Why Don't They Build It Today? The Most Brilliant Aircraft Design Ever

Рет қаралды 761,030

Жыл бұрын

During warfare, transport aircraft perform highly dangerous missions moving personnel, equipment, and vital supplies to keep fighters and bombers aloft. However, the loading and unloading stages of the missions can often take a long time, leaving both the precious cargo and the personnel extremely vulnerable to attacks.
As the C-119, a powerful Fairchild cargo aircraft emerged during the Korean War, the engineers believed it could be further enhanced with detachable pods to expedite the process.
This led to the experimental contract of the XC-120 Packplane, a converted C-119 with a detachable cargo compartment.
One of the most unconventional aircraft of the postwar era, Fairchild believed that the removable fuselage transport plane would have radical implications in the field of military logistics, as well as subsequent civilian applications such as portable hospitals, radar stations, command centers, airport control towers, communication centers, and even shelters for Arctic rescue work.
For a moment in time, the possibilities were endless…
---
Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.
As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.
All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.

Пікірлер: 714

@duncanmacleod7210 Жыл бұрын

As a former military combat pilot, I really look forward to your videos. Even after 22 years in aviation I am still learning a lot from your channel.

@johnnunn8688 Жыл бұрын

Just don’t look at the pictures, right?

@cesarvidelac Жыл бұрын

Real life Thunderbird 2. Love it

@poweredbypies Жыл бұрын

Was thinking the same thing

@robertdragoff6909 Жыл бұрын

Me too!

@orwellboy1958 Жыл бұрын

Me three

@joneckberg5819 Жыл бұрын

I hate it when people steal the perfect comment from my brain.

@jeffreywoodhead2682 Жыл бұрын

Beat me to it..

@sweetcorn1968 Жыл бұрын

The plane equivalent of the Sikorsky S64 Skycrane.

@dad_jokes_4ever226 Жыл бұрын

Was thinking the same thing

@spaceace1006 Жыл бұрын

It's similar to the Ptolemy Class Federation Starship!!!! 😁

@colbeausabre8842 Жыл бұрын

And given a practical trial in Vietnam, the Army abandoned the pod idea and just used the Tarhe as a skycrane

@jaatmaster Жыл бұрын

@@colbeausabre8842 Mississippi National Guard used the pods, I saw sky cranes flying ppl around in the 80s

@johnnunn8688 Жыл бұрын

The S64 IS a ‘plane’. (Aircraft)

@WALTERBROADDUS Жыл бұрын

Definitely brilliant. Also about the same time people decided that cargo ship should go in the direction of containerization.

@pkz420 Жыл бұрын

I agree it seems brilliant... but it never caught on. There must be a reason for that.

@neiloflongbeck5705 Жыл бұрын

@@pkz420 the flight control issues when unloaded. Why bother developing complex and expensive flight control software when you can have a simple tubular fuselage that can take lightweight containers built for aircraft. Just pull up your truck and roll them off the aircraft reducing unloading times compared to removing the pod and then unloading it. Also there are less things to go wrong. Damage any if the attachment points and the system fails, damage an anchoring point in side the fuselage then just use the one next to it (the fuselage anchoring points will be duplicated along the fuselage every few inches to maximise utility.

@gilzor9376 Жыл бұрын

While watching, my thoughts went right down that corridor as well. Good point.

@JosephDawson1986 Жыл бұрын

@@neiloflongbeck5705 from a civilian point of view sure but from a military point of view they could fly in 3 or 4 of those cargo pods, pre packed and set up as barracks for a FOB or base camp, another as a command post, a third is a hospital etc. In the time it takes to build, set up, and stock those in the traditional sense these can be dropped, set up and be running even quicker. In disaster relief they can prioritize pods. Drop a field hospital and blood bank then drop off say a water and food distribution point, a mobile auto shop to help locals fix needed vehicles and get their infra structure repaired. And as pods are no loger needed the clean up is simple and leaves a smaller footprint than we do now.

@neiloflongbeck5705 Жыл бұрын

@@JosephDawson1986 which they do using C-130s using trailers with wheels already in place for FOBs, or fly in containerised based modules in to such locations using a heavy lift helicopter such as the CH-47, as they have find for decades.

@Raniko2020 Жыл бұрын

The modular pod idea hasn't been fully abandoned. Just tweeked. Instead of the pod being exterior, uniform containers are loaded and delivered. It's not 'as fast' as detaching a pod from the aircraft, but it maintains aerodynamics and flight stability as the only thing that changes about the plane is its weight.

@JTA1961 Жыл бұрын

Good point

@Sacto1654 Жыл бұрын

I think the uniform container idea got real traction with commercial air cargo--look at what the likes of FedEx and UPS has done. And regular commercial airliners started to standardize on the LD3 container (most modern jet airliners use LD3's now).

@johanj3674 Жыл бұрын

Also the fact you can load new cargo on the return flight in a fixed fuselage loading area.

@chamuuemura5314 Жыл бұрын

@Allen Watson that’s very true, but it’s still a shame the idea didn’t take off at least for civilian purposes. With technological advances automatic handling issues, portable field hospitals or kitchens could be a great niche design for disaster relief. Like you said, standardizing the cargo and cargo bays was a simpler process for 99%+ of uses.

@bobcole612 Жыл бұрын

And with LAPES (Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System), palletized cargo can be delivered out of a C-130 very quickly, without the aircraft even touching the ground .

@deaks25 Жыл бұрын

Did Fairchild accidentally make Thunderbird 2 in real life before Thunderbird 2 was imagined!! What an amazing aircraft, there are so many ways a design like this could be useful. Unless there's more to the story, it sounds like it wasn't far away from being highly viable. This is definitely a What-If, Missed Opportunity aircraft.

@wbertie2604 Жыл бұрын

Miles released a much smaller aircraft with a detachable pod in 1947. There were a number of designs in Germany prior to and during WW2. It was a concept that was very much 'in the air' at the time, you might say.

@oresamakakoii Жыл бұрын

did the thought of "the creation of Thunderbird 2 plane was based from Fairchild XC-120" ever come to mind ?? . something that we build today is based from the past experiences and knowledge ....

@IainHC1 Жыл бұрын

What a brilliant idea!! Thunderbird 2!! Obviously!! 🙂

@BlacktailDefense Жыл бұрын

The XC-120 was a pretty ingenious idea. If the cargo hold is detachable, then when it isn't carrying cargo it can leave behind not only the dead weight of the pod, but also it's aerodynamic drag as well, and you can just load a pod with whatever you need and snap it in. It also foresaged the eventual almost universal containerization of freight by ships, trains, trucks, and eventually even aircraft through ISO containers.

@stan.rarick8556 Жыл бұрын

but do you create more drag due to the squared off end instead of an aerodynamic end?

@hanswichmann5047 Жыл бұрын

My father was in the 101st Air in the latte '50's and spoke lovingly of his many Boxcar jumps. I thought I knew quite a bit about the 119's but this blew my mind. A "Skycrane" with wings!!

@sproctor1958 Жыл бұрын

My dad was airborne infantry in Europe WW2... went up in C47's & 119's 22 times, but never landed in an airplane until 1972.

@johnnunn8688 Жыл бұрын

The S64 Skycrane, does have wings!

@jamesberry3230 Жыл бұрын

@@johnnunn8688 it does not have wings, it has a rotor which is similar to a giant propeller not a wing

@johnnunn8688 Жыл бұрын

@@jamesberry3230, best you get yourself schooled, as it is a rotary winged aircraft, nothing like a propellor.

@exb.r.buckeyeman845 Жыл бұрын

What a brilliant cargo concept.

@michaellinner7772 Жыл бұрын

I love these videos. It's fascinating to see all of the strange aircraft that have been tried over the years. Thanks for all the cool stuff.

@spaceace1006 Жыл бұрын

Oh!! Did you see the landing gear? So cool!! A literal 4 wheel system!!

@JTA1961 Жыл бұрын

Amen to that...

@Littleredhen13 Жыл бұрын

An amazing concept! Sikorsky Helicopter CH-54 “Flying Crane” also used the concept of a multi-purpose detachable pod.

@joostprins3381 Жыл бұрын

You had the C82, the Packet I believe and the 119 Flying Boxcar, iconic planes.

@RBBarry Жыл бұрын

Went flying in the C-119, I think around 1957-8, with a bunch of other CAP cadets. Orientation/indoctrination to the USAF. It was called Wold Chamberlain Field back then (MSP). Of course I joined the Air Force in '62😁 and was QCI on the F-16 in 1980. We do build some really great flying machines.

@36736fps Жыл бұрын

Thanks for this video. I had never heard of this aircraft. As a child I had a toy model of the C-119 with clamshell doors and a tiny jeep and truck for cargo. It is still my all-time favorite cargo plane.

@StereoSpace Жыл бұрын

Brilliant idea. I'd never even heard of this aircraft.

@emersonsrandomvideos248 Жыл бұрын

Such a beautiful, innovative and straightforward concept of an aircraft. That aircraft would have found many uses of today's application like that autonomous hospital in case of tornado or earthquake aftermath.

@colbeausabre8842 Жыл бұрын

The C-119/C-120 is not a rough field assault transport. Which is vital, because in natural disasters, airports are almost guaranteed to be among the first thing to go

@scottwhitmire6613 Жыл бұрын

The 119 was a wonderful site in the sky's of my childhood. Best to you Scott🏁

@panther105 Жыл бұрын

Why have I never heard of this amazing plane before. Thank you as always!!

@pegasusted2504 Жыл бұрын

I have seen modern versions of these types of planes where they can land and have a train drive inbetween the gear and load full containers to the bottom of the plane including passenger cars. This way you can get a train to the airport and then fly without having to leave your seat.

@neiloflongbeck5705 Жыл бұрын

Except maritime containers, as carried by the railways, are heavier than those needed for aircraft and have the aerodynamics of a brick. OK, if we use aerodynamic pods we'll end up wasting space on the train. Plus you'd need to straddle vehicles that stand over a 1m tall at their highest points (based on UK container wagons) design to carry standard 40' maritime containers. You can do this for freight but not for passengers due to crash worthiness standards.

@coppulor6500 Жыл бұрын

@@neiloflongbeck5705 Plus, there's usually way more room on a train so you can't pack passengers in like they do an airplane which means much less profit for the flight which means expensive tickets.

@nancyoffenhiser4916 Жыл бұрын

What a Wonderful Aircraft

@angeloavanti2538 Жыл бұрын

When I was growing up there were dozens of C 119's at Teterboro Airport being dismantled and carted away. A few blocks away from the Bendix Corp and the Bendix Diner. Great memories.

@navigatorx1013 Жыл бұрын

C-119s are my fav blast. Jumped 130s, 141s, A-7s, Hueys, Chinooks, C47s and skydived just about everything else up to todays modern sport aircraft.

@cuda7133 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for this video. I love airplanes and hold an A&P license, but I've never heard of this plane, a little bit mind-blown.....

@TheFeralBachelor Жыл бұрын

The C-119 is one of my favorite aircraft. I never understood why they never tried, or made a twin boom C-130 which, in my mind, would be awesome. Maybe it's just less expensive to make a single tail aircraft over a twin boom?

@horusfalcon Жыл бұрын

Yup. While a twin-boom C-130 would look neat, what would be the practical advantage that justifies the added cost?

@hunterbear2421 Жыл бұрын

@@horusfalcon if one tail falls off you still got another one

@nikolaos6083 Жыл бұрын

@@hunterbear2421 uneven drag

@jsfbr Жыл бұрын

Aerodynamics concerns. Flutter, shock wave at high speed etc.

@colbeausabre8842 Жыл бұрын

@@hunterbear2421 If a tail falls off, you aren't flying much longer

@RANDALLOLOGY Жыл бұрын

I never knew a plane like that ever existed. Thanks for the history lesson👍👍

@Dwightstjohn-fo8ki Жыл бұрын

We'd probably never see it other than on a controlled military base or overseas.

@davidzachmeyer1957 Жыл бұрын

As a kid I loved the detachable pod concept of the Eagle Transporters from Space: 1999 and the modular Sikorsky Skycranes. I wonder if the XC-120 or the Skycrane influenced the designers of the Eagles?

@Steve-GM0HUU Жыл бұрын

Thanks for video. The XC-120 was a good concept. The same idea as a shipping/truck container but for the sky? However, my first thought was, "how will it fly without the pack attached?" It basically becomes a different aircraft when you remove most of the fuselage.

@nickbunch9156 Жыл бұрын

This was a cool idea I’m surprised they don’t have something like this now

@JTA1961 Жыл бұрын

Except today they'd have to call it Mrs. Pac Man... (( wa ka~wa ka ((

@colbeausabre8842 Жыл бұрын

What advantage would it have over pallets and ICAO containers designed to be carried by aircraft, ships, trains and trucks?

@hicknopunk Жыл бұрын

I bloody love this thing, never knew about it. Thanks for the video.

@Jlee-zd1ch Жыл бұрын

That’s really interesting, thanks for the video !!

@jacobfoster9185 Жыл бұрын

That's BRILLIANT !

@colvinator1611 Жыл бұрын

Ingenious! Thanks a lot.

@JMARLOWE1972 Жыл бұрын

I will never forget when I first saw a flying boxcar. I was about seven years old and it flew over the field by and my friends used to play baseball on. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen to that point in my life

@Jonno2summit Жыл бұрын

This is very similar to the Sikorsky SkyCrane helicopter, that could carry pods. It's was a great concept, and I think it still is, as it can set down a "small building" onto any terrain to do whatever mission is required.

@uni4rm Жыл бұрын

Yes this still exists and is still made.

@tdv7716 Жыл бұрын

Pack plane makes complete sense , very logical choice . Thanks for the info

@markhughes7927 Жыл бұрын

1:42 Within the transition from metal-based to carbon-based technologies and the resulting double increment of strength and lightness - it would be good to see this design principle taken further for commercial trans-ocean haulage. A modular (extendable/reducible) wing-frame with carbon container pods shaped to contribute to the aero-dynamic requirements of an ekranoplan-based design and which would be detachable for onward land-based haulage seems worth investigating. Deconstruction of the economy of container shipping and reconstructing as carbon vessels using ground effect to avoid the vast expense of fuel in overcoming hull drag would be the conversation. Accurate weather-forecasting and out-run speeds would be an essential consideration as would retrieval strategies if ever needing to ditch.

@jem5159 Жыл бұрын

That's innovative and super slick. 👍

@cfluff6716 Жыл бұрын

This is actually surprisingly brilliant

@craighaldane-gy3mk 9 ай бұрын

Looks an amazing plane and idea.I've never heard of this plane before either.

@natewestra5431 Жыл бұрын

This wasn’t the only aircraft to use the external pod idea. The Sikorsky CH54 Tarhe, flying crane also had a suspended “office building slung under it. More versatile, as you only need a landing zone the size of the bird.

@oisiaa Жыл бұрын

This channel is the closest thing to the old Wings program that was on the Discovery Channel back in the 1990s! Amazing work by you and your team!

@UpToSpeedOnJaguar Жыл бұрын

The C-119 Is one of my favorite aircraft. I wish more were left today.

@scottminshall6420 Жыл бұрын

Me as well, very cool airplane! I was lucky enough to get to crawl all over them when I was kid, and my father flew them.

@UpToSpeedOnJaguar Жыл бұрын

@@scottminshall6420 very jealous lol. It's too bad only something like 15 are left in the world in every condition I believe.

@connorjones1485 Жыл бұрын

@@UpToSpeedOnJaguar I’d never heard of them until about a week ago. Went to the hill afb museum mostly to see the B1, saw their c119 and went wth is that? Thought it looked really neat.

@whisthpo Жыл бұрын

What a Fantastic idea! I was aware of the 'Boxcar' but had never seen this! Another Eye opener from the Dark series!

@nicholasmazzarella2720 Жыл бұрын

Great video as always

@MrRandomcommentguy Жыл бұрын

The C-119 is one of the coolest planes ever

@xxturbowesxx Жыл бұрын

This would be cool for civilian airlines. Land, drop off pod near runway, vehicles take you to your "gate", pick up loaded pod, etc. Airports could be smaller and handle more passengers. Missed opportunity.

@bj2294 Жыл бұрын

Fascinating concept plane. Seems like it deserved more than the cursory look.

@CMSgtSanders Жыл бұрын

I actually designed a C117 like this when I was in high-school. Awesome to see that they thought of this in the 50s. Thanks for sharing.

@NeverlandSystemZor Жыл бұрын

That's actually a pretty cool concept.

@EasyCrider Жыл бұрын

I remember the old Boxcars flying around when I was a kid in the early sixties. I think their was an airbase close to West Chicago where I lived. I thought they were so cool ! You'd see them flying around low and slow and could get a good look at them.

@EricJohnson-tc3bc Жыл бұрын

I worked in Alaska in the early 1980's and had the opportunity to fly in the C-82 Boxcar a few times. It was a great bush cargo plane. It had a chain drive landing gear extension mechanism that tended to fail. I remember they had to reskin the belly once. Carried about 20,000 pounds of cargo, anything from lumber to trucks to small bulldozers.

@chaplainand1 Жыл бұрын

Thank you. Fist time seeing this AC.

@robertphillips6296 Жыл бұрын

It was unique enough to warrant saving!

@leneanderthalien Жыл бұрын

France did build a similar aircraft, but smaller: the Nord 2501 Noratlas, with 2 14cyl SNECMA Bristol Hercules engines (sleeve valves, 2040hp), entered in service in 1953 and retired in 1986, was also used from Germany , Israël and many other countries...

@cazarilolsen4630 Жыл бұрын

Very imaginative

@scottchegg1209 Жыл бұрын

Brilliant idea. Very time efficient.

@wardprocter2371 Жыл бұрын

Love the look of the c-119 (and all of this style twin beam? aircraft).

@ypaulbrown Жыл бұрын

wow, never saw the C 120 ...thanks for sharing

@robertzeurunkl8401 Жыл бұрын

This is a really clever idea, that I think could still be used today.

@MH-jt3lx Жыл бұрын

That's one cool airplane . A detachable cargo box. The need use of a modern version would revolutionize air cargo.

@whyalwaysme2522 Жыл бұрын

Brilliant!!!

@dwayneelizondomountaindewh6073 11 ай бұрын

that's a really neat design. makes me think of that sky crane helicopter.

@gaminawulfsdottir3253 Жыл бұрын

This seems like such a good idea.

@RobTheSquire Жыл бұрын

I've always liked the C-119 since I watched both versions of "Flight of the Phoenix" and I quite like the look of the modular XC-120 Packplane variant.

@joostprins3381 Жыл бұрын

The C 82 was used for the movie.

@darwinmichel2087 Жыл бұрын

Good movie both of them.

@stantissue2065 Жыл бұрын

I have marketing artwork for this project showing a freight depot in operation. It was in the boxes that came home when Fairchild abandoned the commercial aviation market around 1973. That was a dark time at our house. From Fairchildren to orphans, just like that. Ed Uhl would fly over our house on his way to the Germantown MD HQ in the STOL Porter every morning back then. In the summer that thing was my alarm clock. Later my wife and I lived at the Showalter mansion across from the plant. We got to witness the initial check out of the first production A-10s from about 300’.

@ap6878 Жыл бұрын

Clever and smart aircraft

@chuckcawthon3370 7 ай бұрын

Excellent video

@davidtimmermann7226 Жыл бұрын

As a kid in the mid 60's I had seen many flying boxcars flying in and out of Willow Run airport at Ypsilanti Michigan.

@stinkymccheese8010 Жыл бұрын

Surprising that the concept hasn’t been taken up and fleshed out and modernized.

@tacomundo Жыл бұрын

To a point it has. The skycrane has been incredibly useful in various civilian industries, plus it's multitude of usefulness in the military.

@stinkymccheese8010 Жыл бұрын

@@tacomundo imagine what fleets of these things could do for a country’s supply chain, drop one container pick up another refuel and go again.

@stevehill4615 Жыл бұрын

Although a bit off topic, wasn't one of the proposals for the Airlander airships to be configured such that it could carry a shipping container?

@zandvoort8616 Жыл бұрын

Bloody good idea!

@bonjovi1612 Жыл бұрын

Amazing plane and a fantastic idea. Perhaps, to my mind, the inspiration for Thunderbird 2 in the TV show, which showcased the idea brilliantly.

@iamcondescending Жыл бұрын

Looks like something you'd see in Starwars. I could see a version of this (sans wings and propellers) being used by a nomadic bounty hunter. His living quarters in the modified container, point defense laser cannons mounted on the top and bottom, and a turbo laser MacGyvered on the front.

@johnnunn8688 Жыл бұрын

You need treatment 🤷‍♂️.

@rolandocrisostomo2003 Жыл бұрын

What a great idea. Its like a moving pod.

@subhagatadatta3032 Жыл бұрын

simply ahead of it's time

@davidb1630 Жыл бұрын

Wow, now we know where they got the idea for, Thunderbird 2.

@robmclaughjr Жыл бұрын

Great idea for an aircraft to study. Very interesting

@spaceace1006 Жыл бұрын

I'm surprised that they didn't build a larger 4 engine version! Also, you'd think that a jet version would have been considered.

@AnaInTh3Sky Жыл бұрын

What a fantastic idea

@miketwomey4923 Жыл бұрын

I always loved the C-119 ever since I watched the original Flight of the Phoenix movie long ago...

@paulbervid1610 Жыл бұрын

Great video

@lonniefarmer7067 Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@212caboose Жыл бұрын

This is a really cool idea!

@Flat_Stanley Жыл бұрын

The shape of the XC-120’s fuselage, specifically the frontal section looks like it may have been inspiration for the C-5 Galaxy. I wonder if it was or simply a product of the advancements and better understanding of aviation/aerodynamic properties?

@mattmattelig Жыл бұрын

now i know where the inspiration came for Thunderbirds 2. very cool.

@barriewright2857 Жыл бұрын

This is a brilliant piece of engineering. this could be used today it just needs updating and the application of modern technology and materials.

@mitchcumstein9808 Жыл бұрын

This is brilliant. The pods would be even bigger today. It’s got to be an aerodynamic problem without pod

@MRptwrench Жыл бұрын

My Uncle Ray served in the 1st Marines under then Col. Chesty Puller in the Frozen Chosin! So cool to see that the flying boxcar may have personally aided him and his fellow Marines during the Korean War.

@laxmannate07 Жыл бұрын

Really cool

@neiloconnor9349 Жыл бұрын

Very educational.

@chrisbutler7585 Жыл бұрын

What a great idea. They could do this for cargo and for passenger craft. In the event of an emergency, the pod could detach and parachute to the ground. Load passengers near the terminal and drive it like a bus to the plane and attach.

@terryboyer1342 Жыл бұрын

Very interesting!

@chuckaddison5134 Жыл бұрын

I remember reading in either Pop Sci, or Pop Mechanics of a passenger plane with a detachable passenger compartment.

@user-xb6fl9ri6g Жыл бұрын

I had this idea as a kid, wow so happy to see it actually was built lol

@leonardpearlman4017 Жыл бұрын

Never heard of this. Impressive looking thing, the film of the landing gear being deployed was a little startling. A really attractive thing I think, looks like it would have many uses.

@blakedawson2129 Жыл бұрын

my pops was a flight engineer on c119 out of Everett AFB . then in Vietnam he got reassigned to a stinger. he said they were pretty vulnerable and took a lot of small arms fire.