Stroukoff Aircraft
Encyclopedia
Stroukoff Aircraft was an American manufacturer of experimental military transport aircraft
, established in 1954 by Michael Stroukoff
. Successor to Chase Aircraft
, the company specalised in developing advanced variants of the C-123 Provider
; however, none of the company's designs attracted a production order, and the company folded in 1959.
Michael Stroukoff designed the XG-20 for Chase Aircraft
, the largest glider ever built in the United States. Modified into the C-123 Provider
, the aircraft had won a contract for production from the United States Air Force
, 49% of Chase being acquired by Kaiser-Frazier to produce the aircraft at the latter company's Willow Run
facility. However, a scandal involving Kaiser resulted in the C-123 contract being cancelled; with Kaiser having bought out the remainder of Chase and dissolving the company, Stroukoff acquired the company's facilities at the Trenton airport, and established his own company to continue development of the C-123 design.
(BLC) system. The BLC diverted air from the engines to blow over the wing, increasing lift and reducing the aircraft's takeoff and landing distances.
The following year, Stroukoff modified a C-123B into the YC-123E, fitted with Stroukoff's own Pantobase landing gear system. The Pantobase system allowed the aircraft to land on any reasonably flat surface - land, water, or snow - and proved remarkably successful in testing.
. Designated MS-8-1 by the company, the YC-134 featured both boundary layer control and the Pantobase landing gear; in addition, the aircraft was fitted with more powerful engines, tailplane endplates, additional wheels for the main landing gear, and an improved fuel system.
Intended for Arctic
use, the YC-134's test flight program proved successful. However, its increase in performance over that of the C-123 was considered inadequate; in addition, there was simply no need for an additional piston-engined transport by that time, and the proposed production contract was cancelled. With the failure to gain any contracts for production of its designs, Stroukoff dissolved the company in 1959.
Military transport aircraft
Military transport aircraft are typically fixed and rotary wing cargo aircraft which are used to deliver troops, weapons and other military equipment by a variety of methods to any area of military operations around the surface of the planet, usually outside of the commercial flight routes in...
, established in 1954 by Michael Stroukoff
Michael Stroukoff
Michael Stroukoff was a Russian-born aircraft designer, who served in the White Army before emigrating to the United States. After spending some time as an architect, he joined the Chase Aircraft Company and designed a number of transport aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces and the...
. Successor to Chase Aircraft
Chase Aircraft
The Chase Aircraft Company, founded in 1943, was an aircraft manufacturer of the United States of America, primarily constructing gliders and military transport aircraft. Lacking space for expansion, the company was purchased by Henry J. Kaiser in 1951. Plans to produce the C-123 transport for the...
, the company specalised in developing advanced variants of the C-123 Provider
C-123 Provider
The C-123 Provider was an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and subsequently built by Fairchild Aircraft for the United States Air Force...
; however, none of the company's designs attracted a production order, and the company folded in 1959.
Founding
During the late 1940s, Russian emigréÉmigré
Émigré is a French term that literally refers to a person who has "migrated out", but often carries a connotation of politico-social self-exile....
Michael Stroukoff designed the XG-20 for Chase Aircraft
Chase Aircraft
The Chase Aircraft Company, founded in 1943, was an aircraft manufacturer of the United States of America, primarily constructing gliders and military transport aircraft. Lacking space for expansion, the company was purchased by Henry J. Kaiser in 1951. Plans to produce the C-123 transport for the...
, the largest glider ever built in the United States. Modified into the C-123 Provider
C-123 Provider
The C-123 Provider was an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and subsequently built by Fairchild Aircraft for the United States Air Force...
, the aircraft had won a contract for production from the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, 49% of Chase being acquired by Kaiser-Frazier to produce the aircraft at the latter company's Willow Run
Willow Run
The Willow Run manufacturing plant, located between Ypsilanti and Belleville, Michigan, was constructed during World War II by Ford Motor Company for the mass production of the B-24 Liberator military aircraft....
facility. However, a scandal involving Kaiser resulted in the C-123 contract being cancelled; with Kaiser having bought out the remainder of Chase and dissolving the company, Stroukoff acquired the company's facilities at the Trenton airport, and established his own company to continue development of the C-123 design.
YC-123D and E
Stroukoff's first advanced variant of the C-123 design was the YC-123D, modified from the XC-123A prototype - itself a modified XCG-20 - which had been the first jet transport to fly in the United States. Flying in 1954, the YC-123D was fitted with the twin piston engines of the normal C-123 family, and was equipped with a boundary layer controlBoundary layer control
Boundary layer control refers to methods of controlling the behaviour of fluid flow boundary layers. This holds particular interest in aeronautical engineering because drag may be reduced whilst achieving high lift ....
(BLC) system. The BLC diverted air from the engines to blow over the wing, increasing lift and reducing the aircraft's takeoff and landing distances.
The following year, Stroukoff modified a C-123B into the YC-123E, fitted with Stroukoff's own Pantobase landing gear system. The Pantobase system allowed the aircraft to land on any reasonably flat surface - land, water, or snow - and proved remarkably successful in testing.
YC-134
Following its successful trials, the YC-123E was further developed into the YC-134Stroukoff YC-134
-See also:...
. Designated MS-8-1 by the company, the YC-134 featured both boundary layer control and the Pantobase landing gear; in addition, the aircraft was fitted with more powerful engines, tailplane endplates, additional wheels for the main landing gear, and an improved fuel system.
Intended for Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
use, the YC-134's test flight program proved successful. However, its increase in performance over that of the C-123 was considered inadequate; in addition, there was simply no need for an additional piston-engined transport by that time, and the proposed production contract was cancelled. With the failure to gain any contracts for production of its designs, Stroukoff dissolved the company in 1959.