tinwhistle Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 Had lunch today with a few members of my High School graduating class (class of 1963), and it turned out that there was four of us there that are Vietnam Veterans. As the conversation continues I discover that the guy next to me flew (navigator) on KC-135s, became a lifer and finished up in the Wisconsin Air Guard on C-130s. OK, no big deal, until he tells me he flew the last remaining "Roman Nose" 130 into retirement at the Smithsonian in DC. Actually, I guess it's on display just out side DC at Dulles airfield where Smithsonian keeps the BIG stuff. I didn't think top ask him if he remembered the tail number. I'll email him and see if he remembers. Thought this was quite a coincidence, what with the Herk anniversary. I did ask him how the old girl flew and he said she was a rough ride, rattled and shook all the way!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 c/n [cn]3167[/cn] 57-0460 is at Dulles but it doesn't have a Roman nose. Anyone know of another at Dulles? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donwon Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 I think Sewart had 3. All were 55 year models and had 00 in the S/N. A look at the Sewart F/L picture shows 3 of these planes. I posted that picture some years ago. Don't know where it is now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdaley Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 (edited) there were 27 herks built with a Roman nose. 53-3129 to 53-3135 and 54-1621-1640. Some of these were later modified to the new radomes. I'll try to check the numbers. BTW there 22 built with side opening nose gear doors 53-3129 to 3135 and 54-1621 to 1628 None are in Museums in the DC area that I know about. Bob I looked at my pics and from what I could see only 9 were left as Roman noses 53-3130, 3131, 3133, 3134, 54-1621, 1624, 1632, 1633, 1640 If any of these were modified would you let me know? Thanks Bob BTW I found that 3 of the side opening door herks were modified to rear opening 53-3132 and 53-3135 for the Mexican AF and 54-1625 a gunship. Were any others modified? Bob Edited August 29, 2014 by bobdaley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinyclark Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 I thought there was one in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, but I don't see it on the map or in the list of aircraft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EClark Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 I remember Sewart had two or three in the training sq. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdaley Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Tiny The one at U-H is 57-0460 and it did not have a Roman Nose Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinwhistle Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share Posted August 28, 2014 My friend/classmate tells me that the aircraft in question was assigned to the Air Guard Unit at Milwaukee and the tail # is 460. He is reasonably sure of that, although he admits that the aircraft pictured in the Smithsonian web site is an A model, clearly not a Roman Nose. He is looking for pictures and anything else to contribute to the conversation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Railrunner130 Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 I do remember seeing one there many years ago in storage near where UH was to be built. It was green with a radome. I think a buddy of mine took me on a tour of Dulles one weekend during his shift. I think there was a Connie down there too. I haven't been down to UH at Dulles in a number of years. I thought it odd that the Herk wasn't on display. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdaley Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 TW 57-0460 was with 304 TAS at Richards Gebaur then 63TAS at Selfridge, to SVAF and then back to 704 TAS at Ellington and then to 63TAS again at Selfridge and finally to 95TAS at Milwaukee then to Dulles in 1989. These were all AFRES units. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinwhistle Posted August 29, 2014 Author Share Posted August 29, 2014 TW 57-0460 was with 304 TAS at Richards Gebaur then 63TAS at Selfridge, to SVAF and then back to 704 TAS at Ellington and then to 63TAS again at Selfridge and finally to 95TAS at Milwaukee then to Dulles in 1989. These were all AFRES units. Bob Thanks Bob That all makes sense, since Steve would have retired very late 80s or early 90s. He is trying to round up some pictures and that will be interesting. Now all I have to do is figure out where Smithsonian hid the airplane!!! While I have your attention: I've been looking for updated information on my old airplane, #877. Something that will place it where it is located now. I can't seem to find anything at all about it here on this site. Granted, I'm not real good with this computer stuff and I have no patience, so that info is probably right in front of me and I can't see it, but if you need that information I have a pretty complete history of that plane that was passed on to me from the folks at Peoria. Let me know. Thanks.... TW aka Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EFLTatCCK Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Most Roman Nose C-130A's were 1953 to 1954 A Models. We had a few at Willow Grove Air Reserve Station in Horsham,Penna from 1970 to 1976 where I was a Flt Engineer on the "Snub-Nose's". The USAF/USAFR/ANG/Navy training at that time was at Ellington AFB which also had "Snub-Noses". EFLTatCCK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdaley Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 (edited) HI TW The one at the Smithsonian was stored on the ramp behind the museum at Dulles. I have not seen it for awhile. The best thing to do with the info on 877 is send it to Casey he can post it. Thanks Bob Edited August 30, 2014 by bobdaley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 Thanks Bob While I have your attention: I've been looking for updated information on my old airplane, #877. Something that will place it where it is located now. I can't seem to find anything at all about it here on this site. Granted, I'm not real good with this computer stuff and I have no patience, so that info is probably right in front of me and I can't see it, but if you need that information I have a pretty complete history of that plane that was passed on to me from the folks at Peoria. Let me know. Thanks.... TW aka Chris Chris, I have added 63-7877 c/n [cn]3948[/cn] to the database: http://www.c-130hercules.net/acftdb/LPNs/LPN.php?lpn=3948 If you have additional info, please send it to me and I will add it to the database. --Casey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC10FE Posted August 31, 2014 Share Posted August 31, 2014 In reference to Bob's photo of 57-0460, does anyone know what the purpose of the PVC piping going into #3 & 4 engine inlets? I assume they're also going into #1 & 2. There is also what looks like air conditioning plumbing is going into both AC packs and the paratroop door window. I think this was discussed a few years ago on this forum, but I don't remember. Damn, I say that phrase a lot lately! Thanks, Don R. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectre623 Posted August 31, 2014 Share Posted August 31, 2014 The 118th out of Nashville flew a roman nose A model into Dobbins when they picked up their first H model from Lockheed. Don't remember the number of the old girl though. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve haigler Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 The 440th ALW had 1638 a roman nose that was modded with the APN 59 radar. We also had 460 that went to the Smith. 460 was what the vn general flew out of nam. Steve H. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve haigler Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Hey Tinwhistle, I may have flown with your old nav. friend Steve. He was an ART with the 440th. Steve H. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdaley Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 I flew with a nav at Kelly who went to Milwaukee to be an ART. Dave Moffitt. Did you know him? Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve haigler Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 The name sounds familiar, I joined the 440th in 78 and retired in 2002. Steve H. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdaley Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 he went to the 440th in 85 when we lost our B's at Kelly. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son_of_a_HerkPilot Posted November 6, 2017 Share Posted November 6, 2017 Hi, I am a new member whose dad flew the Herky for a good portion of his USAF career. My dad passed on 6 Nov 2013 (in fact, yesterday would have been his 92nd birthday). Among mementos he left behind were several pictures of him and others, standing outside the crew hatch of a C-130. That airplane was Lockheed RC-130A Hercules 54-1632A. In Dec 1957 he "signed for the keys" to that aircraft; and on 1 Jan 58, along with his crew, he flew it from the Lockheed-Georgia Division Plant in Marietta, GA, to its very first unit of assignment: the 1370th Photo Mapping Wing (1370 PMW) at Palm Beach AFB, FL. Our family did not know--or at least, did not recall--dad's intimate association with that airplane. After we found out, it made me very proud. Once I found that 54-1632A still existed somewhere, I felt a weird obligation to visit. And after telling the yard's owner the story of my father's "adventure" with 54-1632A, he was extremely gracious in permitting me to examine the plane closely, both inside and out. I read a couple other threads regarding the "Roman nose," and how it looked. So, I cropped two fairly decent pictures and I thought I would post them here. (I included a shot of my father and his crew; he is on the left) I am also including a link to my Flickr account, where you can see all the pictures I took on 18 Oct 2017 of 54-1632A as it rests today at the Western International Aviation, Inc., storage yard in Tucson, AZ. Another good web site for more info about 54-1632A is http://www.1370th.org. I wish somehow 54-1632A could find its way to a "proper" resting place, an aircraft museum. I like to think it is an aircraft worthy of restoration, given its early Hercules lineage, as well as the mission of the 1370th: "Photo Mapping the World" https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/01/air-force-world-maps-cold-war/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/albums/72157688329114064 (Disclaimer: I am an AWFUL photographer. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinyclark Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 Funny that they had lights on the front of the aircraft like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC10FE Posted November 9, 2017 Share Posted November 9, 2017 Tiny, it was called a called passing light. It was used if you had oncoming traffic you could turn it on to be more visible. The T-29 without the radome also had one, as did some C-47's. Don R. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Railrunner130 Posted November 9, 2017 Share Posted November 9, 2017 I wonder if before C-130 production ends, they'll go back to the Roman Nose and incorporate a really nice radar into that lower area. Doubtful, but I think it'd be cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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