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10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Fairchild C-119B of the 314th Troop Carrier Group in flight, 1952 (021001-O-9999G-016): U.S. Air Force· Public domain
- 2. C-119G Flying Boxcar: Chris Light· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 3. C-119 Boxcar: USAF· Public domain
- 4. C-119s drop paras Korea Nov 1952: USAF· Public domain
- 5. C-119s over Korea Oct 1952: USAF· Public domain
- 6. Fairchild C-119G CP-17 RBAF Coltishall 18.09.65 edited-3: RuthAS· CC BY 3.0
- 7. Fairchild C-119L at the Museum of Flight and Aerial Firefighting in Greybull, Wyoming: Mr. Satterly· CC0
- 8. Former operators of C119 flying boxcar: Secutorgladronwizard· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 9. Milestones-c119-N13745-070919-01-16: Alan Radecki Akradecki· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 10. N8093 C-119G MD4: Acroterion· CC BY-SA 4.0
what is it?
The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (Navy and Marine Corps designation R4Q) is an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechanized equipment, and to drop cargo and troops by parachute. The first C-119 made its initial flight in November 1947, and by the time production ceased in 1955, more than 1,100 had been built.
How to recognise it: 2 piston engines with propellers · shoulder wing · retractable tricycle gear · 33.3 m wingspan
base stats
Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).
fun facts
- First flew 79 years ago, in 1947.
- Top speed is 3.5× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
- Wingspan of 33.3 m: about 7 cars parked nose to tail.
- Fully loaded it can weigh as much as 6 African elephants (~6 t each).
piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.
spec sheet
- first flight
- 1947-11-17
- introduced
- 1949
- retired
- 1965
- status
- retired
- number built
- 1,183
- role
- military transport aircraft
- origin
- 🇺🇸 United States
- makers
- Fairchild
- engines
- 2× Pratt & Whitney R-4360-20W
- crew
- 5
- passengers
- 67
- length
- 26.4 m
- wingspan
- 33.3 m
- height
- 8.1 m
- max take-off weight
- 33.6 t
- top speed
- 452 km/h
- cruise speed
- 322 km/h
- range
- —
- ceiling
- 7,285 m
- wings
- shoulder wing
- landing gear
- retractable tricycle gear
Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.
family
Sources: Wikidata Q583107, Wikipedia: Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.