Fairchild AU-23 Peacemaker

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairch...-23_Peacemaker

The Fairchild AU-23 Peacemaker is an American armed gunship, counter-insurgency,
utility transport version of the Pilatus PC-6 Porter for the United States Air
Force. A total of 35 were built under license in the United States by Fairchild
Industries, for use during the Vietnam War in the early 1970s. All aircraft were
later sold to the Royal Thai Air Force.

In May 1971 the Aeronautical Systems Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force
Base, Ohio, began work on a project to evaluate the potential use of armed light
utility short takeoff and landing aircraft in Southeast Asia. The program, named
Credible Chase, was designed to add mobility and firepower to the South
Vietnamese Air Forces in a relatively short time. Two commercial aircraft were
selected for testing: the Fairchild Porter and the Helio Stallion. Initial
performance testing was conducted with leased aircraft at Eglin Air Force Base,
Florida, and was successful enough to warrant a combat evaluation. The Porter,
designated AU-23A, was fitted with a side-firing 20mm XM-197 Gatling cannon,
four wing pylons and a center fuselage station for external ordnance. The 20mm
cannon was essentially a three-barrel version of the M61 Vulcan 6-barrel 20mm
cannon. The aircraft could carry a variety of ordnance including forward-firing
gun pods, 500 and 250 pound bombs, napalm units, cluster bomb units, flares,
rockets, smoke grenades and Airborne leaflet propaganda dispensers.


Role
Armed gunship, counter-insurgency, utility transport

Manufacturer
Fairchild Aircraft

First flight
1971

Primary user
Royal Thai Air Force
United States Air Force

Number built
35 ·

Developed from
Pilatus PC-6 Porter

The combat evaluation, PAVE COIN, was done in June and July 1971. The AU-23A was
tested for eight possible missions: armed escort of helicopters, close air
support, hamlet defense, STOL airlift and resupply, armed reconnaissance, border
surveillance, forward air control, and counter infiltration. USAF crews flew 73
missions (94 sorties) and RVNAF crews flew 68 missions (85 sorties). Several
types of weapons were test dropped/fired including 2.75-inch rockets (explosive
and smoke), cluster bomb units (CBU-14), MK 6 Mod 3 flares, and MK 81, 82 and
106 practice bombs. More than 8,000 rounds of 20mm ammunition was fired
also—both high explosive incendiary and target practice tracer types. Several
problems were discovered during the PAVE COIN program, the most serious was the
extreme vulnerability of the aircraft to all but the lightest antiaircraft fire
(below 12.7mm). Despite the problems, the USAF continued with the development
program and ordered 15 AU-23As for further testing.

The 4400th Special Operations Squadron (Provisional) was created to complete the
operational test and evaluation of the Credible Chase aircraft. The first AU-23A
(72-1306) was delivered to the 4400th SOS on Jan. 2, 1972, followed by two more
aircraft (72-1304 & 72-1305) at the end of the month. Testing continued until
Feb. 4, when the three aircraft were grounded because of cracks in the rudder
assemblies. The first three aircraft were returned to Fairchild for repair and
delivery of new aircraft resumed in late April 1972. On May 10, 1972, an AU-23A
(S/N 72-1309) crashed after an in-flight engine failure. The pilot was not hurt,
but all AU-23As were grounded until May 22, during the accident investigation.
The last AU-23A was delivered on June 7 and testing was completed on June 28.

The 4400th recommended the aircraft not be used in combat without a major
upgrade program. Specific problems identified included a slow combat speed (135
knots), a low working altitude, no capability for "zoom" escapes after
delivering ordnance and a complete lack of armor protection for the crew and
vital aircraft systems. On June 30, 1972, the 4400th SOS ferried the AU-23As to
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, for storage.

All AU-23A were supplied to Thailand under the Military Assistance Program for
use in border surveillance and counter-infiltration roles.

Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) 531 Sqn AU-23A JTh2-20/19 coded 42079 (former FY
74-2079) has crash-landed in Khlong Hoi Khong district around noon 5 March 2019.

Specifications

General characteristics
Crew: 3 (pilot, co-pilot, gunner)
Capacity: 5 troops or 6 passengers or 1 litter patient, 3 ambulatory patients
with 1 medical attendant
Length: 36 ft 10 in (11.23 m)
Wingspan: 49 ft 8 in (15.14 m)
Height: 14 ft 4 in (4.37 m)
Gross weight: 6,100 lb (2,767 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Garrett TPE-331-1-101F turboprop engine, 650 hp (480 kW)

Performance
Maximum speed: 148 kn (170 mph; 274 km/h) at take-off power, 5,000 ft (1,524
m)5,000 feet altitude, 6,000 lb (2,722 kg) gross weight
Cruise speed: 77 kn; 88 mph (142 km/h) at maximum continuous power, 129 kn (239
km/h) combat cruise
Range: 365 nmi; 676 km (420 mi)
Combat range: 175 nmi; 323 km (201 mi)
Endurance: 4.84

Armament

Up to 1925 lbs. of external stores on five pylons
XM197 20mm cannon, door-mounted
XM93 7.62mm minigun
XM59 .50-cal. machine gun and XMU-470 20mm fixed side-firing gun pods.
SUU11 gun pods
2.75-inch rocket pods
BDU33 with 25 lbs. bomblets
MK81 250 lb bombs
MK82 500 lb bombs
BLU118 500 lb napalm canisters
CBU55 500 lb cluster bomb units
MK24 flares
ADU272 canisters
smoke grenades
propaganda leaflet dispensers.




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