Dutch Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 (edited) C-130A Data Aircraft Role: Multirole Airlift Transport Manufacturer: Lockheed Nickname: Hercules Description: High Wing, Medium range transport Time Line: January, 1951 – The USAF Tactical Air Command develops requirements for the new tactical transport; conceptual studies initiated. February 2, 1951 – The USAF Material Command issues Request for Proposals (RFP) to Boeing, Douglas, Fairchild and Lockheed April, 1951 - Preliminary designs submitted by Lockheed to the Air Force. July, 2 1951 - Lockheed named winner of the competition, awarded contract for two YC-130A prototype aircraft. August, 1951 – Work started at Burbank on the prototypes. September 19, 1952 – The Air Force issues letter contract to Lockheed for seven C-130A aircraft. September 22, 1952 – First Georgia Company engineering personnel transferred to Lockheed-California to work on the C-130A September 3, 1953 – Full scale mockup arrives at Marietta, Ga. after trip by ship from Los Angeles via the Panama Canal to Savannah, Ga. April 21, 1954 – Definitive contract issued by the USAF for 20 C-130A’s August 23, 1954 – YC-130A LAC No. 1002, Serial No. 53-3397 makes first flight from Burbank, CA to Edwards AFB, CA 61 minutes. September 15, 1954 – Air Force Issues letter contract for 48 C-130A’s January 12, 1955 – Static test program started with LAC No. 3002, Serial No. 53-3130. March 10, 1955 – First production C-130A LAC No. 3001, Serial No. 53-3129 (First Lady) rolls out at Marietta, GA. April 7, 1955 - First production C-130A LAC No. 3001, Serial No. 53-3129 makes first flight at Marietta, GA. April 14, 1955 – On third flight of first production C-130A LAC No. 3001, Serial No. 53-3129, fire erupts on left wing after plane touches down at Dobbins AFB, GA. August 10, 1955 – The Air Force issues letter of contract to Lockheed for 84 C-130A’s. November 26, 1955 – First flight of C-130A equipped with Aeroproducts propellers accomplished on LAC No. 3006, Serial No. 53-3134. January 6, 1956 – C-130A LAC No. 3005, Serial No. 53-3133 delivered to USAF and flown to Eglin AFB, FL, for Phase V, flight testing. February 6, 1956 – First flight of First production C-130A LAC No. 3001, Serial No. 53-3129 following fire. July 6, 1956 – Flight testing completed of Aeroproducts propellers on LAC No. 3006, Serial No. 53-3134 July 28, 1956 – C-130A LAC No. 3003, Serial No. 53-3131 delivered to Edwards AFB, CA, for Phase IV testing. October 25 1956 – C-130A LAC No. 3005, Serial No. 53-3133 delivered to Tactical Air Command (TAC) at Dayton, OH (First USAF fleet delivery) November 8, 1956 – Simulated Tactical Air Command (TAC) mission of 2026 miles flown utilizing LAC No. 3011, Serial No. 54-1624, Duration of 7:08 hours. December 9, 1956 – First C-130A’s delivered to Tactical Air Command (TAC) operational squadron at Ardmore AFB, OK (463rd Tactical Airlift Wing) First aircraft was LAC no. 3050, Serial No. 55-0023. September 6, 1957 – First C-130A’s arrive at Evreux-Fauville AB, France. Deliveries: First delivery in 1956 Last delivery in 1959 Crew: 5, Pilot, Copilot, Navigator, Engineer and Loadmaster. Speeds: Cruise 328 mph Max 384 mph Base rate of climb: 2,570 ft/min Ceiling: 41,300 ft Range: 2,090 miles Configuration for Personnel: 92 Seating, 64 Paratroops or 74 Litters Weights: Maximum Weight 124,200 lbs Maximum Landing Weight-5 fps 124,200 lbs Maximum Landing Weight-9 fps 96,000 lbs Gross Weight 108,000 lbs Empty Weight 59,328 lbs Operating Weight 61,842 lbs Maximum Payload 40,000 lbs 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 Power Plant: Engine Model: T-56A-9 or -11 Takeoff Power 3,750 equivalent shaft horse power Number of propeller blades 3 Propeller Diameter 15.0 ft Outboard Propeller Ground Clearance 68.0 in Inboard Propeller Ground Clearance 60.6 in Inboard Propeller to Fuselage Clearance 28.8 in Wing: Span 132 ft 7 in Area 1,745 sq ft Loading 71.2 lb per sq ft Aspect Ratio 10.09 Dihedral 2 deg 30 minutes Tip Radius 85.0 ft Wing Airfoil sections: Root NACA 64A318 TIP NACA 64A412 Dimensions: Cargo Compartment Floor Length 41.0 ft Cargo Compartment Width 120.0 in Cargo Compartment Height 108.0 in Cargo Compartment Floor Area 533.0 sq ft Cargo Compartment usable Volume 4,500 cu ft Nose Gear Turning Radius 37.0 ft Wheel Base 32.1 ft Main Gear Tire Size 20:00-20 Nose Gear Tire Size 12:50-16 Length of aircraft 97 ft 9 in Height of aircraft 38 ft 3 in Exterior width of fuselage 14 ft 3 in Exterior height of fuselage 15 ft Width of the Horizontal Stabilizer 52 ft 8 in Notes: Operating Weight includes external tanks. External tanks are optional Cargo compartment floor areas and volumes include ramp space. C-130A Orders / Deliveries USAF 219 / 219 RAAF 12 / 12 Total 231 / 231 Edited February 8, 2009 by Dutch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 April 14, 1955, smoke erupts on left wing after touchdown.....did it say who was on the crew???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casey Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Leo Sullivan, Pilot Art Hansen, Copilot Bob Brennen, Engineer Also on board: Ed Shockley, Lockheeds lead test engineer Carroll Fruth, FE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WxFE Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 What happened to the YC-130A's? Were they converted to regular C-130A's? I ask this because I never reallized 53-3129 wasn't the very first C-130, period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdaley Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 53-3396 1001 was scrapped at Robins in 1960 53-3397 1002 was used for engine testys at Allison in Indianapolis and scrapped at Indy in 1962. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectre623 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 (edited) Casey, I have a couple of pics of 129 burning and after the fire was put out that I will e mail you. Post them if you want. Also have a pic of Leo Sullivan 3 days before the fire ,that he autographed after I had lunch with him and gave him a tour of 54-1623 at Dobbins not to long before he passed away. He was in his 80s and he talked about flying the first Herk and the fire as though it was yesterday. What a guy. Bill Edited January 15, 2009 by Spectre623 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC10FE Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I used to fly with a Herc captain in Angola. He was a retired USAF LtCol & ex-Southern Air Transport captain and older than dirt He told me he flew one of the first 2 production models, either 1001 or 1002. He said it was completely different from the later A-models, so much so that the throttles were on the overhead panel like a Caribou, among other differences. Don R. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WxFE Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 What was the purpose of the pole next to the cockpit steps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donwon Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 If it had a jar on the bottom of it, it was called a Pogo stick. It was used to drain water out of the fuel tanks. The condensation would settle at the bottom of the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tristar Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 The pole from the flt deck to the crew door was an emergency exit tool to exit the flight deck in a hurry when on the ground during emergencies but most of us just used it as a quick way out of the flt deck to the cargo compt,. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WxFE Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Thanks Tri-Star. That's the only thing I could figure. Donwon, we had pogo sticks on the E's I flew on, so I was familiar with them. I can see the pole I was talking about in a black and white sketch done from the cargo compartment looking up into the cockpit. You might be familiar with it. It was called "The Front Office" and was done by John Dioszegi in 1980. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EClark Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 (edited) If I remember right we pogo'ed every tank on pre-flight and most of the time you would find some water. I think sometime they would bring sample bottles to take the drained fuel. A old crewchief told me that if you would take a little oil and put it on the end of probe it would help protect the seal on the drain when they start leaking your plane was going the fuel cell Edited January 18, 2009 by EClark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Spectre623 sent these scans from the book Herk Hero of The Skies. [ATTACH]32[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]31[/ATTACH] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectre623 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 (edited) Thanks Casey, for posting the pics of 129's wing burning and of Leo Sullivan I sent you. He and 129 were amazing. For you Herk freaks who haven't read it, "Herk, Hero of the Skies" is a "must read". The book was written by Joseph E. Dabney, Lockheed's Public Affairs guy for about 30 years. It has a lot of insight to the good and bad times of the Herk. Made a trip to Willow Run, Mich. in July 1985 with Joe to the Yankee Air Force Hanger for a celebration of the 30th anniversity of the Herk. At that time we had the newest 130 ,(84-0205) and Duke field sent one of their older ones. 129 was not able to come for some reason. Needless to say it was a huge party!!! A retired 2 star met us on the plane and gave us several 6 packs and 3 sets of keys to new Linclon Towncars. I can't stand Wild Turkey to this day. Some welcome!! Bill Edited January 23, 2009 by Spectre623 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wombat Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 The T-56-A-11 series engines are 4050 eshp, the same as the -7 series. They use a -7 gearbox instead of a -9 unit so turns the prop at 1020 rpm instead of 1016 as on the -9. The power section is an Allison 501D13 unit specially ordered for the RAAF to run kerosine fuel not JP-4. The -11 is different enough to the -9 that it uses Allison manuals (11R1,2,3,4) instead of US Tech Orders for overhaul . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wombat Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 The pole is also know as a bail out rail. It has a hand stop at the bottom attachment so your hand doesn't get wedged if you had to use it for airborne bail out. You were supposed to pull the crew door jettison and slide down the pole and miss #2 prop on the way past. Now you just jettison the door, squat at the opening and roll forward and out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC10FE Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Does anyone know of someone (successfully or unsuccessfully) bailing out of the crew entrance door? I don't. Don R. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donwon Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 The only person I remember leaving the A/C in flight from Fwd. of the engines was Gary Back when the Fwd cargo door came open in flight. He made it all the way to the ground where he expired. That was on a Sewart Bird that had gone to Pope. Spector (Bill) should remember this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I was a Crew Chief on an A model and I can't imagine jumping out that crew door with the Eng still running Cliff 56 543 Naha 67,68 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Cliff, I should know you. 543 was a 21st bird. I was Crew Chief on 56-0533 '67-'68. I was also the assistant under Bob Ramierez on 56-0489 in early '67. Sonny Cook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RZHill Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I remember 56-489 well, crewed her in 65 when she came up to lockborne from Sewart. Planned to take her to Everux but she developed a leading edge fuel leak in #2 tank. Took 56-513 and stayd with her untill I went to FM school in late 65. RZ HIll Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Sonny I would think so too., I got to Naha July 67 and went to work in the Phase docks . I was on the 2nd shift and then came out of the docks and was the Assistant on 56 543 under Rick Wockles, When he left I took over as Crew Chief. till the bird went back to the states in Feb of 69 Oh and yes that was a 2ist bird. Cliff Ward Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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