The C-119 was a U.S. military transport aircraft developed from the World War II Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechanized equipment, and to drop cargo and troops by parachute. The first C-119 made its initial flight in November 1947, and by the time production ceased in 1955, more than 1,100 C-119s had been built.

The United States Air Force used the airplane extensively during the Korean War, and many were supplied to the United States Navy and Marine Corps and to the Air Forces of Canada, Belgium, Italy, and India.

Post-Korea models of the C-119 used P&W 4360 engines. The plane also had a glycol tank (~300 U.S. gal or 1100 l) behind each engine which was used for additional fuel for takeoff. In addition, the cargo area contained a monorail system for rapid air drops of cargo. Also, practically everything was electrically operated as opposed to the use of hydraulics.

At the flight engineer's desk (behind the co-pilot) he could monitor the firing of all 56 sparkplugs (2 per cyl) on a small oscilloscope and, if necessary, unfoul them in flight by injecting raw gas onto them.

In South Vietnam, the airplane once again entered combat, this time in a ground support role as AC-119 gunships mounting side-firing weapons capable of firing up to 6,000 rounds per minute per gun. Some of these planes were outfitted with jet engines on outer pylons for additional speed.

The aircraft was used in the 2004 movie, Flight of the Phoenix.

Specifications (C-119)

General characteristics

• Crew: 5
• Capacity: up to 62 troops, 35 stretchers, or 10,000 lb (4,545 kg) of cargo
• Length: 86 ft 6 in (26.37 m)
• Wingspan: 109 ft 3 in (33.30 m)
• Height: 26 ft 6 in (8.08 m)
• Wing area: 1,447 ft² (134.43 m²)
• Empty: 40,000 lb (18,144 kg)
• Loaded: 64,000 lb (29,030 kg)
• Maximum takeoff: 66,900 lb (30,350 kg)
• Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney R-4360-20 radials, 3,500 hp (2,611 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 281 mph (450 km/h)
• Range: 1,770 miles (2,832 km)
• Service ceiling: 23,900 ft (7,286 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,010 ft/min (308 m/min)
• Wing loading: 44 lb/ft² (216 kg/m²)
• Power/Mass: 0.11 hp/lb (0.18 kW/kg)

Related content

Related development: C-82 Packet - C-120 Packplane

Comparable aircraft:

Designation sequence (USAF): C-116 - C-117 - C-118 - C-119 - C-120 - C-121 - C-122

Designation sequence (USN): RQ - R2Q - R4Q