FAIRCHILD C-123K PROVIDER NIGHT FIGHTING GUNSHIP " PROJECT BLACK SPOT " (SILENT FILM) 19054

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This silent film is from the top secret U.S. Air Force project known as "Black Spot" which began in December of 1965. The film was shot at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida where the program developed. Black Spot was intended to give the Air Force a self-contained night attack capability to seek out and destroy targets along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. In early-1966, the concept was approved by the Department of Defense and two Fairchild C-123K Providers (#54-691 and #54-698) were modified by E-Systems of Greenville, Texas to the redesignated NC-123K (often referred to as AC-123K) configuration. These aircraft are not to be confused with Spectre C-130 gunships of the same era -- although they are related.
As you can see in this film, the aircraft were equipped with a long, 57.75 inch nose fairing that housed an X-band forward-looking radar (8:00). Below and aft of the extended radome was a turret with Forward-Looking Infrared Radar (FLIR) (6:23), Low-Level Light Television (LLLTV) (7:11), and a laser range-finder/illuminator. Also, a low-level Doppler navigation radar and weapons release computer were installed.
The first aircraft (#54-691) was delivered to Eglin AFB, Florida in August 1967 and the second (#54-698), incorporating an AN/ASD-5 Black Crow direction finder set (engine ignition sensor), was delivered in February 1968.
Prior to deploying to Vietnam, the two aircraft were sent to Osan Air Base, South Korea to be evaluated against the high-speed infiltration boats used by North Korea to send agents into South Korea. The unit remained in Korea from 19 August 1968 to 23 October 1968, and were scheduled for a total of 57 missions. Upon completion of their Korean assignment, the unit was deployed to South Vietnam for a combat evaluation of the "Black Spot" weapons system.
It was in South Vietnam where the aircraft operated under the project name and callsign - "Black Spot". Both aircraft began operations on 15 November 1968, flying from Phan Rang Air Base, with mission staging areas at Binh Thuy and Pleiku. During the combat evaluation period, a total of 69 sorties were flown over target areas consisting of the Mekong Delta and the Ho Chi Minh Trail. From November 1968 to May 1969, these "gunships" flew 186 missions, destroyed 415 trucks and damaged 273 more. While operating as armed night surveillance units in the Mekong Delta, the two aircraft destroyed 151 boats/vehicles, damaging another 108 and noted secondary explosions on 161 targets. Both aircraft completed 70 percent of all missions and had an in-commission rate of 84 percent; not bad for an aircraft that was developed as a test bed and never intended to be used operationally.
These NC/AC-123Ks were first deployed operationally at Osan AB, South Korea between August and October 1968, and flying in support of operations against North Korean infiltrators approaching by boat. The operations in Korea met with a certain level of success and as a result the NC/AC-123Ks were transferred to South Vietnam in November 1968. The aircraft operated there until January 1969, when they were redeployed to Ubon RTAB, Thailand. The two aircraft were then returned to the United States to Hurlburt Field, Florida in May 1969, where a second round of training occurred. Four crews attended a ground school in Greenville, Texas and returned to Hurlburt where they flew the aircraft for the first time.
The fate of the aircraft is still unclear. Sources have missions terminating in early July 1970 and the aircraft flying to the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center (MASDC) "boneyard" at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, where they were returned to C-123K standard, then returned to South Vietnam still wearing their camouflage and black undersides for transport duty. However, the official history states that combat operations ceased on 11 May 1969, with no mention of the second deployment.
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[@walkaway6212]

The AC had no guns but it did have. Two rectangular aluminum weapons dispensers (for CBU bomblets) were stacked within the fuselage. Each container housed 12 cells, each cell containing three Cluster Bomb Units (CBUs). Depending on the type of CBU installed, the containers had a capacity of between 2,664 and 6,372 one pound bomblets. The bomblets were released through 12 openings in the cargo floor that aligned with the cells in the weapons dispenser. The lower fuselage contained 12 inward opening doors that aligned with the openings in the cargo floor, forming a chute. Bomblet release was controlled by a weapons panel in the forward section of the fuselage. In the event of an emergency, the entire load could be jettisoned manually. My dad was the pilot.

[@jamesanderton344]

The 123 looked like a really useful aircraft. Small but lots of volume and a rear ramp. Simple radials and those jets must have come in handy when heavy, hot and high.

[@Suncast45]

I was surprised when I first saw and heard them departing Tan Son Nhut AB, Vietnam. 377th SPS Law Enforcement patrolman

[@SueBobChicVid]

I didn't know much about this aircraft, so I looked it up on Wikipedia. I found it interesting to learn that the basic design for the C-123 was an assault glider.

[@Suncast45]

While I was serving at Tan Son Nhut AB, Vietnam in 1969, a C 119 Gunship was departing on a night mission at 2330 hours. It lost a propeller blade and dived into a swamp off the base! 9 Crewmembers lost their lives! The Pilot was on his first mission after returning to Nam from CONUS! I worked for the 377th SPS, now Security Forces!

[@caseinnitratjr6861]

Imagine that with sound

[@BoneDaddy69]

I can't believe it took me 50+ years to research this plane. I never really knew what it was as my father was very quiet about the Black Spot Project. We lived in FL while my father (Captain Vernon H. Detrick) was stationed at Eglan AFB. My father was the pilot of one of these two planes. He didn't say much, except that he flew two night missions each night in Vietnam and Korea and had a few crazy stories about being shot at. One night they took a large shell in the fuel tank and were very surprised they made it back. I do have a few pictures of him and his crew with their Black Spot patches in front of the plane and one picture of it in flight. I bet my sister still has the flight suit with his patch. But that is it and he always told us there weren't many other pictures because it was a top secret project/missions.

[@nam1968vet]

This was a fore runner to today's smart bombers , I had the pleasure of working on both aircraft in Vietnam at phang rang , my unit the 315th ACG provided support for them Shadow , Spectre AC119s and a slew of other special operations aircraft

[@walkaway6212]

Thank you. Im the pilots son.👍

[@ParadiseValleyWaste]

Did anyone associated with Black Spot mention Ken Webb? He was one of the 123k pilots as well and he was my uncle. He was a Captain later at USAFA after the war but not sure of his rank during the operation.

[@abominablesnowman1137]

I have the model kit of this aircraft and was hoping to get some reference of the paint scheme and how the elements affected the overall appearance of the bird - but the film is too dark, but thanks for posting the video.

[@walkaway6212]

It was a dark SEA paint with only black numbers. Everybody and the AC were sanitized because it was top secret TDY and never realy there.🤫

[@abominablesnowman1137]

@@walkaway6212 Back in the day, 76-80, I was a jet mech on the E2-C Hawkeye. One of the "older" guys was prior service (Air Force) and served in Vietnam. His squadron was based on the "wrong" side of the border, I believe it was Laos... but could have been Cambodia. He said their replacement parts for the planes were shipped in crates marked "farm machinery." I never did ask what aircraft his squadron comprised of - obviously a missed opportunity for an interesting conversation.

[@walkaway6212]

They were never realy there.

[@lwilton]

Looks like this was 24fps footage recorded at 16 or 18 fps.

[@asmodeus0454]

No audio.

[@PeriscopeFilm]

As it states in the description,"This silent film is from the top secret U.S. Air Force project known as "Black Spot" which began in December of 1965."