Spectre623

You found it Bob,2 tone blue, silver and white. It does appear to be an AN 12 SFE George. Also the link showing the Herk is inflight as you can see its shadow. A geo tag basically just gives the pictures a location on earth. Bill

Tonight Thurs 11/7/13 Weather Channel says the worlds strongest typhoon is headed for the P.I. Predicted winds from 190 to 230 MPH. Looks like it will hit Cebu City but miss Angelese City. All us old P.I. Herk guys need to pray for them. There are about 3000 ex GIs living in the PI but about 58 million total people live in the PI. I remember typhoon bug outs but this looks like the macdaddy of all time. Bill Clark AB 69-70

Hey Bob, I googled Huntsville and found a C-130 look a like but could not find a Herk. This one really looks like one till you get close enough to see the wing clearly. The leading is swept backward and the trailing edge is straight... the exact reverse of a Herk wing. The motors stick out a bit to much. It is located between the parallel runways just west of Red Stone to the right of the main terminal. Where is the real Herk located? Bill

Bob YOU are in big trouble if she reads this!!! Ha Ha , Bill

I see we both see it that way Ken, ha ha . Maybe I'll take a pic with me sittin' on the ramp of Ghost Rider and post it here with my avatar and get a vote ha ha. Bill

My problem is that everyone my age has sure aged a lot but for some reason...to me, I look like I did 40 years ago. Could be just me...anyone else like that? ha ha Bill

Hey Tinwhistle put a name to each pic. I don't know those "old guys" just the young "Bucks" we used to be, ha ha Bill

Happy birthday Bob. Post a current pic so we can see what you look like...and see if you are getting as old as us ha ha. Bill

You are right Ken, it is good to be able to see the Herks in the sky around Lockheed and Dobbins . And having the museum at the back corner of Lockheed With Ghost Rider in it and to be able to work on her is the icing on the cake. Glad you like the pics. Will keep this page updated on Ghost Rider. Bill

Another couple of pics of Ghostrider in the museum looking east towards Lockheed building B-1 (with the blue stripe) where she was built 59 years ago. Some journey huh? Also the sign we used to set beside Ghostrider that our Fab Shop made 17 years ago showed up the other day. They said they found it stuffed in with some other junk at Dobbins. Whoever it was who brought it by...thanks. More memories of bygone days on the Herk. Bill

Hello David, in this lower picture of 0041 if you inlarge it you can plainly see the safety valve outlet on the left side of the aft cargo door (the round black dot). This valve is in the center of the door on A models near the hinge point and in the left hand upper corner on B's,E's,H's.I don't mean any harm in picking the photo's apart...but it's been interesting as I was assigned to A and B models about the time these pictures were taken back in the early 60's. Also your albums are wonderful. Bill :)

Hi Bob, you are correct on the 4 bladed props but again they appear to be on a B model which has had the tail number fiddled with. If you scale the tail numbers they are larger than the US AIR FORCE on the side. The tail numbers are clearer than the lettering on the side. This did not happen in real life. Also see the open GTC exhaust with the closed intake door? On the A models back when this picture was taken the loadmaster was still opening the intake and exhaust doors with camlocks. B model had no door over the exhaust outlet. Look down the picture to the left and you again see the supposed 0041. In this view you can see plainly that it is a B model GTC exhaust outlet as the B didn't have a door over the exhaust like the A.There is not enough detail to see how many drain masts there are on the engine. These are just my observations and I may be wrong but having an A model down the road and having looked at it a lot lately, I think I'm spot on, as our British buddies would say. Bill :)

Correct, also note the overboard urinal tube at the ramp hinge point...another B model innovation, not to mention the B model engines and props. Bill .

Postfade, your A model looks to have the tail number photo shopped onto the vert fin. There were no 4 bladed props on A models in 1963. Also note the single saber drain mast on the bottom of each engine. All A models hade two drain masts on the bottom of the engine. And when you blow the pic up you cannot see the center mounted pressure safety valve in the cargo door which the A model has. The GTC exhaust and the intake door do not look like an A model. Sorry but you have a B model here. Bill

The Air Force museum has approved the proposed paint colors for Ghostrider. It will be painted all black with red fin flash" FT "as pictured in the gallery on this website. If anyone has pictures of 54-1623 or crewed it "flt. and ground" during Vietnam please PM me as we are wanting to put together a display showing pics during the Vietnam era. Thanks, Bill

Since the first post was a question about the Credible Sport aircraft I am posting pics of the model built by Lockheed. Bill

It ain't a 2 engine model but it is right the opposite. How bout an L-100-60! Bill:)

Just came across a 5 min. clip of the 130s being built at "How Stuff Works". For those who haven't toured the Herk plant it gives a thumb nail view of the operation. Also on U Tube , type in C-130 and scroll down to "C-130 Hercules Progress Report 1955" ...13 very interesting minutes on building and testing the "New Herk". Bill P.S. can anyone post a link?

Check out Lockheed Service News number Vol.28 No.1 2003. Everything you ever wanted to know about the strips and where to get more info. Bill

The elongated wheel well pod on the left side was to house the FLIR ball when the gunships were modified to the "Surprise Package" configuration. The FLIR ball was removed and the fairing installed to ferry the plane to Dobbins in 1995. We have the fairing for the ball and will install a dummy FLIR as time permits. Bill

Took pictures today of Ghost Rider after she is winged up, engined up, cowled up and buttoned up. Awaiting decision on how she will be positioned in relation to Atlanta Road which runs by the museum. She will receive a good scrubbing and then we put the lipstick on ha ha. The guys at the museum have put in a huge amount of man hours getting this puppy to where she is now and deserve a big THANK YOU from the C-130 world for saving her. Bill :)

GVS, the sad part is maint. don't get to sign off on any of the STUPID regs that comes down from ground safety and higher . Most STUPID regs come from the brass that are so far detached from aircraft maint. that they have NO earthly idea how their CYA rules affect the actual effort to fly and maintain airplanes. The STUPID regs come after an incident so that there are no more black marks on the higher ups record on his watch. These people will never understand there will always be broken, smashed or bent body parts in aircraft maint! That is the nature of the beast. They need to suck it up and press on...the STUPID rule makers that is! Bill

Another primo day at the museum. The rain held off and we hung all 4 engines...again in 4 hours same as the wings. Of coarse they aren't hooked up, ha ha...but still a fine job by a dedicated bunch of airplane lovers here in Marietta. I think it is ironic that ghost Rider after all these years, since 1954, ended up being restored and displayed within sight of the plant (1/2 mile) where she was built. A fine day. Bill:)

Excellent RONC, just what I was looking for. Would it be possible to get 2-3 different angles and close up? Let me know and I will PM you my email address. Thanks a bunch! Bill

Hey folks the powers that be decided the gunsight in GhostRider had to be removed before they would turn it over to the museum. I need a picture so we can build a dummy gunsight. I have pics of every gunship sight from AC-47 to the AC-130U. Have hunted the webb over but can not find an A model gunsight. It was 10 years ago that I gave up GhostRider and can't remember enough detail about the sight. Post a pic here if you have it. THANKS!!! Also we will be hanging engines tomorrow if weather permits:) Bill