Northrop YC-125 Raider – Φώτο & Βίντεο

Teh Επιδρομέας Northrop YC-125 was a 1940s American three-engined STOL utility transport built by Northrop Corporation, Hawthorne, California. Deliveries of the YC-125 to the USAF began in 1950. These aircraft did not serve long as they were underpowered and they were soon sent to Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas and relegated to be ground instructional trainers until retired in 1955 and declared surplus. Most of the surplus aircraft were purchased by Frank Ambrose and sold to bush operators in South and Central America.

Πηγή: Northrop YC-125 Raider στη Wikipedia

The Northrop YC-125 Raider was a military transport aircraft developed by Northrop Corporation in the late 1940s. It was designed to operate from unprepared runways and to carry troops, cargo, or paratroopers. The YC-125 was based on the earlier Northrop N-23 Pioneer civil transport, but featured a larger fuselage, a tailwheel landing gear, and three Pratt & Whitney R-1340 radial engines. The YC-125 had a high wing and a tricycle landing gear, which could be retracted to allow the aircraft to land on skis or floats. The YC-125 had a crew of three and could accommodate up to 30 passengers or 24 paratroopers. The cargo compartment had a rear loading ramp and could carry up to 10,000 pounds of payload.
The YC-125 first flew in August 1949 and was evaluated by the United States Air Force (USAF) and the United States Navy (USN). The USAF ordered 23 YC-125A troop transports and 13 YC-125B Arctic rescue versions, while the USN ordered 10 YC-125C on floats for the U.S. Coast Guard. However, the YC-125 proved to be underpowered and unreliable, and was soon replaced by more capable aircraft such as the Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar and the Douglas C-124 Globemaster II. The YC-125 was retired from service in the mid-1950s and most of them were sold as surplus. Some of them were converted to civil use as aerial sprayers, fire bombers, or cargo transports. A few YC-125s are preserved in museums or in private collections.