Phantom 4 Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Hallo, i am a new member here in this forum.i live in the area of Ramstein AB. My question is : A lot of herkys there have grey noses an some black noses.And others receive black noses(former grey).Why have these Herkys different Colors (Noses). Hope someone can give me answers. Sorry for my not so good english. Phantom4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wysongj Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 As I understand it, Radomes (noses) come from the manufacturer black. They are usually painted grey as soon as possible, but sometimes the mission is more important than a trip to the paint barn. Any aircraft that you see that have a back nose have had a radome change recently. Sometimes they fly with the black for a long time, waiting for a phase inspection to paint it grey. I personally like the black nose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skip Davenport Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 The noses were not painted and thus black on the STAR capable Talons so they could be waxed B4 a STAR to allow for the liftline to slide more easily into the Skyanchor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 When C-130s were being painted "European 1", many Hercs were getting a "fog coat" of the skin paint color. Later they changed to gray, and many Hercs still got a "fog coat" of the skin paint color. The original black comes from a concentration of graphite mixed in with the paint to provide an anti-static coating. It is required that nose radomes have an anti-static coating. The "fog coating" might not be so bad if it could be controlled, but the color coating can begin to wear in spots, and all good crew chiefs have a tendency to do touch-ups to keep their airplanes looking good. There are some radars that are sensitive to paint thickness. If there are inconsistencies in the thickness of the paint within the radar beam, there can be radar inaccuracies. All airplanes equipped with radars or other sensors under the radome that are required to provide accurate radio frequency signals should not have the extra color coatings applied. 'Nuff said.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinyclark Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 All I'm going to say is that the black coating is a urethane rain erosion coating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 All I'm going to say is that the black coating is a urethane rain erosion coating. Well, not always...in fact, some airplanes have an anti-static black epoxy coating on the nose radome. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinyclark Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 (edited) Well, not always...in fact, some airplanes have an anti-static black epoxy coating on the nose radome. John Sorry, my bad. 1C-130A-23- Any anti-static and rain-erosion coating on radomes and antennas shall be performed per TO 1-1-24. MIL-C-83231, Type II, Class A or B coating shall be used. Mil-C-83231A, superseded by SAE-AMS-C-83231; Class B, Polyurethane prepolymers which are dependent on moisture of high relative humidity for curing. Type I- Rain erosion resistant coating. Type II- Antistatic rain erosion reslstant coatIng. The class B, type II coating kit shall consist of all the components required for the class B, type I kit plus the antistatic polyurethane vehicle and the catalyst when applicable. Edited January 23, 2009 by tinyclark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 A few decades back, studies were done on the STAR (Surface-To-Air-Recovery), also known as Fulton Recovery systems. One of the problem areas was how the poly types of radome coatings would peel and burn away under the friction of the liftline as it was sliding across the radome surface during an intercept. When a radome anti-static poly finish gets partially peeled, the corrective action is to strip the entire radome and recoat. Resulting from those studies, the MC-130E noses (both the Skyhook and the Standard nose, for commonality) were specified to be coated with the Anti-static black epoxy. The epoxy coating met (still meets) the requirements for rain errosion, transmissivity, surface resistance, and more importantly, radar requirements; and was much more durable for the STAR pickups. No more STAR, no more requirement; but the cost to change drawings, processs specifications, and test documents is significant enough to make it more feasible to leave it as it is..... "IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinyclark Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Yea, and I'm sure it's in writing somewhere, in someone's desk, but he died 20 years ago. Good idea to use epoxy, but back then, they may not have had the two part poly type they use today. But, I don't think our German friend was talking about Talons. They keep getting old E's in to replace the AWADS birds at Ramstein, and they are coming in with both color radomes. The gray radomes have a mist coat over the poly coating is all. Wiedersehen, Phantom. Bitte Ein Bit!! And if it ain't broke, keep fixin' it 'til it is broke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom 4 Posted January 25, 2009 Author Share Posted January 25, 2009 Hello tiny clark,Talon OneTF,Skip Davenport,wysongj...... thank you very much for your helpful answers. Now i can understand some things clearer. And tiny clark! When you come to Ramstein AFB,a Bit Beer is cold for you. Let me now. Greetings from germany Phantom 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinyclark Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Phantom, I was at Ramstein for 6 years, 2001-2007, Rhein Main for 4 years, 1977-1981, and Spangdahlem for 4 years, 1969-1973. I Love Germany, but I don't think I will ever fly that far on an airplane again. Prost!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC10FE Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Phantom, I was at Ramstein for 6 years, 2001-2007, Rhein Main for 4 years, 1977-1981, and Spangdahlem for 4 years, 1969-1973. I Love Germany, but I don't think I will ever fly that far on an airplane again. Prost!! Tiny, If you check my bio, you'll see that we were at R/M at the same time. Did you ever get out to the American Legion in Waldorf? I practically lived there & at the Rod & Gun Club -- when I wasn't TDY somewhere. Check out this photo at Airliners.net & you'll see that there's not much left of the old air base. http://www.airliners.net/photo/-/-/1312000/L/ The only thing still recognizable is the hotel! Very sad. Bis Spater, Don R. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC10FE Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Sorry, Phantom4. I guess a sort of hijacked your thread. Don R. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinyclark Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 (edited) Tiny, If you check my bio, you'll see that we were at R/M at the same time. Did you ever get out to the American Legion in Waldorf? I practically lived there & at the Rod & Gun Club -- when I wasn't TDY somewhere. Bis Spater, Don R. Just updated my bio as well. Never went out to the Legion, but went to the R&G Club quite a few times. Couldn't beat the $2.95 for a dozen escargot and the cheap beer. There was a guy there that used to perform Cat Stevens' songs, he was pretty good, or maybe that was the beer. Edited January 26, 2009 by tinyclark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Beesmer Posted October 6, 2023 Share Posted October 6, 2023 rrbeesmer@yahoo.com The original material used on C-130E aircraft nose radomes was an elastomeric two-part (base coat and catalyzing agent) chemically cured rubberized spray or brush-on rain erosion coating system . This type of coating system provided superior surface erosion protection from organic and precipitate impingement for the nose and "top hat" radomes on the E-models I worked on back in the mid 70's at Pope AFB, NC; where I was an Aircraft Structural Repair Technician. We had 55 C-130E models assigned at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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