Belgian Air Force Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar CP-46 code OT-CEH, formerly 53-8151, at the Brussels Air Museum on 11 March 2025.
The C-119 followed on from the C-82 Packet built by Fairchild between 1945 and 1948. The C-119 made its first flight in 1947 and by 1955, when production ended, 1,184 had been built. The USAF used the C-119 as a transport and as a gunship during the Korean and Vietnam wars.
The first batch of 18 C-119Fs (serials CP-1 to CP-18) for the Belgium Air Force were delivered between 1952 and 1956. A second batch of 38 C-119Gs (serials CP-9 to CP-46) were delivered from 1953 to 1958. The Flying Boxcar continued in service with the Belgium Air Force until their eventual retirement in 1972.
The example on display (CP-46 'OT-CEH') was built by Kaiser, a Fairchild subcontractor, and was the last Belgian aircraft to be delivered. It ended its service with 20 Squadron of the 15th Wing at Brussels-Melsbroek. Many of the remaining fleet weren't quite so lucky and were scrapped at Koksijde during 1973.
