Chase XCG-20
Chase Aircraft · United States · first flew 1950 · glider
The Chase XCG-20 was the largest assault glider ever built for the United States military, designed to deliver heavy equipment and troops directly onto unprepared landing zones. Its all-metal high-wing airframe and rear-loading ramp directly prefigured the powered C-123 Provider transport.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × none, embedded-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Wide slab-sided fuselage with upswept rear for rear-loading ramp |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Unpowered assault glider — no engine
- Largest American military glider ever built, 110 ft wingspan
- Wide slab-sided fuselage with upswept rear for rear-loading ramp
An enormous all-metal high-wing monoplane with a wide, flat-bottomed fuselage and upswept rear fuselage ending in a rear cargo door. The high wing carries no engines in glider configuration; the tricycle undercarriage features large main wheels.
Specifications
- The Chase XCG-20 has a length of 23.5 m (77 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 33.53 m (110 ft).
- Typical crew: 2 pilots; up to 60 troops or heavy cargo.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Chase Aircraft Company won a 1946 US Air Force contract to develop a heavy assault glider capable of carrying a 105 mm howitzer or a loaded 2.5-ton truck. The prototype flew in 1950, demonstrating impressive payload capability, but the glider assault concept was already fading; the USAF instead pursued a powered derivative, eventually leading to the Fairchild C-123 Provider.
Variants
The powered XC-123 fitted two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radials to the XCG-20 airframe; subsequent development produced the definitive C-123B Provider.
Where you'll see it
The XCG-20 itself never entered production, but its structural design formed the backbone of the C-123 Provider which served extensively with the USAF and in Vietnam.
Related aircraft
- Chase XC-123A Provider
- Beverley
- Consolidated XP5Y-1 Tradewind
- Convair R3Y Tradewind
- Fairchild XC-120 Packplane
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