ROCAF Special Duty C-123B/Ks

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yahya

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I am looking for the details on the avionics suite of the ROCAF C-123Bs used in special duty ops in Nam in the late 1960s. In 1966, they received the Bendix RDR-10 weather radar with the antenna installed over the cockpit, and the AN/ARN-131 Omega Navigation System. Two years later they were brought to the C-123K standard with underwing jet engines. The ECM was also added and consisted of the AN/APR-25 RWR and AN/ALE-1 chaff dispenser to protect against SA-2 SAM radars. What other avionics pieces were installed on these birds?

This photo from Flickr clearly shows the characteristic weather radar antenna over the cockpit and RWR sensors in the lower section of the nose.


C-123 CARGO PLANE (RETIRED) by mambo1935, on Flickr
 
ROC modified at least one C-123 with a pair of Allison T56 turboprop engines "borrowed" from a C-130. It might have flown a few times, but was never produced in series.
This would have made it the 5th engine configuration on C-123. Remember that C-123 started life as the Chase XCG-20 un-powered assault glider.
When assault gliders became obsolete, the C-123 was re-powered with a pair of radial engines. Pratt & Whitney R-2800-99 Double Wasp radial engines were the dominant production configuration.
When the two radials proved under-powered for short airstrips in Viet Nam, the USAF added a pair of GE T85-GE-17 jet "booster" engines.
One C-123 prototype even flew with pairs of J47-GE-11 jet engines under its wings. These were the same engines as fitted to B-36 and B-47 heavy bombers.
Finally, there was the ROC prototype with Allison T56 turboprops, making for a total of 5 different engine configurations.
 
riggerrob said:
ROC modified at least one C-123 with a pair of Allison T56 turboprop engines "borrowed" from a C-130. It might have flown a few times, but was never produced in series.
This would have made it the 5th engine configuration on C-123. Remember that C-123 started life as the Chase XCG-20 un-powered assault glider.
When assault gliders became obsolete, the C-123 was re-powered with a pair of radial engines. Pratt & Whitney R-2800-99 Double Wasp radial engines were the dominant production configuration.
When the two radials proved under-powered for short airstrips in Viet Nam, the USAF added a pair of GE T85-GE-17 jet "booster" engines.
One C-123 prototype even flew with pairs of J47-GE-11 jet engines under its wings. These were the same engines as fitted to B-36 and B-47 heavy bombers.
Finally, there was the ROC prototype with Allison T56 turboprops, making for a total of 5 different engine configurations.
Click to expand...
You can add a few to this: the YC-123B was bailed to Fairchild for J44 jet boost tests and then modified by Stroukoff (as the YC-134) with R-3350-89A engines. The YC-134A (another C-123 derivative) also used R-3350-89As.
 
aim9xray said:
The T56 conversion was by Mancro for Thailand.
Click to expand...

The aircraft never reached Thailand: the single conversion (56-4357, unofficially designated C-123T) flew at Compton/Woodley Airport, CA on 24Oct80 and was later registered N6828. It was last known with Hamilton Aerospace Technologies, Inc at Tucson Airport, AZ but appears to have been scrapped. Its US registration was cancelled on 30Jul14.
 
Colleagues, any more details related to the ROCAF special duty C-123B/K?

Indeed, there is scarce information on the avionics suite of that bird, which could include the following:
  • ATIR and BSTR ECM packages (unknown specs)
  • AN/ASN-25 Doppler navigation system
  • AN/APN-153 terrain-following radar (unseen on the photo from the lead post)
  • new radios, including HF (unknown types)
Plus the upgrade package as listed in my lead post:
  • Bendix RDR-10 weather radar with the antenna installed above the cockpit
  • AN/ARN-131 Omega Navigation System
  • AN/APR-25 RWR
  • AN/ALE-1 chaff dispenser
Apparently, ca. 6 ROCAF C-123s were converted using this package.
 

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