1950: Air Force detachable fuselage transport XC-120, built by Fairchild, completed its maiden flight. The Fairchild XC-120 Packplane was an American experimental modular aircraft first flown in 1950. 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, instead of possessing an internal cargo compartment. Only one XC-120 was built. Though the aircraft was tested extensively and made numerous airshow appearances in the early 1950s the project went no further. It was tested by the Air Proving Ground Command at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, in 1951, before the project was abandoned in 1952. The prototype was eventually scrapped. (USAF Image)
