To meet the 1941 US Army requirements for special military transport aircraft, Fairchild began work on the Fairchild F-78 project. In 1942, a contract was signed for one prototype, designated XC-82. First taking to the air on September 10, 1944, the XC-82 aircraft was a cantilever all-metal monoplane with a high-mounted wing.
Inside the spacious fuselage was a cockpit for five crew members and a large-capacity cabin/cargo bay with rear loading doors. The doors could be fully jettisoned for parachute deployment of heavy loads. The cabin/cargo bay could accommodate 78 people during urgent evacuation or 42 fully equipped paratroopers.
Powerplant and Design
The aircraft’s thrust was provided by two 18-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-2800-34 Double Wasp radial engines, each rated at 2100 hp, mounted in wing nacelles. Extensions of these nacelles formed the tail booms, to which two vertical stabilizers with rudders and a horizontal stabilizer with an elevator were attached. The US Air Force initially contracted for 100 C-82A Packet aircraft.
Production and Evolution
The first aircraft was delivered for testing in 1945, followed by another contract for 100 aircraft. Deliveries concluded in 1948, with Fairchild ultimately building 220 C-82A machines until 1954.
During 1947, Fairchild developed an improved variant of the C-82 – the XC-82B prototype, which was a modernized production C-82A aircraft. It primarily featured a cockpit moved to the nose of the aircraft and 28-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-4360-4 Wasp Major radial engines producing 2650 hp. This aircraft was launched into production under the designation C-119 Flying Boxcar.
Technical Specifications
| Modification | С-82 A |
| Wingspan, m | 32.10 |
| Length, m | 23.10 |
| Height, m | 8.00 |
| Wing area, m2 | 130.90 |
| Empty weight | 12045 |
| Normal takeoff weight | 19050 |
| Engine type | 2 Piston engines Pratt Whitney R-2800-22 |
| Power, hp | 2 x 2100 |
| Maximum speed, km/h | 398 |
| Cruising speed, km/h | 322 |
| Practical range, km | 3600 |
| Maximum rate of climb, m/min | 288 |
| Practical ceiling, m | 7800 |
| Crew | 3 crew |
| Payload | 78 soldiers or 42 paratroopers or 32 wounded |
Image and diagram gallery of the C-82 Packet
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