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Dates |
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Event |
6 May 1954 |
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Constructed as a C-123B-8-FA by Fairchild at Hagerstown, Maryland, USA. |
4 May 1956 |
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Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Air Force with s/n 54-0664. |
May 1956 |
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Transferred to 513th Troop Carrier Squadron (Assault Group) Tactical Air Command, Stewart AFB, TN. |
November 1957 |
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Transferred to Middletown Air Materiel Command, Olmstead AFB, PA. |
March 1958 |
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Transferred to 551st Airborne Warning and Control Wing (Air Defense Command), Stewart AFB, NY. |
October 1959 |
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Transferred to 4650th Combat Support Detachment, Stewart AFB, NY. |
March 1960 |
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Transferred to Consolidated Maintenance Squadron, Stewart AFB, NY. |
May 1962 |
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Deployment to Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. |
February 1964 |
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Transferred to 1st Commando Wing (TAC), Hurlburt Field, FL. |
July 1964 |
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Transferred to Rome Air Development Center, Griffiss AFB, NY. |
June 1965 |
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Transferred to Air Force Missile Deployment Center, Holloman AFB, NM. |
January 1966 |
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Transferred to Aeronautical Systems Division, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. |
By July 1967 |
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Transferred to Fairchild Aircraft Hagerstown, MD. |
By July 1967 |
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Converted to a C-123K.
Added two GE J85 jet engines. |
31 July 1967 |
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Photographer: Chris Kennedy |
April 1969 |
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Converted to an UC-123K.
Defoliant configuration. |
October 1969 |
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Transferred to 317th Tactical Airlift Wing, Lockbourne AFB, OH. |
14 July 1970 |
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Transferred to Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center, Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson, AZ. |
25 September 1971 |
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Transferred to Hayes Aircraft, Napier Field, Dothan, AL.
Transferred to Hayes in preparation for service in the reserves. |
December 1971 |
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Transferred to 906th Tactical Airlift Squadron (AFRES), Lockbourne AFB, OH. |
June 1975 |
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Transferred to 355th Tactical Airlift Squadron (AFRES), 302nd Tactical Airlift Wing, Rickenbacker AFB, OH. |
2 June 1981 |
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Transferred to the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposal Center (MASDC) with inventory number CP053. |
May 1985 |
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Struck off Strength/Charge from the United States Air Force.
Declared surplus and dropped from the inventory. |
By 1994 |
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To National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright Field, Dayton, OH.
The airframe most likely did not leave Tucson.
 View the Location Dossier |
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To Military Aircraft Restoration Company/David Talichet with new c/r N22968.
Purchased along with five other C-123Ks from MASDC. |
Circa January 1994 |
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Air Heritage Inc made a deal with MARC to retrieve a C-123K out of Davis-Monthan and fly it on the Air Show Circuit. |
April 1994 |
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Crew from Air Heritage (Virgil Wyke, Bill Cambell, Matt Haydack, Russ Wood, and Bob Morelli) left for Tuscon, AZ to assess project to bring the C-123K home. |
10 April 1994 |
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A second crew comprised of 3 volunteers left for Tucson, AZ to assist the first crew. |
16 April 1994 |
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Air Heritage President Bob Gbur joins the crew to begin to attack the mountain of paperwork to get the aircraft off the base. |
6 May 1994 |
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First flight.
TEST HOP!! Aircraft Commander Bob Hudock and pilots conducted the test flight and reported that the flight was a success. |
7 May 1994 |
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Ferry flight.
Took off from Davis-Monthan AFB and landed in Midland, TX, blowing a tire on landing. Removing the aircraft from the runway was a monumental task after 7 hrs of hard work. With the help of the Confederate Air Force and Thunderbird Aviation a tire was loaned to the crew that had to be shipped in from AZ. A significant hydraulic leak was also detected. |
9 May 1994 |
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Repaired.
Removed panel in wing to find hydraulic leak, in driving rain storm. |
10 May 1994 |
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The tire was air-freighted in from AZ. Tire was changed in horrible weather so the crew was forced to stay another night. |
14 May 1994 |
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Ferry flight. Delivered to Air Heritage Museum Inc, Beaver County Airport, Beaver Falls, PA.
Lands at Beaver County Airport at 4:00pm. Upon Arriving home, a year long restoration would begin.
View the Location Dossier |
From 14 May 1994 to Circa May 1995 |
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Restored.
Markings Applied: Thunder Pig |
1995 |
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Thunder Pig begins touring the United States on the air show circuit. |
13 November 1996 |
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To Air Heritage Incorporated, Beaver Falls, PA keeping c/r N22968. |
15 November 2005 |
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To Air Heritage Incorporated, Beaver Falls, PA keeping c/r N22968. |
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Markings Applied: 664, Thunder Pig, AH, 54
Nose Number 664 - Painted above Nose artName: Thunder Pig - Shield Patch with a Pig holding a lightning bolt with a cloud in the background.Vietnam Ribbon Bar - Painted above the front left door in honor of those who served in the Vietnam Conflict, which was when the C-123 safe active serviceStars and BarsTail Code AH - Painted for Air Heritage, but there was an active squadron of C-123s that had the codeTail Number 54-664Registration Number N22968 - Painted underneath the Horizontal Stablizer. |
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Photographer: Tyler Pinkerton
Notes: Thunder Pig Nose Art |
28 January 2012 |
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Photographer: Tyler Pinkerton |
2 June 2013 |
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Photographer: Reinhard Zinab
Notes: At 2013 Air Show at Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF) |
20 November 2013 |
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Photographer: Kenneth Smith
Notes: several control surfaces off for recovering |
8 June 2021 |
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To Air Heritage Incorporated, Beaver Falls, PA keeping c/r N22968. |
