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Speed limit landing light for C130H


apexlined
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As for specific aircraft, I have no answer. However, there are at least two different types of landing light assemblies. One of them is the "High-speed" landing lights that permit their use up to 250 knots. I suspect that those Herks with the higher limit have those particular light assemblies.

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Steve 1300 is correect. It's a different light assembly. The 250 knot lights started with the '88 H2's. When parts weren't available you had an entry to limit the particular landing light to 165 knots in the forms.

apexlined, there are changes like this through the H2 production. It seemed every two years of production something was different. Not all H2's have the Rosemont pitot system. The engineers had to carry both sets of charts in case we flew on another units birds.

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Geez, another really smart move by the air force ---landing lites with two different airspeed limitations. Am trying to understand why the requirement is different depending on whether it's a 62, 74 or an 08. Seems to me that when the 250 kias lite became available the IPB would say use the 165 kias lite until exhausted and note same the 781. If I'm the Production Super., AMU chief, or AGS chief, rest assured all my acft. would have the 250 kias lites. I know the usable on code will perhaps not allow the req. to process but there are ways around this. When the 165 lite is returned to overhaul is it modified to the 250 configuration? Bottom line, is it a big deal if the placard is exceeded on the 165 lite? Not like, for example, gear extended limitation.

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In the interest of preventing mid-airs, I believe; the FAA mandated illumination of landing lights when operating below 10,000 feet altitude. Flying airspeed limit is also generally 250 knots below 10,000 feet as I recall. Speed limit on the original lights extended was 165 or168 knots.

Bob: must be confusing with another airplane type.

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You're right on the airspeed limit, but the FAA doesn't mandate the lights on below 10,000'. The wording from 4-3-23, sub paragraph c. of the AIM is: "Pilots are futher encouraged to turn on their landing lights when operating below 10,000 feet, day or night, especially when operating within 10 miles of any airport, or in conditions of reduced visibility and in areas where flocks of birds may be expected, i.e., coastal areas, lake areas, around refuse dumps, etc."

Yeah, I just happened to have the FAR/AIM open in front of me when I saw the post. I am a geek.

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Bob - must be another airplane.

One thing you might be thinking about is the air deflectors on the Herk. Must slow down to 150 IAS to open air deflectors when opening the paratroop doors, but once the paratroop doors are open you can close the air deflectors and accelerate to 250 IAS

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One of the mods that came with the 250 kt landing lights was the dual mode operation. With the master power switch ON, you have IR landing lights. To get normal landing lights, you actually have to turn them ON on the CPs panel (above hyd switches/gauges). The easiest way to remember if they were 250 kt lights was if they had the master power landing light switch on the CP's side shelf. It's been awhile since I've flown an E without them as most E model and new C-130s have been converted.

The paratroop air deflectors have a max speed of 150 like the doors. The paratroop doors, once opened and locked/pinned, have a limit of 250 kts.

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I heard, but never cared to look into it deeper, that the difference had to do with two different factors: the slower lights had a plastic gear on the motor which, if activated while the aircraft was going faster than 170 could jam or break, therefore it was not so much that the lights couldn't take the high speed, rather it was the gear on the motor and the speed. As long as you didn't try to retract them or extend them you would supposedly not have a problem. Having said that, 10,000 hours on herks (a lot of B and E time) and I never had a landing light break. When I flew 141's they were 250 always

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  • 4 weeks later...

hi,new member here.just want to reconfirm with what polcat mentioned.If there is no master power landing light switch on the CP's side shelf,meaning the landing light speed limit is 165 kts. I just want to share here that i've experienced the landing lights broke once before this and the best thing is we not even exceed the speed more than 200 kts. I guess you have a good point there.

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  • 2 months later...

Dave,

Do you know what was involved in the wing tip taxi light wiring mod?

I was under the impression that the wing tip taxi light cb was pulled inflight to prevent an electrical current interfering with the compass flux valves.

We have removed our flux valves, and are now allowing use of the wing tip taxi lights inflight, but I would be interested to know if there were other issues that required the wing tip taxi cb to be pulled.

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The gears that extend/retract the lights in the OLD (168kias) lights were made from nylon and will/have/do strip when used at higher speeds (once extended you could go faster but that was not written....

The NEW lights have brass grears and can be extended/retracted up to 250...

You cant tell which light is installed by looking so change the KIAS back to 168.... we tried to use the ADB (logbook) to track but that was TOO hard....

There is/was a parts kit developed to replace the gear if it failed but it was always faster to get a new light assy. We would order a light and parts kit so we would have a kit in the shop....

The wingtip lights look COOL!!!

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KiwiFE, the mod was done years ago (I started flying in '82 and before then) and the fix was shielded wire and the shielding grounded IIRC. The USAF kept insisting there may be a bird overlooked on the mod. Finally common sense prevailed.

Are you with 40 Squadron? I was with the WVANG 130th AG/AW at Charleston,WV. There was time if 40 Squadron was in CONUS they ended up at our base. Lots of Steinlager was consumed and Strohs sent "down south". Good times.

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