Speed of C-130 at takeoff

[Jpinera]

I have been looking for the average speed a C-130 needs to be going for take off. I see lots of information on how it can take off and land on short fields but cant find how fast it needs to be going to liftoff. I dont need to be exact just a general range. I am writing a piece of fiction and there is a scene where a C-130 is taking off and speed is part of the story. I just dont want to put something in there that is obviously wrong.

Thanks

Julio

[NATOPS1]

I am writing a piece of fiction and there is a scene where a C-130 is taking off and speed is part of the story.

Post the context of your scene and we can give you something that will be factual. There are too many variables to give you a number that would be accurate.

[bobdaley]

Lots of variation based on weight, but the slowest I've seen was under 80 knot rotate in Morrocco when an infamous 36th TAS Nav made the take off and tried to take out the GCA shack. Way too close !!! Some Stupid IP let the Flight Surgeon make the landing and he did a good job, so the Nav wanted his turn. Same trip Dale Smith our IFE beat the CP on every landing. Of course this was 1971 and fun was still part of the program. We also took pride in being able to step in and help anyone else at their position.

Bob

[Skip Davenport]

Lots of variation based on weight, but the slowest I've seen was under 80 knot rotate in Morrocco when an infamous 36th TAS Nav made the take off and tried to take out the GCA shack. Way too close !!! Some Stupid IP let the Flight Surgeon make the landing and he did a good job, so the Nav wanted his turn. Same trip Dale Smith our IFE beat the CP on every landing. Of course this was 1971 and fun was still part of the program. We also took pride in being able to step in and help anyone else at their position.

Bob

Bob when I was a CP in the 776TAS we had a FE that was a riffed Capt (T-38 IP) and a LM that was a civilian T-41 contract instructor -- the both made very good landings :)

[bobdaley]

Skip

Some names from that trip, you'd know. Dennis "Pewky" Minder CP, Bob "Terminal" Topel visiting Nav from the 36th. Donny Hughes FS. Dale Smith IFE and a great pilot. Donnie and Dale had civilian Flight time. Tom Hoffman ILM, can't seem to remember the IP's name.

Bob

[Jpinera]

Post the context of your scene and we can give you something that will be factual. There are too many variables to give you a number that would be accurate.

The plane does not have a payload. Only a skeleton crew and the conditions are normal (low wind etc.). Is that enough? I currently have it talking off at 200 mph but that is a wild guess.

Thanks for any information you can give.

[gizzard]

That oughta do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dunno how you would keep it on the ground in that configuration and I guess you are talkin' airspeed....See you, front end guys, loadies knew a little bit about what when on up in your green house!!LOL

giz

[US Herk]

The plane does not have a payload. Only a skeleton crew and the conditions are normal (low wind etc.). Is that enough? I currently have it talking off at 200 mph but that is a wild guess.

Thanks for any information you can give.

Again, what's the context? That's the conditions. Are they in a hurry, being chased/shot at? - is it a suspenseful part? Or is a leisurely takeoff, re-positioning the plane for a future mission? You could get off the ground at very low speed max-performing the plane in a time-critical or runway-restricted manner, or you could take off at a normal speed on a normal runway with no hurry.

200mph is way, way too high...that's a cruise speed

[herky130fe]

Here are some numbers from a chart

I have.

gross weight

80K vto 82knts

110 vto 96

155 vto 155

[Dave in WV]

The plane does not have a payload. Only a skeleton crew and the conditions are normal (low wind etc.). Is that enough? I currently have it talking off at 200 mph but that is a wild guess.

Thanks for any information you can give.

IIRC nose gear max tire rotation speed is 165 KIAS.

[Jpinera]

Again, what's the context? That's the conditions. Are they in a hurry, being chased/shot at? - is it a suspenseful part? Or is a leisurely takeoff, re-positioning the plane for a future mission? You could get off the ground at very low speed max-performing the plane in a time-critical or runway-restricted manner, or you could take off at a normal speed on a normal runway with no hurry.

200mph is way, way too high...that's a cruise speed

Sorry, now I get your meaning on context. Yes they are being chased. They are trying to make a quick getaway and a convoy of cars approach them block the main runway. They turn off this main runway and start heading to an alternate runway but one that is much shorter and normally would not be long enough for thier normal take off. So they must hit this shorter runway at fairly high speed so they can have enough room to liftoff. This is totally contrived but can make for an exciting (though perhaps not very realistic) scene. Still this is fiction...

I think any reasonable range of the speed for take off would be fine for my purposes.

Thanks, you guys are the best!

[SamMcGowan]

I have been looking for the average speed a C-130 needs to be going for take off. I see lots of information on how it can take off and land on short fields but cant find how fast it needs to be going to liftoff. I dont need to be exact just a general range. I am writing a piece of fiction and there is a scene where a C-130 is taking off and speed is part of the story. I just dont want to put something in there that is obviously wrong.

Thanks

Julio

There is no "average" speed. In all transport category airplanes, V1 and Vr are based on V2, takeoff safety speed, which changes with gross weight and is affected by temperature and altitude. Having written a novel about C-130s and three non-fiction books about them, I can tell you that you shouldn't even attempt to try to use specifics.