Fairchild XC-120 Packplane

XC-120 Packplane
Composite image of the sole XC-120 on the ground, and in flight.
Role	Military transport aircraft
Manufacturer	Fairchild
First flight	11 August 1950
Number built	1
Developed from	C-119 Flying Boxcar

The Fairchild XC-120 Packplane was an American experimental transport aircraft first flown in 1950. It was developed from the company's C-119 Flying Boxcar, and was unique in the unconventional use of removable cargo pods that were attached below the fuselage, instead of possessing an internal cargo compartment.

Design and development

The XC-120 Packplane began as a C-119B fuselage (48-330, c/n 10312) which was cut off at a point just below the flight deck. The wings were raised between the engines and the fuselage, raising the fuselage by several feet and giving the plane a gull wing appearance. Smaller wheels were installed forward of each of the main landing gear struts to serve as nose wheels, while the main struts were extended backwards.

All four landing gear could be raised and lowered in a scissor like fashion to lower the aircraft and facilitate the removal of a planned variety of wheeled pods which would be attached below the fuselage for the transport of cargo. The goal was to allow cargo to be pre-loaded into these movable pods, which would then be rolled under the airframe for aerial transport, thus simplifying and hastening the load/unload procedure.

Production aircraft were to be designated C-128.

Operational history

Only one XC-120 was built. Though the aircraft was tested extensively and made numerous airshow appearances in the early 1950s the project went no farther. The sole prototype was eventually scrapped.

Specifications (XC-120)

XC-120 without its cargo container

General characteristics

• Crew: Five (pilot, copilot, flight engineer, two loadmasters)
• Length: 77 ft 1 in (23.50 m)
• Wingspan: 106 ft 6 in (32.46 m)
• Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engines, 3,250 hp (2,420 kW) each

See also

Related development

• C-82 Packet
• C-119 Flying Boxcar
  

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of the United States
• List of military transport aircraft
  

References

• Evans, Stanley H. "Cargo Carrier Concept:Design-logic for Airborne Logistics: The Fairchild XC-120 Pack-plane". Flight, 21 September 1950. pp. 331–333.

External links

• The most detailed video available on the XC-120 aircraft and its "Kiwi" pod system.
• Video about the XC-120
• The short film Big Picture: Chinese Reds Enter the Korean War is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more] Contains segment about the plane.