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Roman Nose


tinwhistle
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Had lunch today with a few members of my High School graduating class (class of 1963), and it turned out that there was four of us there that are Vietnam Veterans. As the conversation continues I discover that the guy next to me flew (navigator) on KC-135s, became a lifer and finished up in the Wisconsin Air Guard on C-130s. OK, no big deal, until he tells me he flew the last remaining "Roman Nose" 130 into retirement at the Smithsonian in DC. Actually, I guess it's on display just out side DC at Dulles airfield where Smithsonian keeps the BIG stuff. I didn't think top ask him if he remembered the tail number. I'll email him and see if he remembers. Thought this was quite a coincidence, what with the Herk anniversary. I did ask him how the old girl flew and he said she was a rough ride, rattled and shook all the way!!!!!!

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there were 27 herks built with a Roman nose.

53-3129 to 53-3135 and 54-1621-1640.

Some of these were later modified to the new radomes. I'll try to check the numbers.

BTW there 22 built with side opening nose gear doors 53-3129 to 3135 and 54-1621 to 1628

None are in Museums in the DC area that I know about.

Bob

I looked at my pics and from what I could see only 9 were left as Roman noses

53-3130, 3131, 3133, 3134, 54-1621, 1624, 1632, 1633, 1640

If any of these were modified would you let me know?

Thanks

Bob

BTW I found that 3 of the side opening door herks were modified to rear opening

53-3132 and 53-3135 for the Mexican AF and 54-1625 a gunship. Were any others modified?

Bob

Edited by bobdaley
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My friend/classmate tells me that the aircraft in question was assigned to the Air Guard Unit at Milwaukee and the tail # is 460. He is reasonably sure of that, although he admits that the aircraft pictured in the Smithsonian web site is an A model, clearly not a Roman Nose. He is looking for pictures and anything else to contribute to the conversation.

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I do remember seeing one there many years ago in storage near where UH was to be built. It was green with a radome. I think a buddy of mine took me on a tour of Dulles one weekend during his shift. I think there was a Connie down there too.

I haven't been down to UH at Dulles in a number of years. I thought it odd that the Herk wasn't on display.

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TW

57-0460 was with 304 TAS at Richards Gebaur then 63TAS at Selfridge, to SVAF and then back to 704 TAS at Ellington and then to 63TAS again at Selfridge and finally to 95TAS at Milwaukee then to Dulles in 1989. These were all AFRES units.

Bob

Thanks Bob

That all makes sense, since Steve would have retired very late 80s or early 90s. He is trying to round up some pictures and that will be interesting. Now all I have to do is figure out where Smithsonian hid the airplane!!!

While I have your attention: I've been looking for updated information on my old airplane, #877. Something that will place it where it is located now. I can't seem to find anything at all about it here on this site. Granted, I'm not real good with this computer stuff and I have no patience, so that info is probably right in front of me and I can't see it, but if you need that information I have a pretty complete history of that plane that was passed on to me from the folks at Peoria. Let me know.

Thanks....

TW aka Chris

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Most Roman Nose C-130A's were 1953 to 1954 A Models. We had a few at Willow Grove Air Reserve Station in Horsham,Penna from 1970 to 1976 where I was a Flt Engineer on the "Snub-Nose's". The USAF/USAFR/ANG/Navy training at that time was at Ellington AFB which also had "Snub-Noses".

EFLTatCCK

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Thanks Bob

While I have your attention: I've been looking for updated information on my old airplane, #877. Something that will place it where it is located now. I can't seem to find anything at all about it here on this site. Granted, I'm not real good with this computer stuff and I have no patience, so that info is probably right in front of me and I can't see it, but if you need that information I have a pretty complete history of that plane that was passed on to me from the folks at Peoria. Let me know.

Thanks....

TW aka Chris

Chris,

I have added 63-7877 c/n [cn]3948[/cn] to the database: http://www.c-130hercules.net/acftdb/LPNs/LPN.php?lpn=3948

If you have additional info, please send it to me and I will add it to the database.

--Casey

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In reference to Bob's photo of 57-0460, does anyone know what the purpose of the PVC piping going into #3 & 4 engine inlets? I assume they're also going into #1 & 2. There is also what looks like air conditioning plumbing is going into both AC packs and the paratroop door window.

I think this was discussed a few years ago on this forum, but I don't remember. Damn, I say that phrase a lot lately!

Thanks,

Don R.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 years later...

Hi, I am a new member whose dad flew the Herky for a good portion of his USAF career.  My dad passed on 6 Nov 2013 (in fact, yesterday would have been his 92nd birthday).

Among mementos he left behind were several pictures of him and others, standing outside the crew hatch of a C-130.  That airplane was Lockheed RC-130A Hercules 54-1632A.  In Dec 1957 he "signed for the keys" to that aircraft; and on 1 Jan 58, along with his crew, he flew it from the Lockheed-Georgia Division Plant in Marietta, GA, to its very first unit of assignment: the 1370th Photo Mapping Wing (1370 PMW) at Palm Beach AFB, FL.

Our family did not know--or at least, did not recall--dad's intimate association with that airplane.  After we found out, it made me very proud.  Once I found that 54-1632A still existed somewhere, I felt a weird obligation to visit.  And after telling the yard's owner the story of my father's "adventure" with 54-1632A, he was extremely gracious in permitting me to examine the plane closely, both inside and out.

I read a couple other threads regarding the "Roman nose," and how it looked.  So, I cropped two fairly decent pictures and I thought I would post them here.  (I included a shot of my father and his crew; he is on the left)  I am also including a link to my Flickr account, where you can see all the pictures I took on 18 Oct 2017 of 54-1632A as it rests today at the Western International Aviation, Inc., storage yard in Tucson, AZ.

Another good web site for more info about 54-1632A is http://www.1370th.org.  I wish somehow 54-1632A could find its way to a "proper" resting place, an aircraft museum.  I like to think it is an aircraft worthy of restoration, given its early Hercules lineage, as well as the mission of the 1370th:  "Photo Mapping the World"  https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/01/air-force-world-maps-cold-war/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/24351816@N06/albums/72157688329114064  (Disclaimer:  I am an AWFUL photographer.  :()

dadsplane1.jpg

dadsplane2.jpg

dadsplane3.jpg

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