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Article: C-130 News: Edwards Testers Try New Tricks with Old Airdrop System


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The 418th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards AFB, Calif., is putting the new High Speed Container Delivery System through the wringers. HSCDS, an evolution of the proven Container Delivery System airdrop method, would allow for the aerial delivery of supplies from C-130Js at lower altitudes and higher airspeeds, said Edwards officials in an Aug. 1 release. Initial developmental testing began in June and is expected to wrap up in late August. The testing includes increasing airdrop airspeed from 140 knots to 245 knots, reducing drop altitude to 250 feet above the ground, and using a parachute to extract up to eight 2,000-pound supply containers that have traditionally been gravity-dropped with the CDS, said Chris Webber, 418th FLTS airdrop testing lead engineer. HSCDS has the promise of being a more accurate delivery method and will also be safer for aircrews since they won't have to fly slower during the airdrop, which makes them more vulnerable to anti-aircraft threats, states the release.

Read Related Story at Edwards.AF.Mil

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245 knots??? I didn't know you could open the ramp and door at that speed.................. least not that I can remember. Have to have a hell of a strong extraction chute, too, I would think, to keep from blowin' apart at that speed. Certainly reefed if nothing else. Can you image doin' a CDS at that speed and altitude??? I always liked the drops the best, especially LAPES, so I hope we hear more on this.. WAYYYYY COOL!!!!!!!

Giz

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245 knots??? I didn't know you could open the ramp and door at that speed.................. least not that I can remember. Have to have a hell of a strong extraction chute, too, I would think, to keep from blowin' apart at that speed. Certainly reefed if nothing else. Can you image doin' a CDS at that speed and altitude??? I always liked the drops the best, especially LAPES, so I hope we hear more on this.. WAYYYYY COOL!!!!!!!

Giz

I conducted a test at the old USAF Airlift Center (USAFALCENT) back in '79 or '80 to drop CDS from 250 feet using what was called the vent pull-down parachute system. The bundles would exit and the chute would pop immediately. However, according to the data we collected (velocity at load impact), the loads wouldn't have survived. MAC wouldn't provide funding to try some "real" cargo to determine if the system would work, and the Army wasn't interested in our survival in a combat environment. We never tested at a speed greater than 150 because of the ramp and door limit. I believe the old MC-130E's had an upgraded ramp and door and could exceed 150 knots with them open.

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I conducted a test at the old USAF Airlift Center (USAFALCENT) back in '79 or '80 to drop CDS from 250 feet using what was called the vent pull-down parachute system. The bundles would exit and the chute would pop immediately. However, according to the data we collected (velocity at load impact), the loads wouldn't have survived. MAC wouldn't provide funding to try some "real" cargo to determine if the system would work, and the Army wasn't interested in our survival in a combat environment. We never tested at a speed greater than 150 because of the ramp and door limit. I believe the old MC-130E's had an upgraded ramp and door and could exceed 150 knots with them open.

The MC-130E's, MC-130H's and MC-130W's (AC-130W's?) all have the beefed up rear chine that runs up the outside of the rear fuselage. They were also equipped with buffer boards, and the beefed up ramp and door.

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Interesting. Reminds me of an occasion at Little Rock. I was going through Instructor Loadmaster School and was practicing rigging a sequential at the FUTs. Instead of tyeing the extraction chute to a "forward load", we practiced on a CDS bundle. An instructor came through with a primary student. The student asked what we were doing. I replied that we were practicing rigging a sequential heavy/CDS. They nodded and walked away. The student later asked "You can do that?" to the instructor, who nearly fell over laughing.

I thought about it later. Didn't make much sense. What would work though would be to rig the extraction chute to a pair (or two) of guillotine knives on the release gates. That would eliminate the use of the static line retriever winch, thereby increasing reliability. Interesting how this new method looks like that.

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150 KIAS has always been the "cleared to open" magic number in the slick world. Talons did/do have the chines modified (beefed up) and have buffer boards installed so you could drop HSLADS (250 @ 250).

When we initiated the airdrop cert. program for the J-30, the guys with the 40 lb brains @ LMCO (injineers) stated that the Super Herc would be able to conduct drops @ 250 KIAS. The response from the experienced operators was "where's the beef?". There are no modifications/improvements to the ramp and door, nor anything different about the chines etc. than a standard E/H. Those that have done HSLADS in either a T1, or T2 know that the old girl wags her tail with enthusiasm when smoking through the weeds, at 250.

Needless to say we didn't conduct any high speed airdrop testing during the 2001 - 2003 initial airdrop certification testing of the J-30. Obviously since that time there must have been further analysis done to validate an increase in the max. airdrop airspeed, or modifications made to the aircraft.

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