The C-119 was designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter
patients and mechanized equipment and to drop cargo and
troops by parachute. First flown in 1947, the Flying
Boxcar was used extensively during the Korean War as a
medium-range transport aircraft. During Vietnam, many
C-119s were converted to gunships, mounting side-firing
guns capable of firing up to 6,000 rounds per minute per
gun.
A J model of the C-119 was specially modified for mid-air
retrieval of space capsules re-entering the atmosphere from
orbit. C-119s were retired from military service in the
early 1970s, but some were used later by the U.S. Forest
Service as aerial firefighters.
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