Fairchild (1) F-78 Packet
The Fairchild C-82 Packet was an early post-war military transport with a boxy fuselage suspended between two tail booms. Its rear clamshell doors allowed cargo to be loaded directly from the back, an arrangement that prefigured later tactical transports. Packets served during the Berlin Airlift and Korean War, but their limited power and maintenance issues led quickly to the better-known C-119. The layout remains distinctive because the fuselage looks almost like a cargo pod between two separate aircraft tails.
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Did you know?
The Fairchild C-82 Packet's boxy fuselage hangs between two tail booms, with rear clamshell doors for straight-in cargo loading.
Specifications
| Length | 23.4 m (77 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 32.5 m (106 ft) |
| Height | 8.4 m (27 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 34 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 24.4 t |
| Range | 1,550 NM (2,871 km) |
| Maximum speed | 200 kt (370 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 23,000 ft (7,010 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 19,000 ft (5,791 m) |
| Rate of climb | 950 ft/min (4.8 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 1,000 m (3,281 ft) |
| Landing distance | 570 m (1,870 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 9,800 l |
| Engines | 2x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-34 |
| Units built | 223 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Fairchild (1) F-78 Packet starts as a Legendary catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you. The first catch of a legendary type pays a bonus of its own.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Fairchild (1), the F-78 Packet family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
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