Hamakimon Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Hello all, I am a new member and need some help getting information regarding the fuel system on C-130A models. I am a fuel cell mechanic and have worked C-130's for 13 years but the earliest models I have worked are B models. I would like to get an idea of the major changes done from A models as well as specifics of the original system. Any help is appreciated. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donwon Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Last I heard, which was over 40 years ago the A,s didn't have a bladder in the wing. I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrkaegi Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 External fuel tanks had to be service manally. No spr to the external tanks. 1-4 mains had SPR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T56MX Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 also some did not have the spr drain pump. had to drain in to 5gal bucket Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donwon Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I could very well be rong but I think the 2 pylons held 250 gallons each. My memory aint what it used to be and neither am I. The older I get, the better I was. I am thinking the 4 mains totaled 28,000 lbs and the pylons made a total of 32,000 lbs. I am thinking the full load gave it almost 9 hours flying time. If I am FOS please tell me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ang012 Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 (edited) In the early 80s we took our B model out to Richards-Gebaur AFB Missouri for some fuel tank work and our plane was parked next to a 'A' model with blabber tanks. It was the first A model I saw bladder tanks They would not let us up in the flight deck so I did not get to look at the way they were set up. The paratroop doors had big square windows and it was a us military plane. I think the external tanks on the A model holds 470 gals. Edited January 14, 2009 by ang012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Just talked to my old ACC and he thinks they were 400 something. Anyone know for sure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoney Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 In the 70's we put external tanks on 0024 and tested them. They held just over 300 gal. each. (about 3600 lbs total fuel.) They used DC pumps and fed fuel to the #2 & #3 tanks. You would go on crossfeed until the externals were empty. The book said approx 90 minutes of fuel. On our first flight from WPAFB to Hollaman AFB it took 89 minutes to empty them. Stoney Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 I heard that the extra fuel capacity added by the external tanks was just about offset by the additional drag induced----fact or fiction????? John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GVS Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Pylon tanks on the A models were full at 450 gallons and were serviced "over the wing".From memory and if fully serviced they added about 1.6 hrs.flying time and about 530 statute miles of range.Standard ramp load,at least at Evreux, was 28000 lbs.If more than 28000 was needed it was to be added "over the wing"to a maximum of I think 34000.Fuel load across the wing from tank 1,2,3 and 4 was 7200,6800, 6800 and 7200 lbs.The 400 lb. spread from outb'd to inb'd tanks was to be maintained as closely as possible throughout the flight.And as I recall there was a SPR drain pump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectre623 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 C-130A's originally had no external fuel tanks. Look at any early pictures. TCTO 1C-130A-111 had provisions for two 500 gallon fuel tanks in the cargo cmpt. All A's were not modded as the AF realized they took up to much space..duh? Later TCTO 1C-130A-778 is when the A got the two 450 gallon non-jettisonable pylon tanks. This info is from a Lockheed pub printed in 1991. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Looks like 450 is the answer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T56MX Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 450gal over wing cap. and having refuled s/n 54-1631 (N117TG) many times it did not have a SPR drain. We always drained the fuel in to a 5 gal bucket and would get 7-8 gal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Talon 1 F/E Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 The C-130A Type II's had over the wing Aux tanks that were serviced like the external tanks. Depending which tail number you were on the amount varied. They held about 250-265 gallons each. The amount for each acft was stenciled on top of the wing because the CG was so critical. I do remember that if you had to change nose tires you had to put sandbags in the flight deck to keep it from sitting on the tail when you jacked the nose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamakimon Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 I have been handpicked to go to Honduras to evaluate their one and only C-130A model. Apparently they have been flying the A/C without quantity and a few other problems. I have to evaluate the plane and provide them with an estimate of how much it will cost to fix it. The main problem I have right now is finding information on parts installed in "A" model wings, specifically quantity harnesses and probes. I imagine they won't be interchangeable with "H" models or newer. I am sure I will run into many more surprises the more I look into their tanks. Thanks for all the information you all have provided so far. I need to familiarize myself with the system as much as possible before I get there. All of your information will be helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayj Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 What I remember most about the "A" is , if you found two alike somebody screwed up. I think there are two or three different fuel systems. Ray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdaley Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Contact Fritz Wester at [email protected] He can fill you in on whatever you need. Here is a pic of the operational Honduras Herk. 3042 FAH 558. It had an overhaul in Chile not too long ago. Looks good from the paint job Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donwon Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 When I was in there was a fuel cap on the right rear of the pylons where we refueled them from a truck. We has to use the ladder we carried in the planes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonnyJ Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Check with Casey (Web Admin). He worked Balls 22, the last A model in the AF. He would be a great source of information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casey Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 It has been a while Sonny. I couldn't even remember how much fuel the externals held. We rarely used them. The best way to learn a system is to work it and unfortunately we had very few fuel problems. In fact, the plane rarley broke at all. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muff Millen Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Fuel: Fuel Capacity @ 5.6 lbs/gal 39,955 lbs Internal Tanks 5,250 gals External Tanks 900 gals Total Fuel Volume 6,150 gals I just got this info from a post by Dutch on the general forum Muff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoney Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 0022 did not have externals on it. I did 3 trips to Europe in the mid 70's from WPAFB with it. 0024 was the one we put the externals on. The test concluded that it was not worth the extra wt/v/climb time and total distance. Stoney Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casey Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 22 had externals when I was her Crew Chief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tristar Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 (edited) The pylon tanks held 320 gallons of fuel each and had to be the first thing emptied upon take off. There were no Aux tanks , that came with the B model The flt deck fuel panel was designed with 4 external tank to engine valve knobs for tanks like the E model has but the weight and drag prohibited their use so you had external tank to engine valves on the panel and in the wing and let me tell ya, if you turned one to external tank to engine, the internal tank valves closed and the engine flamed out,...had a real nice stay in Argentina with that one. An add on panel was placed at the rear of the overhead panels that controled the fuel pumps in the pylon tanks with lights that told when the pumps were on and when the tank was empty. The fuel was pumped into the crossfeed manifold and the FE just opened all the crossfeeds. Edited January 17, 2009 by tristar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoney Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 Casey, I stand corrected, but those came waaaaay after my time on 022. Stoney Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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