The Fairchild XC-120 Packplane was an American experimental Modular aircraft. It was developed from the company's C-119 Flying Boxcar, and was unique in the unconventional use of removable cargo pods that were attached below the fuselage. (Video)

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First flight: 11 August 1950 Number built: 1 The XC-120 Packplane began as a C-119B fuselage (48-330, c/n 10312) with a point just below the flight deck cut off to create the space for the detachable cargo pod.. The wings were angled upwards between the engines and the fuselage, raising the fuselage by several feet and giving the plane an inverted gull-wing appearance. Smaller diameter "twinned" wheels were installed forward of each of the main landing gear struts to serve as nosewheels, while the main struts were extended backwards. All four landing gear units, in matching "nose" and "main" sets, could be raised and lowered in a scissorlike fashion to lower the aircraft and facilitate the removal of a planned variety of wheeled pods which would be attached below the fuselage for the transport of cargo. The goal was to allow cargo to be preloaded into the pods; it was claimed that such an arrangement would speed up loading and unloading cargo. Production aircraft were to be designated C-128. General characteristics Crew: Five (pilot, copilot, flight engineer, two loadmasters) Capacity: 20,000 lb (9,090 kg) (2,700 cu.ft) Length: 82 ft 10 in (25.25 m) Wingspan: 106 ft 6 in (32.46 m) Height: 25 ft 1 in (7.65 m) Wing area: 1,447 sq ft (134.4 m2) Gross weight: 64,000 lb (29,030 kg) Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engines, 3,250 hp (2,420 kW) each for takeoff