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BIRD NESTS


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I am looking for any feed back from anyone about bird nests in engine nacelles, Specifically but not limited to J-Models. I know that the Canadian H-Models have screens installed on the upper aft nacelle and very rarely do they have nesting issues. We have had many instances of nests being built in lower trays, beside the oil tank and even once found robin eggs in the established nest.

Any and all feedback is great.

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I am looking for any feed back from anyone about bird nests in engine nacelles, Specifically but not limited to J-Models. I know that the Canadian H-Models have screens installed on the upper aft nacelle and very rarely do they have nesting issues. We have had many instances of nests being built in lower trays, beside the oil tank and even once found robin eggs in the established nest.

Any and all feedback is great.

Here is a nest, found in the # 1 outboard upper cowling on a J model. Unit was a ANG unit.

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That is the new eco friendly wood burner j model engine I have heard so much about ha ha. As far as I remember all C-130's I ever worked on had the screens in the cooling air exhaust outlets. Wonder why they thought the J would be any different. Bet the crew chief is red faced... Bill

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The screens are hit and miss, some engines have screens on both the upper cooling air outlets, some just one of the two, and some none at all. At least on the Es and Hs I've seen. I don't know if that's just how we get the motors from depot or what.

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The screens are hit and miss, some engines have screens on both the upper cooling air outlets, some just one of the two, and some none at all. At least on the Es and Hs I've seen. I don't know if that's just how we get the motors from depot or what.

Its one of those things. The USAF made quite a few changes over the years with regard to mx operations on the C-130 but then again they were operating it and could do as they needed to since they owned them and had engineering control. LMCO on the other hand didn't really know about a lot of those changes. They just made the acft and sold them, not necessarily operated them and since they didn't operate/maintain them on a regular basis, they were not aware of the changes and therefore could not/did not roll them over to production on the J.

I've come across several things the USAF changed (for the good) over the years that LMCO never changed/adopted when they produced the J. Then again, LMCO is in the business of selling acft...if something makes it better or last longer, customers are less likely to come back to the company for parts/more acft.

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Yer correct about Lockheed not getting the word. When I was working there 83-85 building H's they were still putting the L shaped bracket with holes for 3 hyd lines in the nose W/W that haven't been used since the NLG had the big anvil looking down lock. Also they were still putting the bracket with the 10/32 nut plates to hold the GTC oil tank cover on inside the cargo compt.. They were still cutting the round holes in the Nose W/W door jambs when it used the big round remote accumulator gauges on the A and B model....go figure. Anyone know if they are still doing that on the J? Bill

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Ditto to what EClark just said. I never did see a birds nest in the nacel. However, on occasion, I did have to clean up the mess made by birds that were sucked into the engine!!! The only thing I could think of at the time was, "at least they can't blame me for the abort"!!

Buddy of mine, Norm Plantz found a huge snake in the nose gear well one pre flight. 'Til then I didn't think he could run that fast!!!!!!

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The only time I can remember dealing with critters was when we did a resupply mission to Sheyma. Standing around on the parking ramp waiting for an upload and low and behold an arctic fox comes running down the crew door steps. Seems he liked the flight lunches so much he was carrying/dragging one of the sandwiches. Hope he liked it since the Nav couldn't (it WAS his).

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Thanks for the feedback, I am also an old E/H tech and never had the nesting issues I see now. I am thinking of recommending the implementation of the screen mod for the J's we fly. I would hate to see a mission abort for a fire or worse.

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In Trenton.....436 Sqd,.....we were doing birds bests checks every morning in spring time......never got one in the engines.......I had to deal much more the way Tinwhistle mentions!!!.........................cheers to you guys!!!!..........................................Tusker

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I am looking for any feed back from anyone about bird nests in engine nacelles, Specifically but not limited to J-Models. I know that the Canadian H-Models have screens installed on the upper aft nacelle and very rarely do they have nesting issues. We have had many instances of nests being built in lower trays, beside the oil tank and even once found robin eggs in the established nest.

Any and all feedback is great.

it smell gas and hot. still birds like to nest there ..... what's the attraction?

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One time at Naha, one of our A-Models was grounded due to the flight crew seeing a rat on the plane. So, out came the rat extermination crew. An old papa san went inside and sprayed the whole thing with some kind of poison and the doors were closed and taped shut. Th plane sat there for several days and one day I saw the tape removed and the crew door open so I went in and saw the write-up had been cleared and signed off. It said "saw rat leaving the aircraft" .

I guess "papa san wasn't needed after all!!!

Never saw a birds nest, but saw and smelled plenty of feathers and guts in the intakes!!!!

Ken

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oh yes I have gagged a couple times climbing the ladder and sticking my head in an intake and catching a wiff of guts and 1/2 baked bird.

I have seen camels in a herc and many many different bugs and even some snakes but never a rat....

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