Fairchild HC123B Provider

Fairchild HC-123B Provider
- American military transport plane developed by the Chase firm in the early post-war years. It was initially planned as a glider, but engines were installed in the design later on. After 1953, series production was taken on by the aircraft manufacturer Fairchild. Equipping the U.S. Air Force it started appearing in 1955; apart from the Air Force, the Provider also served with the Coast Guard as the HC-123B. Its most visible difference was the AN/APN-158 radar installed in the nose, requiring changes to the nose fairing due to its excessive size, and giving the plane its characteristic look. Six machines were converted in total, and extensively operated in different parts of the USA and beyond. With the advent of the more modern HC-130, these planes were taken out of service