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Gen. Westmoreland's VC-123


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As we are talking about C-123, I wonder what is the purpose of the rectangle above the tail flag as we can see on nearly every C-123, sometimes with a letter inside?

Patrick

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As we are talking about C-123, I wonder what is the purpose of the rectangle above the tail flag as we can see on nearly every C-123, sometimes with a letter inside?

Patrick

I always thought it was just an antenna. No idea about the letter you mention.

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As we are talking about C-123, I wonder what is the purpose of the rectangle above the tail flag as we can see on nearly every C-123, sometimes with a letter inside?

Patrick

That's a dielectric panel. Mainly, they're used as aerodynamic coverings for non-aerodynamic antennas.

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  • 7 years later...

In 1968 I was a navy Lieutenant assigned to COMNAVFORV, Saigon. Being young and foolish, I volunteered for any TDY that got me out of the office (it’s Friday, only 2 more workdays to Monday!).  Accordingly, I became the Navy rep on country wide investigation of the Military Exchange system.  In short, a ~3 week ‘tour’ of Vietnam.  Our team leader, an air force LTCOL (WW-2/Korean vet), knew the ‘White Whale’, on days when the General didn’t need his taxi, was just another Air Force C-123.  Basically, it was a standard C-123, with a VIP ‘pallet’ mounted in the forward end and ‘White Whale’ painted on the noseOur first W-W trip was to the Delta. I still remember my surprise when I was handed a very nice Breakfast on a real plate! Can’t recall where we flew to, but they waited for us to fly back to Tan Son Nhat.  On subsequent trips the AF crew was wise to us, so I don’t recall any more ‘foodservice’, but they always did wait to fly us home!  AJL

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13 hours ago, VP-40 NFO said:

In 1968 I was a navy Lieutenant assigned to COMNAVFORV, Saigon. Being young and foolish, I volunteered for any TDY that got me out of the office (it’s Friday, only 2 more workdays to Monday!).  Accordingly, I became the Navy rep on country wide investigation of the Military Exchange system.  In short, a ~3 week ‘tour’ of Vietnam.  Our team leader, an air force LTCOL (WW-2/Korean vet), knew the ‘White Whale’, on days when the General didn’t need his taxi, was just another Air Force C-123.  Basically, it was a standard C-123, with a VIP ‘pallet’ mounted in the forward end and ‘White Whale’ painted on the noseOur first W-W trip was to the Delta. I still remember my surprise when I was handed a very nice Breakfast on a real plate! Can’t recall where we flew to, but they waited for us to fly back to Tan Son Nhat.  On subsequent trips the AF crew was wise to us, so I don’t recall any more ‘foodservice’, but they always did wait to fly us home!  AJL

probably headed over to Bangcock. Westy's old lady lived there, and from inside sources; he was over there every weekend. Guess being at the top of the food chain had it'd perks!

 

I flew in a C123 one time. That was enough to tell me not to get within a hundred yards of the pile of junk. Two weeks later I watched it fly strait into a mountain side.  

 

I remember that little investigation. I saw two or three good men relieved for things they had zero part in. Yet they never chased the kick backs in the states

gary

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm not sure how a aircraft flying into the side of a mountain (in apparently good weather if you could see it from a distance) has to do with alleged ickbacks!

 

A friend actually flew '124s in Vietnam (do not just ill informed barracks talk) and said they were okay.

Obvious not C-141s, but far from death traps.

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52 minutes ago, JohnEB said:

I'm not sure how a aircraft flying into the side of a mountain (in apparently good weather if you could see it from a distance) has to do with alleged ickbacks!

 

A friend actually flew '124s in Vietnam (do not just ill informed barracks talk) and said they were okay.

Obvious not C-141s, but far from death traps.

if one of the engines looses power the plane crashes (during take off and landing). I suspect that they planned on flying over the mountain, and lost power.  They were commonly known as a flying pile of junk. Then to add to this; they were death traps due to chemical contamination (Agent Orange). They often simply rotated air frames, and because of that; most were contaminated. 

 

Kickbacks have nothing to do with the C123, it was about the exchange of money. 

gary

 

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The C-123 did yeoman service at the special forces camps along the Cambodian/Laotian border. They could carry larger loads than the C-7 Caribou and had no trouble with short dirt strips. They also did extensive work with the MACV/SOG folks with specially configured "Duck Hook" and "Heavy Hook" C-123's flown by Taiwanese contract pilots. I saw two accidents; one at Nhon Co where the pilot came in too low on approach and struck the berm at the end of the runway (everybody walked away); the other was an attempted ag-turn at the end of a "finis flight" at Phan Rang Airbase; no survivors. Neither one was caused by an aircraft problem.

 

Mig

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