey Jr Tacoma, WA | I was a loadmaster on the C-123B&K at England AFB,La from Feb 66 to Oct 68 when I went to Nam on AC-47's. I loved the time I spent on that plane. My squadron was selected to do the ferry trips bringing the B model back to the states to be upgraded and returning the K model back. We only went as far as the Philippines. I made two ferry runs. Brought a B back the first time; took 23 days round trip. We were sent home from Clark AB on a commercial flight the second trip and were gone 28 days.Spent 5 days in California waiting for the winds to die enough to make Hawaii.
We had an early B model which had a Fulton Recovery System installed and it was a blast to sit at the end of a tether on the open ramp observing the scenery go by 500 feet below. I really enjoyed that time and would really enjoy one more flight on the old bird. 12/01/2014 @ 14:46 [ref: 68795] |
| Graska David Redding Ca, CA | Didn't have much to do this morning so I checked some serial numbers that I hadn't thought of in some time. I crewed the newest C-123 made which was 57-6294 and also my favorite 54-660. When I checked in the first name that had made comments I didn't recognize but I did know a number of the people he spoke of. I checked into Nha Trang in June of 67 and also made the move to Phang rang"happy valley" yah, right sure thing there sparky. I also went back in 72 and bumped into my old friend 660 sitting on the ramp at Camh Rhan bay. I had always wondered why these Providers came back so beat up until they put me on hazardous duty,the answer came quickly ! 08/09/2014 @ 07:50 [ref: 68594] |
| William Metz Warner Robins, GA | I was in the 310th ACS at Nha-Trang '67. We moved down to Phan-Rang in about July (I think). Hadn't thought about them in quite a while. Remember some of the guys and their names. Colbert, Sharkey, Dietz( Boom-Boom)long story. Brock Tsgt Williams, Sgt Barbee. At Phan-Rang, we had the scroungingest little line chief in the USAF. That guy could get anything we needed. If it was available ,,, he could get it. We had A/C in our line shack,,, water coolers. Taught me all I knew about scrounging. Came in good use in later years. Think his last name was Fayed. Barbara McNair (singer), Hugh Obrian, Nancy Sinatra came while I was at Nah-Trang. There was a guy from Boston named Haymes(spelling?).If he was talking behind you , or you closed your eyes while he was talking,,,, you'd swear it was Pres. Kennedy. Hard Boston accent!! There was Bales,, we called him "Magnet Ass". After he got checked out( flight mech.) the first 4-5 times he went out the plane he was in took hits, every time, right off the bat. Gatlin,Kornagay. We had some close calls( butt tighteners). Just writing this is bringing back a flood of memories. To many to put here. There is also one on display at Dover AFB, Del. It is one from the 310th,,,, marked "WM". Any 310th'ers out there '67-68. Drop me a line. I'll probably remember more guys after I sign off. 06/24/2013 @ 06:45 [ref: 67905] |
| Rick DiMatteo , MA | I've never really looked for my old squadron, the 311th TAS in DaNang Jan. 1970-- Dec. 1970 I was a flight line mechanic on 123s Our rivetments were right next to an empty bomb dump and the Navy compound. I remember Tsgt. Smiley. Sgt. Ryals.. I remember smoking a joint with our pilots who used to say it was great to fly through mountain passes just over the trees stoned.. They were brilliant pilots.. I was an E-4 living across from the main aerial port.
Hope this note finds anybody who can relate to the 311th TAS to be happy healthy and properous 06/20/2012 @ 13:58 [ref: 60683] |
| Gary Zornes Grayson, KY | I was in the 355th out of Rickrenbacker Columbus Ohio great airplane did not have much flying time the airplane was being moth balled and c130 was comming in.I transfered to the C-141 at Charleston SC still have great memories. 05/30/2011 @ 14:37 [ref: 38892] |
| Ray Merritt , VA | Please check out our website dedicated to the Provider at www.c123sinsea.org. There will be a reunion of Provider crews in Hampton VA in May 2010. 05/05/2010 @ 17:10 [ref: 26134] |
| wayne p stewart gig harbor, WA | just found a few buddies from the 311th s.o.s. that were with me at da nang .... 1969 thru 1970 ... james a young , mike friesel , both loadmasters , and ed zakareckis , flight engineer .... some moments we had !! ... i used to have a photo of the nose , with a 3 ft groove , 2 in wide , where we whacked a piece of bamboo , at the end of our take-off roll .... i think it was the same muddy , very, very ,minimum ' RUNWAY " maybe
where we went around , after we "allmost" forgot to put the gear down and pin it !! wing tips allmost in the bushes !! remember the PUNCTURED PROVIDER AWARD ? .. i have blanket flight orders from the "OLAA 311th SpOpsSq " signed by john c morrison , lt. col. dated 23 july 69 .... absolutly the loudest "anything " , i have ever been on !! .... still have the "RATS" ( ROCKET ALLEY TRANSPORT SERVICE " ) pin !! that aircraft could certainly , still jump into the air , even when WAAAAY out of C.G. balance .... nice site ... just ran into it by chance ... hope all is well . welcome home , and feel free to get in touch 04/25/2010 @ 15:39 [ref: 26083] |
| JC Masura Puyallup, WA | I loved flying the C-123K with the 310th at Phang rang AB. Glad to see that one is local. I'll have to drop by sometime and check her out. 02/18/2009 @ 11:55 [ref: 23756] |
| Thomas E. \'andy\' Anderson Brunswick, GA | I flew Bookies in the 310th SOS at Phan Rang from April, 1969 - April, 1970. I checked out as a type 1 pilot with
Tom Reiter, who has a note above. Tom was the IP and when he showed me that I had gotten a downdraft and landed maybe 5 feet down the runway at Gia Nghia, I looked over at him, I guess, with eyes as big as silver dollars. He signed me off for type 1; a good decision, I guess, because I didn't land short in my tour. Later at Gia Nghia, after offloading cargo, the right jet wouldn't start. I got phone patches on a series of Army bricks back to the squadron and told them we couldn't make it off. The Squadron Commander said he thought we could. I appreciated his faith in us, but on page 1A1-26, as I recall, we entered with 6000 feet pressure altitude, the assumed temperature, gross weight, etc., and we needed about 300 feet more runway than was there. Of course, they were afraid the airplane wouldn't survive the night, so they talked us into it. We even threw out our Dash 1's and aluminum ladder. 'Hermy' was in the background, and said, 'Hey, Andy, I get your guitar!'. We backed until our tires touched the tip of the runway, set the max power, and kind of went off the opposite (takeoff) end with a mush, lowered the nose, got 130 KIAS, cranked in rudder trim, accelerated the good jet, and went up, up and away, over the mountain to the northeast that was slightly higher. I can still feel how good it felt to be climbing. I still have a poncho liner. I was happy to fly Boeing aircraft the rest of my career, because, when a Boeing loses a system, it grows a new one. But there is still nothing in the inventory that can do what the Bookie did. 12/10/2008 @ 10:48 [ref: 23240] |
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