Jump to content

Model differentiation


Tiger
 Share

Recommended Posts

I've been searching for hours, what is the difference in equipment/instrumentation/etc. between a TC-130 and a C-130? I know the TC- is a training aircraft but is there any true difference between a TC-130 and a C-130 other than the job it has?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Depends on which TC-130 you are talking about.  Some were modified to be EC-130's and then had the equipment removed for EC mission but still had the EC-130 exterior (drag/flight characteristics).  

Essentially was just used to keep currency for pilots without putting hours on the EC-130.

What tail number are you specifically asking about?

 

65-0962-TC-130H-DM-42ECS.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That looks like an old friend. I flew 962 in it's past life when it was an HC-130H assigned to the 67th ARRS (76 - 78) at RAF Woodbridge. At that time we had 2 Hs (962 and 976), 2 Ns (820 and 826) and 2 Ps (220 and 223 (?)). The Hs and Ns were grey birds with the yellow ARRS chicken stripes on the wings and aft of the troop doors, the Ps were SEA camo. Hs and Ps had the Fulton noses, all had the Cooks tracker domes on top of the fuselage and the Overhead Delivery System (ODS) in the cargo compartment. The ODS had been developed for the Gemini space program in the event that one of the capsules landed outside it's designated area. The ARRS Herks would search for them and if located drop the astronauts an MA-1 kit, 5 bundles with rafts in # 1 and 5 and survival gear in 2 - 4. Kits would be dropped upwind from the survivor, with # 3 in the middle. Rafts would inflate upon landing then drift down so that the survivor/s would be encircled by all 5 bundles.

By the time I got to rescue the days of supporting manned spaceflight were over, but we'd normally have one rigged and ready when ever we flew Duck Butts. These were long, long missions where we'd go out to 50N/30W and orbit for hours and hours providing rescue support for fighter formations coming over to, or from Europe and whenever the C-123s, or C-7s flew the Atlantic on their way to REFORGER, usually in the Autumn. We also flew  Duck Butts anytime AF 1, or AF 2 flew the Atlantic. When Jimmy Carter went to Monrovia in 78 we flew to Ascension Island and staged from there to provide rescue coverage. When he flew from Belgium to Tokyo over the Pole, we staged from Thule, Greenland and set up an orbit literally at the N. Pole. During that mission we developed an oil leak on 2 engines and had a 3rd that was running hot and had to be feathered. Not a good spot to be in when flying overhear the most remote spot on the planet. We requested permission to leave orbit and return to Thule, but were denied and told to remain on station until the King bird from Kadena picked up coverage on their end. As soon as we handed off we declared an IFE and started to limp back. By the time we were overhead Thule we had another one caged and a third running rough. Someone was definitely watching out for us that day, but it wasn't Jimmy Carter.        

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the answers, it was a stubborn question that popped up, I didn't have a ready answer for it and I hate not having something solid.

Haha, IIRC it was looking at some historical notes on Fat Albert that started the quest for an answer. In a perfect world, I'd know who to ask to get a jumpseat ride when the Blue Angels come through with the new J. I never got to serve but I did get to walk through one of the Flying Vikings' and I got the -130 bug. I've never flown in a plane bigger than a Cessna 182T so it seemed huge. 

MHeflin, I love stories like that, it makes my answer easy, the C-130 was watching over you. I tend to feel that even though it's supposed to be an inanimate object, subject to the rules of gravity and metallurgy and commanded by a pilot, there's a spark of something there that wants to do everything asked of it. Every plane a lady... Even if I'm just crazy as a loon. Been called worse.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On the ramp for a SAREX in NW Iran way up near the Soviet border with the IIAF, UK RAF, German Luftwaffe and Pakistani AF. Caused an international incident by borrowing a mongo C02 fire extinguisher from the airfield to cool the beer, due to no ice being available at the hotel. Problem was that it was the only fire extinguisher on the airfield and the Iranians were none too happy about it being taken to town. Even more upset when they got it back empty. Ah, the things you could get away with as an A1C back in 77. 

962 Iran001.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hehe, IIRC The second to last Fat Albert was listed as a TC-130G which was replaced with the now grounded C-130T. An exact question would have been what's the difference between a C-130G and a TC-130G, but I figured it would be similar for all variants. I know variants aren't an exact science with a versatile aircraft like the C-130, but in general it looks like my answer is basically nothing but a prefix.

MHeflin, improvisation like that is why I love talking with the BTDT crowd, why reinvent the wheel? Someone's done it sometime somewhere so why overthink it? Take the story and unless the teller is full of BS the solution should work again. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

This is the first time I had seen the designation of TC-130.    However looking at this aircraft history is used to be a C-130G which was the Navy TACAMO which was the EC-130G.   Sometime around May 90 it was converted again after extensive Depot where it became redesignated as a TC-130.    Looks to be an early E model(Navy R1?)   Originally a 64 model?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...