fltsload Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 From the AF Assoc. daily report:The first MC-130J special-mission aircraft slated for conversion to the Air Force's new AC-130J gunship configuration made its maiden flight this week from Lockheed Martin's production facility in Marietta, Ga., announced the company. This airframe will feature the modular Precision Strike Package, a scalable weapons and sensor suite already carried on Air Force Special Operations Command's MC-130Ws. It is scheduled to fly as a gunship in early 2014, according to the company's Dec. 4 release. Lockheed Martin announced in July that it had begun assembling this airframe in Marietta. The Air Force intends to acquire 16 new-build AC-130Js under a $1.6 billion recapitalization project meant to replace its legacy AC-130Hs and provide additional gunship capacity. The AC-130J fleet is slated to commence operations in 2015. Lockheed Martin noted that the Air Force has a requirement for 37 AC-130Js. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizzard Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 Did I see somewhere there was an AC-130U model???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Railrunner130 Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Yep. From what I understand they're the gunship equivilant of an H3. I've seen them in the desert and they are so heavily modified that they almost don't look like Herks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Wilson Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Did I see somewhere there was an AC-130U model???? Yep, its the 4th SOS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackmac_Project Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Actually I do believe they are H2's so they are similar to the MC-130H's Engine Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herkpilot Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Actually I do believe they are H2's so they are similar to the MC-130H's Engine Mike Airframe wise and systems yes... Avionics no. And the MC-130W is no longer an MC it has been officially changed to AC-130W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Railrunner130 Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 There are two "generations" of U-models. Those that were factory built that way and those that were converted. I thought (please correct me if I'm wrong) that the factory built were essentially H3s. I think Nashvilles H2s 89/90 era were the only ones converted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronc Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 There are two "generations" of U-models. Those that were factory built that way and those that were converted. I thought (please correct me if I'm wrong) that the factory built were essentially H3s. I think Nashvilles H2s 89/90 era were the only ones converted. All the U models are highly modified H2 aircraft. The years range from 87 to 92. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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