Transports

Beech C-45

It began life as a Beech AT-11 Delivered to the US Army Air Forces Bombardier Training School at Albuquerque, NM in 13 Jan 42 as serial 41-9442, Beech c/n 868

It was remanufactured by Beech between the years of 1951-1953 and delivered to the USAF, 1May53, to Offutt AFB, NE assigned to the Strategic Air Command as C-45G, USAF serial 51-11835, Beech c/n AF-392. IN 1957 it was based at Pinecastle AFB FL near Orlando, still with SAC.

In Dec 1957 at Pinecastle, it was converted to a C-45H by substitution of the Hamilton Standard props in place of the Aeroproducts props and necessary changes to the engines.

It was transferred Sep 1958 to the US Army at McCoy AFB, FL (new name for Pinecastle AFB). It was operated in the Experimental category by the Martin Co. as N6307D, to 1963 at the Orlando Ordinance Branch and the White Sands (NM) Missile Range. It continued with the US Army as s/n 11835 and was last assigned to Seneca Army Depot in Upstate New York before being sent to Davis Monthan AFB MASDC, AZ for storage. Then in 1971 it was donated to southeastern State University, Durant, OK and registered as N7313N on 15Mar1972.

Fairchild C-123 “Provider”

The C-123, originally designed and manufactured by Chase Aircraft, actually started out as an engineless glider, but due to the fact the US Air Force did not have a aircraft suitable for towing something as large as the “Provider”, it then had two R-2800 radial engines, producing 2500 hp each, added to take advantage of its large cargo carrying capabilities. Chase built the 7 initial aircraft, but the USAF chose Fairchild to build the 302 production C-123B variants. Later, 183 of the B models were converted to C-123Ks, which had two General Electric J85-GE-17 jet engines added for helping a fully loaded “Provider”, weighing 36 tons, get airborne from short airstrips. The C-123K could haul 60 fully equipped combat troops or a fully loaded two and a half ton truck into a combat situation. During the Vietnam Conflict, the C-123 came into its own, operating in and out of short, unprepared landing strips, hauling not only troops, trucks, jeeps, artillery and ammunition, but also refugees, live stock and anything else that needed to be moved by air to the remote outposts and villages in that country. The use of the C-123 in Southeast Asia was not without its cost, as 54 were lost during that long war.

Pictured above is the C-123K “Provider”, nicknamed “Thunder Pig”, flying to the Mt. Comfort Airport. This particular aircraft, one of four still flyable in this country, was delivered to the USAF in May of 1956, and served at numerous stateside airbases until being retired in 1981. In 1994 Air Heritage of Beaver Falls, PA obtained the C-123K from the US government and has been taking this rare transport to air shows and aviation events ever since. The C-123 is one you will definitely want to tour at the show this year, as it has plenty of room to stand up straight and walk around in.

Learn more about “Thunder Pig”, on the web at Air Heritage.


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