Chase Aircraft Co., Trenton, NJ, formed 1943 to build assault gliders. In 1946 began building 2 all-metal XCG-18A gliders. These led to 5 YC-18As, 1 of which was converted into YC-122 with 2 R-2000 engines. Two YC-122As were followed by a 122B with Cyclone engines, and 9 similar YC-122Cs. Meanwhile much bigger XG-20 glider was fitted with R-2800 Double Wasps to become XC-123 Avitruc. A second was fitted with 2 B-36-type twin-jet pods to become USA’s first jet transport (21 April 1951). USAF placed contract for 300 C-123B providers, passed to Kaiser-Frazer after K-F acquired majority interest in Chase 1953. Chase built first 5 C-123Bs at Willow Run, Detroit, but K-F ran into difficulties, contract was switched to Fairchild and Chase ended operations.