Roden 57 Fairchild C-123K/UC-123K 1:72

In the early 1960s, it finally became clear that the conflict would drag on indefinitely. Ongoing support for North Vietnam by the USSR and China, not only in the form of 'volunteers' but also with military equipment, had left the situation at a complete standstill. Matters were further complicated by the inability to effectively combat the proliferation of military equipment in the jungle, as the thick foliage impeded the effective conduct of aerial reconnaissance and the ability to attack the guerrillas directly from the air. Under these conditions, it was decided to apply heavy duty chemical poison, such as herbicides, to maximize the destruction of vegetation. Already in 1962, a special herbicide-based chemical reagent, called Agent Orange, was tested at a testing ground in the United States. The choice of aircraft for this mission was not difficult - the C-123 was ideally suited to this specific task. A 1,500-gallon tub was installed in the converted cargo compartment and other special equipment operated by an additional crew member. The poison was fed through the piping system not only under the wing as in the previous case, but also to the sprayer behind the fuselage, which increased the density of the spray of the deadly substance per unit area.

The new variant was designated the UC-123K, and in addition to special equipment, they also organised new procedures, since the poison spraying had to occur from a minimum height directly above the tree tops. In these circumstances, even shots from conventional small arms could be dangerous to the aircraft, and so training the crew was essential. Twenty-five C-123K aircraft were converted to a similar standard, creating a special aviation unit. In the following years, they would conduct thousands of dangerous missions, dropping countless tonnes of poison over the surface of Vietnam. Named Operation Ranch Hand, this work was subsequently practised by the military with increasing volume. In 1968, the success of the UC-123K's activities was so significant that the military command even gave it priority over other aviation activities during the conflict. In total, about 1,250 pilots and specialists were involved in the operation, and only 5 of the 25 aircraft were lost during missions. The total hits inflicted on the UC-123K from the ground exceeded 7,000, and one of the planes, which had its own name, Patches, received more than 500 of them just by itself, but survived the conflict and is currently on display at one of the US aviation museums. At the end of the operation, about 15 aircraft, which were considered fit for further use, were converted back to the C-123K standard, by removing all special equipment and carrying out complete disinfection.