Pipe Creek Township in Grissom Air Force Base in Miami County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Fairchild C-119G
52-5850
| — | Grissom Air Museum | — |
Photographed by Craig Doda, September 5, 2026
1. Fairchild C-119G Marker
Manufacture: Fairchild
Designation: C-119G
Serial Number: 52-5850
Official Name: Flying Boxcar
Function: Military air transport capable of carrying cargo, personal, litter patients. Also parachute drops of cargo and troops.
Crew: 5. Pilot, co-pilot, navigator, radio operator, and crew chief.
Wingspan: 109ft, 3in
Length: 86ft, 6in
Height: 26ft 6in
Power plant: 2 x Pratt and Whitney R-4360-20W, 28 Cylinder radial engines rated at 3500 HP each. Turning 15ft, 4 bladed Hamilton-Standard propellers.
Empty weight: 39,800lb
Max T/O weight: 74,000lb
Cruising speed: 200 mph
Max Speed: 281 mph
Service ceiling: 23,900ft
Range: 1770 miles with 5,500lb of cargo.
Armament: Our C119G, none. (AC-119G/K) An armed version of the C-119 was modified by Fairchild to replace the Air Force's aging AC-47s. These AC-119G Gunships carried 4 X GAU-2A 7.62mm Mini-guns, 2 X M61 Vulcan 20mm 6-barreled Gatling Guns, and 60 X MK 24 Flares in an LAU-74/A fire launcher. These aircraft were operated by the 71st Special Operations Squadron based at Bakalar AFB, Columbus Indiana.
Year built: 1952
Year retired: The US Navy
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Mission:
This versatile workhorse saw extensive service during the Korean War carrying troops, cargo, and the wounded. Strategic Air Command operated C-119s from 1955, through 1973. Specially modified C-119s recovered Corona Spy Satellite film cartridges in mid air. They continued serving countries all over the globe not only as Military aircraft, but also popular with forest fire fighting, and oil companies.
Our aircraft:
The Air Force took delivery of 52-5850 in 1953. In May of 1964, she was transferred to the 932nd Troop Carrier (Medium) Group, Scott AFB IL. In January 1967, she moved to the 934th TCM Group, Minneapolis Saint Paul MN. From January to March of 1970, she was assigned to the 933rd TCM Group, then on to the 928th Tactical Air Lift Group, O'Hare Airport, Chicago IL. The National Museum of the United States Air Force (NMUSAF) took her over in 1971 and she was made available for display. Later that year she was flown for the last time to Grissom AFB where
Photographed by Craig Doda, September 5, 2026
2. Fairchild C-119G Marker
This exhibit is the property of the US Air Force and maintained through your participation in the Grissom Air Museum donor program.
Erected by Grissom Air Museum.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Military. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1967.
Location. 40° 40.195′ N, 86° 7.775′ W. Marker is in Grissom Air Force Base, Indiana, in Miami County. It is in Pipe Creek Township. It is at the intersection of West Hoosier Boulevard and U.S. 31, on the right when traveling west on West Hoosier Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1000 W Hoosier Boulevard, Peru IN 46970, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Northern Indiana. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Douglas Aircraft C-47D and C-47B (a few steps from this marker); Boeing KC-97L (within shouting distance of this marker); Republic Aircraft F-84F (within shouting distance of this marker); North American Aviation B-25J (within shouting distance of this marker); Lockheed D-21 (within shouting distance of this marker); Cessna U-3A (within shouting distance of this marker); Fairchild Republic A-10A (within shouting distance of this marker); Grumman C-1A (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Grissom Air Force Base.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 18, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 17, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 6 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 17, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
