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Fairchild C-123 Provider
In 1955 the prototype C-123B was fitted experimentally with two Fairchild J44-R-3 1000-lb static thrust turbojet engines mounted at the wingtips to provide auxiliary power for use in an emergency. As a result ten production aircraft were modified into C-123J with P&W 2,500 bhp R-2800-99W radials and turbojet engines fitted. Meanwhile a small number of C-123H had been produced with wide-track landing gears.
The prototype YC-123H was later experimentally fitted with CJ610 auxiliary turbojet engines and flown on 30 July 1962. After successful tests of a prototype C-123H Provider with jet pods in Viet Nam operations in 1963, the USAF wanted to modify 40 to 50 C-123’s to add a pair of General Electric CJ610 jet engines of 2859 lb thrust to go with the C-123’s standard Pratt & Whitney R-2800’s. Funding may not have been available because of heavy expense of B-52 modification. 183 more C-123B were given 12.68kN General Electric J85-GE-17 auxiliary turbojet engines in underwing pods and designated C-123K (M.473). Some were further converted to AC-123K Spectre gunships for service during the Vietnam conflict.
The C-123 grossed out at 60,000 lbs and cruised on piston power at 160 knots.
When C-123 production ceased on 31 July 1958, Fairchild had built 303, 138 more than the original contract called for.
By 1956, Stroukoff Aircraft Corporation had already gained experience working on the C-123 Provider, having completed two contracts based on that airframe. During November 1954 the Air Force assigned Stroukoff Aviation one of the Providers to be equipped with the system of boundary layer control.
Its YC-123D had introduced a Boundary Layer Control (BLC) system to the C-123B. With the aid of the turbocompressor air was selected from under the inboard flaps between the fuselage and the pods and was blown out through the slots above the ailerons and the outboard flaps. The modernized aircraft XC-123D successfully underwent tests, after showing low stalling speed, small takeoff and path. This greatly improved landing and take-off performance, gross weight capability, and lowered the C-123's stall speed.
The Air Force hurried to give Stroukoff a contract to build a troop series of six XC-123D. However the head of the firm proposed a more attractive modification, finished in accordance with the advanced concept "Pantobase" (being rested everywhere). The aircraft had a pressurized fuselage, lower part of which were attached the form, which resembles the bottom of boat, usual chassis, two removed water skis even two underwing floats. It could be operated practically from any surface: the earth, water, ice, snow and sand.
The YC-123E had been another experiment in improving the C-123's ability to operate wherever it might need to, introducing Stroukoff's own Pantobase system: two high-stress skis fitted to the lower fuselage, wingtip mounted floats, along with sealing the fuselage itself. The first flight took place on 28 July, 1955 and this gave the YC-123E the ability to operate on water, as well as ice and snow, and with the BLC from the previous YC-123D, the new aircraft could effectively be operated from almost any runway surface available, and airstrips of shorter length.
 YC-123E with pantobase landing gear
Engines; 2 x P+W R-2800-99W, 1840kW
C-123B
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