A-Model 01408 Fairchild UC-123B/K Provider (Operation Ranch Hand)

The Fairchild C-123 Provider was an American-made transport aircraft with an all-metal high-wing structure. The propulsion was provided by: two turbojet engines General Electric J85-GE-17 and two Pratt and Whitney radial motors R-2800-99W Double Wasp . The flight of the prototype took place in 1949, and serial production continued in the years 1949-1970, ending with the production of about 300 aircraft of this type.

The Fairchild C-123 Provider aircraft was created as a development of the prototype XCG-20 glider, which was originally developed at Chase Aircraft. However, due to the change of ownership of this company, production and final design work on the machine was moved to the Fairchild plant. Ultimately, after improvements introduced at Fairchild plants, the C-123 aircraft turned out to be a successful structure with good reliability, decent performance, relatively low operating and construction costs, and above all - a very solid structure resistant to damage and easy to pilot. In the course of serial production, many versions of this aircraft were created, including: HC-123B (version for the US Coast Guard) or NC-123B (version for targeting infrared targets). Machines of this type took part in considerable and active participation in the Vietnam War (1964 / 1965-1975). The users of the foreign Fairchild C-123 Provider machines include, among others, Brazil, Cambodia, Thailand and Venezuela.