Spectre623

Yes and they hung A model engines on the wings and the cowling don't match up correctly. Still, all in all a pretty good museum piece...and well worth saving. Bill

I remember going on board this fantastic flying machine when I worked at Lockheed in 1984. It was still on the flight line then and mostly complete except for the rockets. The engineers overhead panel was an eye full as it had so many extra switches and stuff. It had dual flap indicators also as it had double articulated flaps. It had the hyd. valves on the inside left aft side of the wheel like the tankers but used the system to run the extra flap actuators. I worked with the old timer who did the flap rigging on these birds. He said they swore him to secrecy and he worked several months just on the flap system. There was a set of beams inside the cargo compartment that ran from front to back and a tail hook on the aft belly as I remember. It didn't have a bunk up front but an extra seat near the nav. seat with a computer keyboard and screen. Here are a couple of pix of the model Lockheed built that are in the Marietta Museum. Bill

Good link you posted Sam and a mighty fine story you wrote in this months AF Association mag (April 2016) about the Commando Vault mission. Bill

When do we get the swept wings? Bill

So Dr Mason, have you gotten your C-130's from DM yet ? It's been a year since your last post. I DO hope you are successful in getting these birds out of the bone yard before they are turned into beer cans. Bill

After looking closer at the paint job on the above Herk it looks like a faded out" European One " paint job. How the spokesman thought it was a Vietnam ( i.e. SEA camo.) paint job is beyond me. Even a new European One paint job would look better than yawwwwn gray. Bill

That paint job don't look like any Vietnam era paint job I ever saw over there, but IF, it had the correct VN camo paint job it would look a heck of a lot better than the "whale butt gray" they are now! Just my 2 cents worth. Bill

You might want to check out all parts of the generator disconnect set up. Stub shaft and such. Bill

In the USAF the 3 blade props were swapped for 4 blade props in the mid 70's after Vietnam. Bill

Thanks Bob. Bill

Not sure Railrunner but Del. Guard had 206 and I think they got 204 and 205 to replace the acft they lost in the storm some time ago. Bob Daley has a list as to where they went. Bill

At Dobbins before we got the H3's, we had 6, 81 models (81-0626 thru 81-0631) which were H-2's with honey buckets and long line HF ant. and 2, 84 models (84-0204 & 0205) with flush toilets, no long line HF ant and 2 large fwd escape hatches with dual batteries and towel rack ant on the roof.. These we also called plain old H2's. The 2, 84 models were to have digital fuel gauges but we requested analog gauges to match our other 6 which they complied with at the factory. My question is since all the changes of our 84 models(cn 5038&39) started back on CN 4992 , what would they be called from cn 4992 on,... H2 point what? _ Bill

A big MERRY CHRISTMAS to all the folks on the site. Bill

Here is a walk around of AC-130A 54-1623 Ghost Rider at the Marietta museum of Aviation. Much thanks to the guys who brought a rusting hulk back to display status. Bill http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZRZrVfAefA

Roger that on the trashed AD H3's. Talked to the pro super at Dobbins the other day and he said it took about a year to get the AD H3's up to the high AFRC standards our air crews are used to. Hated to see our one owner since new H2's go away... but that's progress. Our H2's didn't have a delivery flight, we went across the runway with a tug and picked them out and towed them home. Warranty work was a snap. Bill

Where were all the ROE lawyers when the crew was cleared to fire? This does not bode well for future gunship crews as they may be reluctant to pull the trigger to help out the friendlies. Just my thoughts. A sad day for them. Bill

Well some lackey general has laid the deaths of the civilians killed at the doctors w/o borders hospital directly on the crew of the AC-130 gunship. They have been suspended from their duties. Where were all the ROE lawyers when the crew was cleared to fire? This does not bode well for future gunship crews as they may be reluctant to pull the trigger to help out the friendlies. Just my thoughts. A sad day for them. Bill

Have a big happy one Casey. Bill

Thanks Casey. Great parade yesterday and luncheon afterwards ...all free. Bill

Ken...I don't feel like I'm 40. Bill Thanks Sonny...It was. Bill

AF declares first AC-130J a total loss after tumbling 5000 feet inverted during flight tests. $115.6 million loss. Sad. Bill (Note_ Metalbasher and I posted this at the same time. He has the full report on another thread. http://www.c-130hercules.net/forums/topic/8166-c-130-news-first-ac-130j-prototype-declared-loss/#comment-34836)

Podboy, the Data Legend markings for the AF C-130's is below the pilots side window even with the top of the kick window. It will be painted on or with a decal and include ; USAF, AF serial number, Fuel grade requirements and where the Identiplate (POL Card) is located, which is inside the SPR panel. Ref T.O 1-1-4 page 3-1 para 3-1e. Bill

Hang in there Ken and get well soon...by the way did they NRTS your old knee joint and turn it in to supply for overhaul? I can feel your pain as old Slick Willie Clinton used to say, since I just finished rotator cuff surgery a few months ago and the therapist from hell worked me over ha ha . I would address him as Mr. Meanie...he thought I was kidding. Was glad when it was over. Bill

Have a good one Sam. Bill

Hey oldcatmechanic2, funny you should say that cause I was an "A" model maintainer and there was something about "B's" I always liked...such as an aux pump and ground test valve and NO danged 450 gal external fuel tanks that were forever giving trouble and a galley with hot coffee containers and oven and best of all a flight deck BUNK! This was my first Herk assignment (1963) and I later got to serve on the Herks with all the other letters the C-130 had next to it...and LOVED every one of them!! Bill