Chase XC-123A

The Chase XC-123A was an experimental transport aircraft developed by Chase Aircraft. The first jet-powered transport built for the United States Air Force, it was intended for use as a high-speed transport for high-priority cargo and personnel. The XC-123A was determined to have insufficient advantages over existing types in service, and did not go into production. The sole prototype was converted into the piston-powered Stroukoff YC-123D to evaluate boundary layer control systems.

XC-123A
Role Military transport aircraft
Manufacturer Chase Aircraft
Designer Michael Stroukoff
First flight 21 April 1951
Primary user United States Air Force
Number built 1
Developed from Chase XCG-20
Career
Other name(s) Jet Avitruc
Serial 47-787
Fate Converted to YC-123D 53-8068

Design and development

In the late 1940s, Chase Aircraft had developed the XG-20, the largest glider ever built in the United States.[1] By the time it was ready for operations, however, U.S. military doctrine had been altered to remove the requirement for the use of transport gliders in combat.[2]

However, the XG-20's aircraft had been designed to allow for the easy installation of power plants, and Chase modified the two prototypes into powered aircraft, one becoming the XC-123, with twin piston engines.[3] The second XG-20, however, was taken in hand for a more radical reconfiguration, being fitted with two twin-jet engine pods, of the type used by the Convair B-36 and Boeing B-47 bombers, to become the XC-123A.[4] As there was no provision for housing fuel in the former glider's wings, fuel tanks were installed underneath the cabin floor.[4]

Operational history

Dubbed "Avitruc" by its manufacturer,[5] the XC-123A conducted its maiden flight on April 21, 1951,[4] becoming the first jet-powered transport aircraft to successfully fly in the United States.[4] It was considered "excellent" in flight trials, with the aircraft showing few vices,[6] and demonstrating reasonably good short-field capability.[4]

Despite this, even as the XC-123 proved successful, the XC-123A failed to win sufficient favor in flight testing to receive a production order. Although the aircraft's short-field performance was good, on rough, unimproved fields the low-slung jet pods would suck debris into the intakes, damaging the engines.[4] In addition, the aircraft's design was mismatched to its engines,[7] resulting in the XC-123A being incapable of providing sufficient cargo capacity compared to the amount of fuel its jet engines required.[2] As a result, the XC-123A project was abandoned without additional aircraft being built.[2]

Following the conclusion of trials, the XC-123A was converted to be powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engines, and was used for boundary layer control trials as the Stroukoff YC-123D, receiving serial number 53–8068.[4][8][9]

Specifications (XC-123A)
The XC-123A

Data from Gunston[6] and Adcock[4]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 3
  • Length: 77 ft 1 in (23.50 m)
  • Wingspan: 110 ft 0 in (33.53 m)
  • Height: 33 ft 10 in (10.31 m)
  • Wing area: 1,222.78 sq ft (113.600 m2)
  • Airfoil: NACA 23017[10]
  • Empty weight: 25,000 lb (11,340 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 60,000 lb (27,216 kg)
  • Powerplant: 4 × General Electric J47-GE-11 turbojets, 5,200 lbf (23 kN) thrust each

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 500 mph (800 km/h, 430 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 400 mph (640 km/h, 350 kn)

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References
Notes
  1. Sergievsky et al. 1998, p.128
  2. Mitchell 1992, p.164.
  3. Adcock 1992, p.4.
  4. Adcock 1992, p.7.
  5. Air League 1975, p. 113.
  6. Gunston (ed.) 1980
  7. Sweetman 1979, p.97.
  8. Baugher 2010a
  9. Baugher 2010b
  10. Lednicer 2010
Bibliography
  • Adcock, Al (1992). C-123 Provider in action. Aircraft In Action. 124. Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications. ISBN 978-0-89747-276-0.
  • Air League (1975). "Chase XC-123A". Air Pictorial. London: Air League of the British Empire. 37: 113.
  • Baugher, Joe (2010). "1946-1948 USAAF Serial Numbers". USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to Present. Retrieved 2010-11-28.
  • Baugher, Joe (2010). "1953 USAAF Serial Numbers". USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to Present. Retrieved 2011-01-22.
  • Gunston, Bill, ed. (1980). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Commercial Aircraft. New York: Exeter Books. ISBN 978-0-89673-077-9.
  • Lednicer, David (2010). "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Archived from the original on 2010-04-20. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
  • Mitchell, Kent A. (1992). "The C-123 Provider". AAHS Journal. Santa Ana, CA: American Aviation Historical Society. 37. Retrieved 2010-11-28.
  • Sweetman, William (1979). A History of Passenger Aircraft. London: W.H. Smith/Hamlyn Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-600-37248-6.
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