# THE FAIRCHILD PROVIDER C-119 The Flight of the Phoenix



## Airborne (Nov 9, 2007)

During 1947 Fairchiid developed an improved version of the C-82, the XC-82B prototype being a conversion from a production C-82A. It differed primarily by having the flight deck resited into the nose of the aircraft and the installation of 1976kW Pratt Whitney R-4360-4 Wasp Major 28-cylinder radial engines. Following service tests it was ordered into production as the C-119B Flying Boxcar (55 built), these having the fuselage widened by 0.36m, structural strengthening for operation at higher gross weights, and more powerful R-4360-20 engines. Accommodating up to 62 paratroops, and with increased cargo capacity, the C-119s gave excellent service during operations in Korea and Vietnam, as well as in a wide variety of other heavy transport applications. C-119s also serve or served with the air forces of Belgium, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Italy, Nationalist China and South Vietnam, many supplied under the Military Assistance Program. In addition, some surplus military aircraft, both C-82s and C-119s, were acquired by civil operators. 

In 1961 Steward-Davis Inc. of Long Beach, California, developed a Jet-Pak conversion for C-119 aircraft. This involved the installation of a 1542kg thrust Westinghouse J34-WE-36 turbojet engine in a specially-developed nacelle mounted on the upper surface of the wing centre-section. At least 26 Indian Air Force C-119s had a more powerful HAL-built Orpheus jet pod to enable them to operate with greater payloads under 'hot and high' conditions. 


Specification 
MODEL C-119G 
CREW 5 
ENGINE 2 x Wright R-3350-85, 2610kW 
WEIGHTS 
Take-off weight 33747 kg 74400 lb 
Empty weight 18136 kg 39983 lb 
DIMENSIONS 
Wingspan 33.3 m 109 ft 3 in 
Length 26.37 m 86 ft 6 in 
Height 8.0 m 26 ft 3 in 
Wing area 134.43 m2 1446.99 sq ft 
PERFORMANCE 
Max. speed 470 km/h 292 mph 
Cruise speed 322 km/h 200 mph 
Ceiling 7300 m 23950 ft 
Range w/max.fuel 3669 km 2280 miles 

*This brings me to my favourite movie of all time. The Flight of the Phoenix 
[1965]*
The movie's story was about the building of a flyable aircraft from the main frame of the Fairchild so that they could rescue themselves from the crash site. Marvelous human story.
It stared ......
James Stewart ... Capt. Frank Towns 

Richard Attenborough ... Lew Moran 

Peter Finch ... Capt. Harris 
Hardy Krüger ... Heinrich Dorfmann (as Hardy Kruger) 

Ernest Borgnine ... Trucker Cobb 
Ian Bannen ... 'Ratbags' Crow 
Ronald Fraser ... Sgt. Watson 
Christian Marquand ... Dr. Renaud 
Dan Duryea ... Standish 
George Kennedy ... Mike Bellamy 
Gabriele Tinti ... Gabriel 
Alex Montoya ... Carlos 
Peter Bravos ... Tasso 
William Aldrich ... Bill 
Barrie Chase ... Farida


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## Airborne (Nov 9, 2007)

During the movie, Jimmy Stewart as Captain Towns says to the aircraft designer played by Hardy Kruger.
"That engine is rated at 3500 HP and if I was ever fool enough to let it get started, it'd shake your contraption into a thousand bits.

_Engine(s): 2 x Wright R-3350-89 Cyclone 18-cylinder radial engines delivering 3,500hp each._


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## Graeme (Nov 9, 2007)

Airborne said:


> During the movie, Jimmy Stewart as Captain Towns says to the aircraft designer played by Hardy Kruger.
> "That engine is rated at 3500 HP and if I was ever fool enough to let it get started, it'd shake your contraption into a thousand bits.



You might want to re-watch that film Airborne, 'Jimmy' actually says "2,000hp". Reason being that the Packet featured in the film is a C-82.

In 'reality' the Tallmantz Phoenix seen at the end of the film is powered by a 550hp Pratt and Whitney R-1340 engine from a T-6. The wings were 'borrowed' from a Beechcraft C-45 and the complete rear fuselage was made out of wood with plywood covering. Sadly, Paul Mantz lost his life on July 8 1965 when it broke in two in a heavy landing. (Flying scenes were also created using a North American 0-47 dressed up to look like the Phoenix.)







Airborne said:


> In 1961 Steward-Davis Inc. of Long Beach, California, developed a Jet-Pak conversion for C-119 aircraft.



They converted the C-82 to Jet-Packets first. There were six different versions available to customers to choose from. The 1600B and 3200B had a maximum speed of 230mph.


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## syscom3 (Nov 9, 2007)

Back in the 60's growing up in Minneapolis, the Minnesota ANG and an AF reserve unit flew those C-119's out of their airbase at Mpls IAP.

I remembered watching them fly over our neighborhood every weekend as they practiced their landings and takeoff's.


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## ccheese (Nov 9, 2007)

We flew the "boxcars" out of Wheelus AFB in Tripoli, in 1954. Air Force
regs required the crew to wear a parachute harness at all times while airborne. Chutes were stowed at various stations through-out the aircraft.
It was a noisey aircraft, besides the engines, wind whistled through every
crack in the airplane...

Charles


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## Airborne (Nov 9, 2007)

That's very interesting Charles. I guess you have many stories to tell. Cheers mate.


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## Njaco (Nov 9, 2007)

Airbourne, love that movie too!

Lots of Great Stars in it.

besides Jimmy and Richard...

Dan Duryea ... Standish (also played with Humphrey Bogart in "Sahara")
Hardy Krüger ... Heinrich Dorfmann (showed up in "A Bridge Too Far")
Ian Bannen ... 'Ratbags' Crow (starred in "Braveheart" as The Leper, Robert Bruce Sr.)
Christian Marquand ... Dr. Renaud (starred in "The Longest Day" and Apocalypse Now (1979)as Hubert de Marais (Redux version only)
Ronald Fraser ... Sgt. Watson (starred in "The Wild Geese)

Fantastic Movie but skip the junk they remade with Dennis Quaid.


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## Airborne (Nov 9, 2007)

Cheers Njaco. I couldn't believe how bad that Dennis Quaide was in the 2004 remake.
It was an embarrasment.

I don't know if you noticed it but the 1965 movie had a very clever underlying message about different races.
Note the pucca British Captain. The American pilot and a lifetime of flying.
The German played by Hardy Kruger who had no quarms about leaving the injured behind.
The British army slacker of a sergeant.
The French doctor
The Mexican
The British accountant
and all the others.
Hope you know what I mean about the message.


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## Njaco (Nov 9, 2007)

Oh yeah, I noticed. very similar to "Sahara" with Bogey. Love the desert movies!


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## syscom3 (Nov 9, 2007)

Airborne said:


> Cheers Njaco. I couldn't believe how bad that Dennis Quaide was in the 2004 remake.
> It was an embarrasment.
> 
> I don't know if you noticed it but the 1965 movie had a very clever underlying message about different races.
> ...



And the marauding Arabs being butchers.

I also have this DVD. One the first I bought.

Airborne, did you know that Jimmy Stewart was a decorated B24 pilot and flew B47's in the Air Force reserve? Even went on a B52 mission over Vietnam.


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## Airborne (Nov 9, 2007)

_And the marauding Arabs being butchers_.

Hhahah. Missed that one mate. Well done.

Yes I did know about Jimmy Stewart. I have often wondered why he didn't get the part as General Savage in 12 Oclock High being ex air force.

Gregory Peck did a great job of it. No denying that.


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## Njaco (Nov 9, 2007)

maybe he was too busy being Lucky Lindy? I thought Peck was perfect for that. Another movie along that theme is "The War Lover" with Steve McQueen and Robert Wagner. The B-17 buzzing the airfield is priceless!


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## Krabat42 (Mar 5, 2008)

One of the best movies ever, not just an aviation movie. And that's because it's made of characters, not just clichés.

And because they abandon some of the iron rules of the adventure movie genre: It's not the seventh cartridge of the starter, it's the sixth. The cowardly seargent survives but the brave (and somewhat ignornant) captain and the doctor, who is tho only good guy all around, do not.

That makes it such good movie in my opinion.

Krabat


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## Wildcat (Mar 5, 2008)

Yep great movie by director Robert Aldrich. Interestingly both Ian Bannen and Ronald Fraser star in his "Too late the Hero" - one of my all time favourite movies ever.


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## krieghund (Mar 6, 2008)

I believe you will find the C-123 is named the "Provider" First saw that type in 1973 playing chicken with the water tower on Homestead AFB while on mosquito spraying runs over the base.


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