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info from picture taken at Dobbins


loadsmith
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I was looking at some pics today on the web and came across some of the test bed bird that was at Dobbins in the 80s--N130X--in one of the pictures there is a C-130 parked next to it and it seems to have the HF antenna that is presently on the J models. My eyes may be deceiving me but I didn\'t think that this was something that was around in 1985. Just curious. Oh and lastly I did not take the picture, the good man\'s name is posted on the bottom left.

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Lockheed/Lockheed%20L-100-20/HTTB%20Hercules%20(L-382E)/0199863/L/&width=1024&height=659&sok=&photo_nr=3&prev_id=0764729&next_id=NEXTID

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High Technology Test Bed. They took things they\'d learned during the Credible Sport program and applied them to this beast. Among other things, it was a super STOL type aircraft.

It was later modified with a fly-by-wire system.

It crashed in the early \'90s while trying to evaluate Vmcg (anyone remember adding 25kts to charted Vmcg? - this test was to find real Vmcg). From what I remember, there was a flaw in the fly-by-wire software that streamlined the rudder when you got to full rudder travel...you can imagine how that ended up. I believe the accident investigation is available somewhere...don\'t have it handy myself.

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I must agree with Railrunner130 on the looks. The lower profile does match up with the contour better than the standard. For a few test flights, there was a B-1 (APQ-164) radar antenna under the nose of the HTTB.

However, designers don\'t often have the luxury of creating the shape of the nose radomes for looks; it\'s the wierd stuff that gets mounted up front that has to be covered up by the radome (like junk in the trunk). The DC-130E/H drone launchers; conventional Fulton (Skyhooks) like the MC-130P; the MC-130E Skyhooks; and (yuk) the MC-130H noses are all, how should we say, UGLY!!!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I remember adding 15kts to VMCG, but not 25.

The investigation findings really slammed Lockheed for conducting flight test without putting trained flight test crew members on the plane. The main blame was centered on the pilot\'s rudder inputs, if I remember the report correctly.

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For Mongo----the \"uglyness\" of the Talon 1 Skyhook nose was a \"beautiful\" thing.

I used to have a placard on my desk (extracted from some magazine) that said \"JOIN THE TEAM---GET UGLY\". I think it came from an advertisement for some product named UGLY, but now I can\'t remember what it was. However, when the Talon 2 (Opus) nose was unveiled, I thought \"this is taking ugliness to an extreme, beyond the point of being acceptable\".....

As for the HTTB accident, (as I recall) the planned test was for a high-speed taxi only, but when the aircraft veered off the runway, the crew made an incorrect assumption that it would be safer to lift off rather than try to stop the aircraft in the grass. Many years ago I read a report with more info, but there is a little info atthe link below:

http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19930203-1

John

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I am glad that my original post brought up some good discussion about the HTTB. However, my original question was that of the aircraft parked next to the HTTB.....it has a N# registration and it looks like it has the HF antenna just like the current day J model....the original picture is from 1985 and I was wondering if this was actually in the works in the mid 80s. Thanks

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Ok Loadsmith here is your answer.That black fairing at the base of the vert fin in the picture is the HF ant. This change along with others I will list below were incorporated on Lockheed ship serial number 5000 which I helped build in early 1985.Listed below were other major changes made from ship 5000 onward.

HF long wires deleted. 1. HF Ant located in base of vert fin. All vert fin leading edges from then on would not fit eailer 130\'s. 2.Self contained flushable tolet. 3. Dual large FAA approved side escape hatches. 4. Dual I.N.S. 5. Dual aircraft batteries. 6. 4 pitot tubes (Rosemont sys I think) 7.Color radar. Hope this helps. Bill:blink:

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Bill,

Are you sure about your LAC#? The photos of LAC# 5000 on airliners.net show it as an L-100-30 belonging to Libyan Air Cargo & registered 5A-DOO; as does Lars Olausson\'s book. It doesn\'t have the flush-mounted HF antenna nor the Rosemount pitot system.

Don R.

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Don R., I looked on the site you refed. It is a white L-100-30, and the info shows it is cn 5000. It has an engine missing and a tail stand under it right? Yes it now has the long wire HF ant installed but if you go to a large magnification (Hold Ctrl down and roll your mouse button) you will see the base of the vert fin and it appears the composite HF ant is painted over. Also note that the acft has the large FAA side escape hatch installed.If it had the large escape hatch it should have the composite HF ant.Hey it\'s been 23 years ha ha dead brain cells duh... Bill:)

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