YC-125 Raider

infobox Aircraft
name = YC-125 Raider
type = transport
manufacturer = Northrop Corporation

---

caption = The aircraft on display in the National Museum of the USAF. Painted to represent the YC-125B used for cold weather tests, Wright-Patterson AFB, 1950.
designer =
first flight = 1 August 1949
introduced = 1950
retired = 1955
status =
primary user = US Air Force
more users =
produced = 1949-1950
number built = 23
unit cost =
variants with their own articles =

The Northrop YC-125 Raider was a 1940s American three-engined STOL utility transport built by Northrop Corporation, Hawthorne, California.

Design and development

Northrop's first post-war civil design was a three-engined STOL passenger and cargo transport named the Northrop N-23 Pioneer. The Pioneer could carry 36 passengers or five tons of cargo and first flew on 21 December 1946. The aircraft had a good performance, but there was little interest due to the availability of cheap war surplus aircraft. The Pioneer was lost in a fatal crash in 1947. In 1948 the United States Air Force expressed interest in an aircraft of the same configuration and placed an order with Northrop for 23 aircraft, 13 troop transports designated the C-125A Raider and 10 for Arctic rescue work designated the C-125B. With the company designation N-32 Raider the first aircraft flew on 1 August 1949.

The aircraft was powered by three 1200hp (895 kW) Wright R-1820-99 Cyclone radial engines. The aircraft could also be fitted with JATO rockets that enabled the aircraft to take off in less than 500 ft (152 m). The 13 troop transporters were designated "YC-125A" in-service and the Arctic rescue version the YC-125B.

The Canadian company Canadair did consider building the N-23 under licence but this was not proceeded with.

Operational history

Deliveries of the YC-125 to the USAF began in 1950. Aircraft did not serve long as they were underpowered and they were sent soon to Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas and relegated to be ground instructional trainers until retired in 1955 and declared surplus.

Several ended up at Miami International Airport in the 1960s, purchased by Frank Ambrose and sold to bush operators in South and Central America.Fact|date=July 2007

One was at the former NAS Hitchcock, in Texas during the early 1980s. Another survives today at the Pima County Air Museum collection.Fact|date=July 2007

Variants

;N-23 Pioneer: Prototype three-engined STOL transport, one built.;N-32 Raider: Company designation of military version of the N-23.;YC-125A Raider: N-32 with seats for thirty troops, thirteen built (serials 48-628/640).;YC-125B Raider: Arctic rescue version of the N-32 with twenty stretchers and provision for a ski undercarriage. Ten built (serials 48-618/627).

urvivors

One YC-125A (XB-GEY, former 48-636) is on display at the Pima Air and Space Museum, Tucson, AZ.

One YC-125B (Serial 48-626, painted as 48-622) is on display at the USAF Museum in Dayton, OH.

Operators

*USA: United States Air Force

pecifications (YC-125B)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref=
crew=one
capacity=
length main= 67 ft 1 in
length alt=
span main= 86 ft 6 in
span alt=
height main= 23 ft 1 in
height alt=
area main=
area alt=
airfoil=
empty weight main=
empty weight alt=
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 41,900 lb
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (jet)=
type of jet=
number of jets=
thrust main= lbf
thrust alt= kN
thrust original=
afterburning thrust main= lbf
afterburning thrust alt= kN
engine (prop)= Wright R-1820-99 Cyclone
type of prop= radial
number of props= 3
power main=
power alt= 1200 hp
power original= 895 kW
max speed main= 207 mph
max speed alt=
max speed more=
cruise speed main= 171 mph
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 1,856 miles
range alt=
ceiling main= 12,200 ft
ceiling alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
climb rate more=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
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more performance=
armament=
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ee also

aircontent

related=

similar aircraft=

sequence=

lists=
* List of military aircraft of the United States

see also=

References

*cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985)|year= |publisher= Orbis Publishing|location= |issn=
*cite book |last Andrade| first=John M. |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= U.S Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909|year= 1979|publisher= Midland Counties Publications|location= Leicestershire UK|isbn=0 904597 22 9

External links

* [http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=784 National Museum of the USAF]