While I whittle away at my fingers on this model, I thought I might inject some facts about this little known and very under-appreciated aircraft. Not information on its physical and developmental history – that’s well documented in Wikipedia and other sources - but about its contributions to the Vietnam war.
This little glider-turned-cargo plane was the primary resupply aircraft for most of Vietnam during the early years, and through most of the war for smaller and remote bases. Its brave crews were subjected to just as fierce and dangerous gunfire as any of the rescue and close air support aircraft, only they couldn’t shoot back. The combat pilots called these planes “trash haulers” but when remote bases were down to their last bullets and rolls of toilet paper, the sight of this ungainly little plane slipping onto their muddy runway was like an angel from heaven.
The C-123 was one of the principal saviors of the men at Khe Sahn. Because of its smaller size and ruggedness, it was able to land on the short, pot-holed runway where the larger C-130s could not. Many of them were destroyed while trying to resupply the marines. But this same scenario was repeated at countless other bases and outposts across Vietnam throughout the war. The plane got a bum rap because it was used to disperse Agent Orange, but it more than compensated with all of the good things it was used for.
All of the crews who flew this aircraft were brave men, but none more so than the Nationalist Chinese and American crews that flew this specially modified “Black Bat” version. These planes went where others couldn’t and wouldn’t go, and in most cases, there were no safe bases or runways waiting for them.
Just thought you might like to know
Cheers,
Russ