The American military transport aircraft Fairchild C-123 "Provider" - the brainchild of Russian emigrant Strukov. Part of 2

3
The fate of the first airplanes and Strukov planes was not very successful. Despite the fact that they had excellent flight performance, the designer could not get an order for a large series. However, in 1946, the situation changed, and Strukov was able to offer the military a machine that met the requirements and went into series.

The new airframe XCG-20 differed significantly from its predecessors. His semi-monocoque fuselage with working duralumin lining lost the “box-like shape” characteristic of Chase gliders, acquiring more advanced aerodynamic forms. The back of the fuselage was strongly raised up. On its lower surface was a cargo hatch with a ladder, which served as a ramp in the reclined position. The hatch design was similar to the YC-122. Other distinctive features, though traditional, were higher tail tails and a tricycle retractable landing gear. The cargo compartment, which has the 11,2x3,65x3,05 meter size, could accommodate almost all types of amphibious equipment of the American army of that time. In addition to the cargo version, the machine could quickly be converted into an amphibious version, while 60 military personnel could be placed in the cockpit with weapons, and when used as a medical evacuation vehicle, and in this case 50 stretcher and 6 seated wounded with six accompanying.

The truss structure of the fuselage was reinforced by stringers working skin. The floor of the cargo compartment is reinforced. This pursued two goals: on the one hand, the transportation of heavy loads was ensured, on the other, the possibility of an emergency landing on the belly. The allowable design floor load was 1220 kg / m2. For rolling wheeled vehicles in the cargo compartment on the machines were mounted two steel tracks - "track". The cabin has a rear double gate. When you open the front flap goes out, playing the role of a ramp, the back - folded into the fuselage. To open served as a hydraulic drive. In addition, there are 3 doors, two of which are located symmetrically in the tail section of the cargo compartment on both sides of the fuselage, and the third is on the left side in the bow section of the cargo compartment. Spatial truss from chrome-molybdenum tubes served to further strengthen the front of the fuselage. It was intended to deter impacts from the ground in the event of a rough landing, and to prevent damage to the cockpit during a rough landing with cargo that had broken loose from the anchorages. With the same purpose, the cockpit was lifted by 760 millimeters above the floor of the cargo compartment.

Wing - two-spar, with front main and rear auxiliary spar. Like its predecessors, it had a large elongation and a thin profile. Structurally, the wing consists of a center section and two detachable consoles. Mechanization - three-position single-slit flaps. Aileron Area - 7,74 m2 flaps - 11,9 m2. The flaps had a hydraulic drive. Flap and wing trim - dural, ailerons - linen. Plumage - one-chin. The span of the stabilizer is the 11,9 meter. The stabilizer, keel and rudder sheathing is duralumin, a canvas is used for the elevator sheathing. The horizontal tail area was 32,1 м2 vertical - 11,8 м2.

Chassis - reinforced design, retractable, hydraulically driven. The nose landing gear is two-wheeled, the main ones are single-wheeled. The main pillars were retractable directly into the fuselage. As a result, their wells reduce the width of the cargo compartment. The front wheel was removed in a niche, made under the cockpit. The main pillars had oil-air dampers, which were designed in such a way that the airframe “squatted” to facilitate loading the equipment. The system of separate braking was not provided for, a nose strut was deployed for maneuvering on the ground.

The maximum take-off weight of the XCG-20 glider was 31750 kg, but there was no aircraft to tow it. With the take-off mass reduced to 13600 kg and towed by a C-119В transport plane, the 26 April 1956 glider took off from the Eglin air force base in Florida. Although the XCG-20 having the maximum take-off weight was never tested, the military concluded: “The glider with minimal improvements is operatively suitable for an amphibious landing operation as an amphibian of the first landing wave.” After a while, the powerful tugboat appeared, but transport gliders were no longer needed.

Strukov, designing XCG-20, laid the possibility of its rapid transformation into a transport plane. To carry out this operation, it was necessary to install two X-PUMP-Whitney R-1900-strong engines R-2800-CB-15. The fuel tanks were in the rear of the nacelle. Thus, the design of the fuselage and wing did not require additional changes. In case of fire there was an emergency tank discharge system or engine.

The first flight of the aircraft, which received the designation XC-123 (corporate designation MS-8), took place 14.10.1949, that is, much earlier than its motorless prototype. First, the aircraft was tested at the factory airfield of Mercer County, later at the bases of the US Air Force in Eglin and Wright-Patterson. The results are completely satisfied. XC-123 ("Mom") towed XCG-20 ("daughter"). The run-up of the bundle at the same time was only 440 meters.



Chase Air Force ordered 5 pre-production vehicles equipped with 2500 powerful Pratt-Whitney R-2800-9W engines. The aircraft was assigned the designation C-123B Avitrak. The layout of the machine with a large rear cargo hatch and a ramp later became a classic, influencing the subsequent development of the transport aviation.

On the second XCG-20, four J47-GE-11 “General Electric” turbojet engines (a Boeing B-47 bomber) were mounted on pylons in twin engine nacelles. Thus, this machine became the world's first jet military transport aircraft. For the first time, the 21 car went up in the air on April 1950. The aircraft received the designation XC-123A. According to the results of factory tests, it became clear that the use of turbojet engines on a transport aircraft is premature, since the flight performance rises only slightly, but the fuel consumption increases five to six times compared to the piston version. In addition, the aircraft had a significant drawback - during take-off from the ground foreign objects got into the engines having a low location, which limited the use of the aircraft. He remained only in one, experienced copy.

The US Air Force showed great interest in the C-123 piston variant (C-123В), because along with the helicopters it was a means of delivering troops and cargo directly to the fields. Landing landing provided a compact delivery of troops, as well as allowing the transfer of cargo, unsuitable for parachute landing.



Since the factory in Trenton had small manufacturing capabilities, Strukov had to team up with the Kaiser, who owned a former Ford aircraft factory in Michigan and was a famous shipbuilder. The son of G. Kaiser - Edgar became the president of the joint venture; Strukov received the post of vice president. The main production of the C-123B was to be carried out at the Michigan plant, and only 5 machines were built at Trenton.

In addition to the "production", there is another version of the union with G. Kaiser. Strukov with his successful aircraft crossed the road "the powerful of this world." In the aircraft industry, the times of noble rivalry were irrevocably passed, and it was almost impossible to “break out into people” at the long-established aviation market. Since it became clear to the military that C-123 is far ahead of its competitors in its characteristics, and it is this machine that will be ordered, they invited Strukov to Washington and offered him two options - or no more than 8 machines, or several hundred, would be ordered directly from him. To receive a large order, it was necessary for Chase to cede part of its assets to Henry Kaiser. Strukov failed to find a way out of the situation, and six months later he was forced to cede 51 a percentage of his shares.

Subsequently, it turned out that combining with the Kaisers as business partners was a fatal mistake for Mikhail Strukov.

At the end of 1951, a contract was signed for the production of 300 С-123В. However, Kaiser was in no hurry to build these planes, since he financed the production of the C-119 "Flying Boxcar", which brings great profit. C-123 was the only real competitor to C-119, and Kaiser already had the rights to it.

It soon became clear that Kaiser was selling military transport C-119 (their production was also established at a plant in Michigan) to the government significantly more expensive than their real value. When an attempt to cash in on government orders was discovered in 1953, the contract with Kaiser for the creation of C-119 was canceled, and at the same time the order for Chase planes was canceled. In August, 1954, by decision of Congress, transferred the production of C-123V to Fairchild Engine & Airple Corporation, while the aircraft designers were left without orders and money.

The American military transport aircraft Fairchild C-123 "Provider" - the brainchild of Russian emigrant Strukov. Part of 2


In Hagerstown, Maryland, at Fairchild's plant in October 1954, mass production of the machine was started. It was launched in record time, while the pace of production of C-119 aircraft was not interrupted and did not decrease. Further work on the modernization of the C-123 were carried out by specialists of this airline. In 1954, the first modification on Fairchild addressed the issue of installing Allison Т56 turboprop engines on the aircraft. However, this undoubtedly fruitful idea did not advance further than the preliminary project.

The design of the serial machine, in comparison with the prototype, had some changes: a more developed keel was installed, having a rectangular tip, fork, expanded cargo door and modified the side windows of the crew cabin. On the plane installed a more powerful anti-icing system. Simplified access to the power plant. On the new, having improved aerodynamics replaced the external radio antenna. The wing was distinguished by its great strength, which made it possible to subsequently place under it nodes for outboard fuel tanks with a capacity of 1700 liters and auxiliary jet engines.

The first C-123B “Fairchild production” left the assembly shop of the Henderson 20 plant on June 1954 of the year. Factory testing began on 1 in September of the same year, after 11 months after Fairchild acquired the rights to manufacture it. The first two production aircraft 6 October transferred to the customer and transferred to the military tests at Edwards airbase. Under the acceptance test program, more than a hundred flights were completed, during which the validity of changes made to the aircraft structure was fully confirmed. The first squadron of the C-123, the sixteenth military transport, from the three hundred and ninth group of the eighteenth BA, based at Erdmore airbase, Oklahoma, reached its initial combat readiness in the summer of 1955. Soon, new water transport aircraft took part in the Sage Brush exercises, successfully evacuating “conditionally wounded” from an unequal patch at the front edge in the area of ​​the Barksdale air base where maneuvers were conducted.



The air force was very pleased with the new "frontline military transport aircraft." Particularly noteworthy were the unique capabilities for the operational transfer of equipment and troops in the front line, convenient loading / unloading with the use of a tailgate - ramps, excellent takeoff and landing characteristics, the ability to use on unprepared grounds, including the newly captured bridgeheads, as well as dropping equipment and soldier from the air. The US Army, with the entry into service of the C-123, has acquired unique opportunities for the transfer of forces to a tactical range, that is, "air mobility", according to American terminology. On board the C-123 could take, compared with the most capacious serial army helicopter "Workhorse", much more infantry and transport it at a higher speed. The only remark was made by the chief air surgeon of the Air Force: it turned out that the recumbent patients during a shortened landing on an unprepared airfield using steep glide paths and reverse screws experience unacceptable overloads.

The entire C-123 fleet at the end of 1955 of the year received nodes for the suspension of two suspended 1700-liter fuel tanks. Now the planes were called C-123С. In the event of an emergency, these tanks could be dumped simultaneously with the rear of the gondolas, which housed the bulk of the fuel. For the placement of tumblers shooting tanks served as a ceiling toolbar.

Meanwhile, Mikhail Strukov, in the end, was able to get compensation from his former partners. Its size was about 2 million dollars, which allowed Strukov to continue design activities as the chief designer and president of the company "Chase". To get new orders, the designer continued to work on improving the performance and flight characteristics of the C-123. The efforts were mainly aimed at expanding the capabilities of basing the aircraft and improving the take-off and landing characteristics.

Fairchild and Chase firms in 1955 put up an interesting experiment whose main speed was an increase in the climb rate of the C-123 aircraft of modifications B and C. At the wingtips, two light and small turbojet J44 engines (thrust of each 454 kgf) were mounted. At the same time, part of the thrust was used to control the boundary layer when flaps were released. The result exceeded all expectations: at full load, the truck’s climb rate on the ground in its original configuration was 45,75 meters per minute, and when using thrust of jet engines with a take-off weight of 30300 kg (overload - 5900 kg) even with one piston engine turned off and its propeller was feathering she was 152,5 meters per minute. Separation from the runway during operation of all engines occurred on 802 meters. It is important that the same aviation gasoline as for piston engines served as fuel for turbojet engines. To reduce the resistance in idle state, the input devices of jet engines provided with dampers. With the installation of additional jet thrust, the runway distance decreased, the aircraft gained height along a steeper trajectory, which was important when taking off under enemy fire from an improvised airfield, as well as during operations on ice airfields in the Arctic. Novation recognized very useful. At the end of the 1950s, the 10 machines were converted. On these planes installed retractable skis. This modification was designated C-123J and was used in Alaska for ice patrols and supply of polar stations, replacing C-47 Dakotas.



At the initiative of the customer, in December X-NUMX of the year C-1955 was renamed “Provider” (“Provider” - supplier). Interestingly, this aircraft type proved to be the most trouble-free in the American Air Force: in the three hundred and ninth air group that flew more than 123 hours in the Providers for more than 1956 hours, it was not a single accident or flight incident.

At the end of 1958, the mass production of "Providers" was completed. In total, according to the manufacturer, built 302 aircraft Fairchild C-123 Provider.

The American army in 1962 put forward the requirements for the front-line aircraft, which will be able to lift kg of cargo to 9000, as well as be based on unprepared small platforms. "Provider" for these purposes as well as possible. The only problem is insufficient climb rate near the earth of modification B. It was eliminated by installing under the wing, between mounting points of outboard fuel tanks and nacelles, General Electric J-85 turbojet engines (thrust each - 1293 kgf). To reduce the mileage at the base of the keel was installed container with a brake parachute. The wheel track has increased, now the wheels in the retracted position partially protruded into the flow from the outside. During the summer of 1962, Fairchild modified one aircraft (assigned the designation YC-123H) for testing. In mid-August, his flight tests began at the Edwards airbase.

It seemed that the victory would go to Fairchild, but according to American laws, the army could not directly purchase equipment built on the order of the air force. As a result, orders for the "Provider" C-123H, in the design of which they wanted to make some more quite serious changes, such as adding interceptors to the transverse control channel, installing two-slot flaps and others, did not follow.

However, the idea of ​​converting C-123 to a standard close to H was already in the air. In 1963, the YC-123H was tested in South Vietnam, where it again showed excellent results and received particular fame. To reduce the cost of conversion, most innovations had to be abandoned. Of those planned for the model H, only the turbojet engines on the pylons and chassis equipped with an automatic braking device were left. With reversing screws and using a braking machine, the mileage was less than 220 meters, which completely satisfied the military.

Converted machines were given the designation C-123K. 26 August 1966, the first of them left the factory in Hagerstown.

The first 76 C-123K to Vietnam arrived in April 1967. The “Providers” were incorporated into the first mixed “counterguerrilla” American air group. Thanks to their excellent take-off and landing characteristics, these aircraft were widely used during the Vietnam War as an operational-tactical vehicle, transferring troops, artillery and light equipment. In addition, it was used to evacuate the wounded from combat areas. Because of the combined power plant, the aircraft was immediately given the nickname "Two turning, two burning" - "Two are rotating, two are burning." In the conditions of the practical absence of more or less prepared airfields, “Provider” turned out to be very popular. He could perform tasks that were beyond the power of any US military transport aircraft, even the rather unpretentious Hercules C-130. The Strukov’s children often had to land in “unhygienic” conditions: on the glades or “glades” created in the jungle created by special-power bombs, quite often the landings were fired under Viet Cong fire.

Thanks to the excellent characteristics of Provider, the commander of the US Air Force in Vietnam chose him for conversion into his air command post. This modification was given the designation VC-123B. Fairchild has developed a large number of aircraft modifications in accordance with the conditions of the Indochina war (C-123K, UC-123K, YC-123, VC-123K, AC-123K, NC-123K).

During the war, spare parts, especially for engines, were in short supply, and therefore the most damaged aircraft had to be put up and disassembled for parts. To increase the initial rate of climb and to be able to quickly leave the enemy's zone of fire from the MPA and small weapons"Providers" tried to make it as easy as possible. To do this, the cargo rail was removed, as well as the chassis well covers. Sometimes they even rented passenger shops.

Vietnamese veteran J. Mellinger, an American military engineer, recalled that when their 65 recruits in 1970 were being transferred "to the spot" from the Tan Son Nhut airbase, an improvised airfield near the town of Provider, the flown behind them was completely empty . All protection consisted of a green nylon safety net. The ramp doors were also missing. After the pilot tested the engines, he announced: "Grab and hold on tight!", Then took the plane to take off along a rather steep trajectory. For a rather long time in the lumen of the ramp, the receding middle of the strip was visible, and the frightened recruits were clinging to the net with their feet and hands, just not to fall out of the cab. By the way, the same Mellinger, told that it was the case that the passengers of the “Providers”, who had the ramp leaves removed during takeoff, dropped out and fought to the death.

Many Fairchild C-123 Provider, after the withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam, got into South Vietnamese, Cambodian, Thai, South Korean, Filipino and Taiwanese air forces and have been exploited to date. The aircraft remaining in the United States entered the reserve, some sold to civilian airlines. In addition, C-123K up to 1980-s was used by various American special services to fight drug mafia in South America, support the Nicaraguan contras, and the like.

C-123 for its long life served as the basis for a large number of modifications, which worked out the original means to improve flight performance and, in particular, take-off and landing characteristics. So, for example, on the instructions of the Air Force in November 1954, at the firm Strukov, the serial "Provider" equipped with a boundary layer control system. Air using a turbocharger was taken from under the internal flaps between the engine nacelles and the fuselage and was blown through the slots above the external flaps and ailerons. The upgraded aircraft, designated XC-123D, was successfully tested, showing a low stall speed, low mileage and run. The air force hurried to give Strukov an order for the construction of a military series consisting of six XC-123D aircraft.

However, the designer has proposed a more attractive modification of the XC-123E, modified in accordance with the concept of "Pantobase" (based everywhere), put forward by him. The plane had a sealed fuselage, its lower part had a shape resembling the bottom of a boat, a conventional chassis, a pair of retractable water-snow skis and a pair of underwing floats. The XC-123E could be operated from virtually any surface: land, water, snow, ice and sand.

28 July 1955, the first flight of the XC-123E. During tests in different climatic zones, the machine showed unique results.

Developing success, he proposed to create an aircraft with four turboprop engines, Pantobase systems and boundary layer controls. However, the customers signed an agreement to build a prototype with two more powerful piston engines. “Strukov Ercraft”, having conducted basic research in NASA laboratories, remade the serial C-123В, which received the designation YC-134 (brand designation - MS-18).

The tail tail was changed on the plane due to the installation of vertical washers with rudders at the ends of the stabilizer, a new thickened wing was used, which made it possible to place a more efficient boundary layer control system and additional fuel tanks. Two 400-strong turbocharger installed in the root of the wing. The Pantobase system was missing. The plane first rose in the air 19 December 1956 of the year. During the tests, good flight performance was obtained, and another two vehicles were ordered from the military. On these planes, Pantobase and a modernized boundary layer control system with one compressor of greater power were installed. YC-134 (this designation was given to the new aircraft) showed the following take-off and landing characteristics: run on the ground - 244 meters, on water and snow - 458 meters; mileage on the ground - 320 meters, on snow - 305 meters, on water - 228 meters. All three YC-134 at the beginning of 1958, were transferred to the air force.

Strukov based on the experience of creating these machines offered options for their development and developed several projects of promising passenger and transport aircraft.

However, the days of his company were already numbered. "Strukov Ercraft" stood across the road "Lockheed" - another financial and industrial giant. This company, in 1954, created a successful transport Hercules C-130, and jealously followed the success of a small “Russian” company. Probably, the Air Force command, influenced by the Lochheed lobby, decided in 1957 to abandon cooperation with Strukov. The omnipotent concern was able to influence other countries that were persistently offered "Hercules". Strukov was made aware of this when he tried to bring his aircraft to the Argentine market.

For “Strukov Ercraft” this was the end. The president of the company was in his eighth decade, and he no longer had the strength to solve numerous administrative problems. Strukov announced the closure of the company. At home, he burned the calculations, drawings and prospective work. However, the designer continued to live a full life. He again took up the design and construction of motels, gave consultations at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 23 December 1974, Mikhail Mikhailovich visited the opera, where he felt bad. Returning home, he died.

An outstanding aviation figure rests at Woodlaune Cemetery on the Bronx in New York.

And its C-123 in different parts of the world fly to the present.

After removing the C-123 from service, the remaining went to the Mojave Desert for conservation, since most of them were in good technical condition, and also had a significant residual resource for the power plant and the airframe. From the engine nacelle C-123K jet engines were dismantled (at the same time, the engine nacelles themselves were not dismantled). Over time, they sold out to private ownership, replacing the camouflage coloring civil livery.

The niche of the military transport aircraft, which is able to operate at the forefront, after being removed from service with the “Provider” in the US Air Force, was unfilled. C-130 "Hercules" for this purpose was too big, cumbersome and whimsical. In the 1990-ies of the US Air Force, faced with the problem of operational evacuation of the wounded and direct supply from the air, they adopted the small military transport aircraft Fiat-Alenia G-222, which was deeply modernized. The car was given the name "Spartan" and assigned the C-27 index.

By the way, Fairchild C-123 Provider has become a real star of the screen. It was used to shoot more than 20 films, such as “Flashes in broad daylight,” where C-123 was the “understudy” of the Hercules aircraft, depicting the Soviet An-12. He also starred in the films “Air America”, “Free Fall”, “Air Prison”, “Lord of Typhoons”. By the way, in the latter, the “Provider” was turned into a missile carrier: a cargo compartment was built in the belly of the fuselage, which was closed with flaps. ALCM cruise missile launched from the compartment, which had a typhoon generator as a warhead. From the C-123 tail ramps in the “Free Fall” they dropped the “Cadillac”, and then they demonstrated a very picturesque landing with a reverse of screws on an unprepared area, the flow from the screws visualized clouds of dust.

The “Provider” in the second “Hard Nut” played the role of an aircraft of the air forces of the Latin American banana republic, which was used to transport a certain corrupt general who was to be handed over to justice. For filming in the film with C-123, regular engines were dismantled, and in their place hung four huge “jet engines” - fake “barrels” that were “worn” right on the wing. The plane, in the end, was picturesquely blown up, and the hero B. Willis escaped from the cockpit filled with hand grenades with the help of an ejection seat (probably, the pilots who were flying on the Providers laughed for a long time!).

Modifications:
The XC-123 is a prototype for the series, a military transport aircraft converted from a glider with two 1900-strong piston engines and three-bladed Curtiss Electric screws.
The XC-123A is a military transport aircraft equipped with four J47-GE-11 turbojet engines (thrust each 2720 kg). A single prototype was created. After testing, converted to C-123B.
C-123В - serial modification of the aircraft. Equipped with two 2500-strong piston engines with three-bladed screws Hamilton Standard. A glider was built for static tests and an 302 aircraft.
HC-123B - a Coast Guard aircraft based on the C-123В. Equipped with a radar station APN-158.
UC-123В - aircraft spec. Agent Orange splashing destination (10 machines) in Vietnam.
C-123C - modification with the possibility of suspension of two 1700 liter outboard fuel tanks.
YC-123D - military transport experimental aircraft. Equipped with two X-NUMX-strong Pratt-Whitney R-2780-2800RE piston engines with four-blade Hamilton Standard screws. Had a system of blowing off the boundary layer with flaps, two-wheeled racks of the main chassis, there was the possibility of installing outboard fuel tanks.
The YC-123E is an experimental version of the C-123C. It used a universal chassis for landing on impersonal surfaces (sand, loose soil, snow, marshland and water). The tests of the aircraft were carried out according to the program C-134 - the new transport plane Strukov / Fairchild.
YC-123H - was built to study the possibility of suspension on pylons under the wing of additional turbojet engines of General Electric J85-GE-17 (thrust of each 1293 kgf). This modification was to accelerate the start and increase the initial climb rate.
C-123J - modification of the aircraft model B (10 machines, 1957 of the year). Intended for use in the polar regions. Installed skis and additional turbojet engines Fairchild J44-R-3 to control the boundary layer. Mounted on the wing tips in gondolas.
C-123K is an upgrade to 183 machines. Used in Vietnam with small airfields with a ground cover. They were distinguished by more powerful 2850 R-2800N Pratt-Whitney piston engines, the installation of additional General Electric J85-GE-17 turbojet engines with the APU, a chassis with pneumatic tires of increased diameter and low pressure, with automatic braking. To maintain stability on the course established developed forquil. On some machines in the nose elongated fairing there was a weather radar company "Hughes".
UC-123K - special purpose aircraft based on the C-123K. Used in Vietnam for the use of chemical weapons. The 34 machines were converted.
VC-123K - VIP-transport, built in one instance.
AC / NC-123K - cars that have been converted by the program "Black Spot".

Performance characteristics of Fairchild C-123 Provider
Wingspan - 33,53 m;
The length of the aircraft - 23,92 m;
The height of the aircraft - 10,39 m;
Wing area - 113,62 m2;
Empty weight - 13562 kg;
Normal take-off weight - 18288 kg;
Maximum take-off weight - 27216 kg;
The main engines are the Pratt Whitney R-2-2800W piston engines 99 x 2 hp;
Auxiliary engines - 2 turbojet engines General Electric J85-GE-17, power 2 x 12,69 kN;
Maximum speed - 394 km / h;
Cruising speed - 278 km / h;
Ferrying range - 5279 km;
Practical range - 2356 km;
Practical ceiling - 8845 m;
Crew - 2 person;
Payload: 6804 kg load, or 50 stretcher, and 12 escort or 62 soldier.

Based on materials:
http://ru-aviation.livejournal.com
http://alternathistory.org.ua
http://www.airwar.ru
http://www.dogswar.ru
http://www.airwiki.org
http://avialegend.ru
Our news channels

Subscribe and stay up to date with the latest news and the most important events of the day.

3 comments
Information
Dear reader, to leave comments on the publication, you must sign in.
  1. +1
    22 February 2013 10: 37
    Good plane, I wonder, but did we have its analogues?
    1. rubber_duck
      +2
      22 February 2013 16: 26
      No, it did not grow together. When Americans counted profits from World War II and prepared for repetition of the success of landing operations in Europe trampling the USSR, we had to rebuild the economy. When we coped with this, it was time for turboprops (An-8). And the airplane (Provider) is great! And in many ways, thanks to the engines! That's why, but we didn’t have such motors. If not for the war ...
  2. biglow
    +7
    22 February 2013 10: 38
    Thanks to the author for the story, and the moral of this fable is this. The defense industry should be state-owned, then there will be no competition that harms the country's defense.
    And Russian people are talented as always and it pleases
  3. Octavian avgust
    +3
    22 February 2013 14: 59
    Great article! Actual in our time, you need to create conditions and help brainsworking for the good Homeland!
  4. Larus
    +1
    22 February 2013 17: 33
    And here we are talking about some kind of competition, the market is constantly taldychat, but you just need to know who to go and with whom to agree))))

"Right Sector" (banned in Russia), "Ukrainian Insurgent Army" (UPA) (banned in Russia), ISIS (banned in Russia), "Jabhat Fatah al-Sham" formerly "Jabhat al-Nusra" (banned in Russia) , Taliban (banned in Russia), Al-Qaeda (banned in Russia), Anti-Corruption Foundation (banned in Russia), Navalny Headquarters (banned in Russia), Facebook (banned in Russia), Instagram (banned in Russia), Meta (banned in Russia), Misanthropic Division (banned in Russia), Azov (banned in Russia), Muslim Brotherhood (banned in Russia), Aum Shinrikyo (banned in Russia), AUE (banned in Russia), UNA-UNSO (banned in Russia), Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People (banned in Russia), Legion “Freedom of Russia” (armed formation, recognized as terrorist in the Russian Federation and banned)

“Non-profit organizations, unregistered public associations or individuals performing the functions of a foreign agent,” as well as media outlets performing the functions of a foreign agent: “Medusa”; "Voice of America"; "Realities"; "Present time"; "Radio Freedom"; Ponomarev; Savitskaya; Markelov; Kamalyagin; Apakhonchich; Makarevich; Dud; Gordon; Zhdanov; Medvedev; Fedorov; "Owl"; "Alliance of Doctors"; "RKK" "Levada Center"; "Memorial"; "Voice"; "Person and law"; "Rain"; "Mediazone"; "Deutsche Welle"; QMS "Caucasian Knot"; "Insider"; "New Newspaper"