Jansen

That is the best line of the week.

The 2011 Open House will take place, rain or shine, on June 4 and 5, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free event, dubbed "Your Wing, Your Neighbours", will include multiple static displays of 8 Wing/CFB Trenton’s diverse fleet of aircraft and multiple ground displays by the numerous non-flying units on base. No air show this year, but static aircraft from all seven 8 Wing squadrons will be on display and guided tours of the aircraft will be offered to the public. For more information visit: http://www.cfbtrenton.com/openhouse Unfortunately I won't be able to attend as I will be attending ceremonies in Normandy. However, there are nine J-model Herks with 436 Sqn, as well as a bunch of E and H-model Herks. All of the E-models are being retired, so this might be your last chance to see them operationally. There are also a bunch of retired E-models that I would love updates on for my Flickr gallery: http://www.flickr.com/photos/53476734@N08/galleries/72157625165302599/

The next batch of four should be out of paint: 5664 130610 CC130J C2B585 5665 130611 CC130J C2B58F 5666 130612 CC130J C2B599 5667 130613 CC130J C2B5A3 Anybody have updates on retirements? I have 305, 307, 308, 319, 320, 323, 327, and 328 as still being active.

Lockheed Martin Team Delivers Joint Tactical Radio to United States Air Force C-130 Integration Lab Delivery of Radio Permits Early Integration and Risk Reduction Activities The United States Air Force (USAF) C-130 Systems Integration Laboratory has received an initial Small Airborne Joint Tactical Radio from the Lockheed Martin Airborne, Maritime/Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio System team. The initial pre-engineering development model radio with initial Wideband Networking Waveform (WNW) functionality will be used to support integration and architecture validation activities for the lead AMF JTRS USAF platform, the C-130 AMP aircraft, within the Mobility Air Forces Airborne Networking Integration program. AMF JTRS is an encrypted Internet-protocol enabled networking radio that, through the use of software defined radio technology, provides users with secure, real-time, interoperable voice, video and data communications. “This is a significant event for the JTRS Enterprise as it represents the first opportunity for the USAF to begin working “hands on†with software defined radio interfaces for the C-130,†said Mark Norris, Vice President for the Joint Tactical Network Solutions division with Lockheed Martin’s IS&GS-Defense “The delivery also represents an important milestone leading to the incorporation of secure, wideband, Internet-like communications capability into the thousands of USAF platforms currently slated to receive AMF JTRS.†With the delivery of this radio, which incorporates core radio control and WNW waveform functions, the Mobility Air Forces Airborne Networking Integration team can begin early risk reduction integration efforts. It also affords the USAF the ability to perform numerous networking, avionics and software checks. Five C-130 models, including C-130J, C-130 AMP, AC-130U, HC-130 and MC-130, are expected to incorporate the AMF JTRS system. The AMF JTRS full duplex, software-defined radios will be integrated into airborne, shipboard, and fixed-station platforms, enabling maritime and airborne forces to communicate seamlessly and with greater efficiency. As a result of its software-defined architecture, AMF is also capable of legacy waveform communications, resulting in improved interoperability. Lockheed Martin’s AMF JTRS team includes BAE Systems, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon.

Thanks for the interesting question. Here is what my research has found: DC-10-10 - Retired 2009 DC-10-30 - Retired 2010 MD-10-10 - 58 in service MD-10-30 - 17 in service MD-11 - 63 in service Proof is here: http://fedex.com/us/investorrelations/Q3FY11_stat_book.pdf on page 16

First flight dates that I have: 09-6207 MC130J 20 Apr 09-6208 MC130J 30 Apr 09-6209 MC130J 11 May 09-6210 MC130J 23 May

Last (Canadian) H-model Hercules leaves Afghanistan, comes home to Trenton By Holly Bridges, 19 May 2011 http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/8w-8e/nr-sp/index-eng.asp?id=11749

The 16 AC-130Js were previously announced. Current fleet: HC130P 36 MC130E 10 AFRC MC130P 23 Active Duty MC130H 20 MC130W 12 AC130H 8 AC130U 17 New fleet: 37 HC-130P, +1 69 MC-130J, +7 16 AC-130J, 17 AC-130U, 33 total, +8 Considering the EBH that these aircraft go through, and the fact that AFSOC wants the better performance of the J-model, I can understand the decision not to AMP them. I would guess that the MC-130Ws will be transfered somewhere and used by someone else. Then again, there is no timeline, so they might stay with them until they are used up. The current fiscal program for the MC-130J is: Prior 15 FY2011 5 FY2012 6 FY2013 6 FY2014 5 FY2016 4 Post 28 Total 69 The FY2016 aircraft won't be received until the beginning of 2019, to give you an idea. So the MC-130W could still be used by AFSOC for the next 15 years.

I would love to see EPCS and the NP2000 8-bladed props on all the AMPed birds.

Lots of good stuff coming in Block 7.0, including Link16 capability. The USMC was pursuing their own Block 6.5, but I don't know what happened with that. I heard that Block 8.0 is now in definition, and there has been talk of moving to the eight-bladed props to reduce vibration. All of these devices are just tools, but we still need human minds to think things through.

I am very interested in the RERP, and look forward to seeing the reliability numbers once the C-5M Super Galaxy really hits its stride. Been hearing good things about the first five; the new engines are apparently working out well. Too bad we can't do the same thing with the Herks, not cost effective to stick on new Allison engines and the eight-blade props.

Even if they wanted to buy more, the production line at Plant 6 is gettting really busy. It looks like the plan is to replace all of the HC and MC aircraft with J models; at 36 aircraft per year, that will tie up the line for years. Production is already slated to get maxed out through 2014, with 20-25 per year through 2018. I expect most of those spare slots will get taken up by foreign orders. I find it interesting that this "article" keeps getting emailed around, but nobody has been able to find the original.

Uh, AMPTestFE works on the program, and I'm pretty sure he would've heard about it. Unless your friend is a lot higher up?

Looks to me like someone put together a very convincing fake. Dave Majumdar does write for Defense News, and Dan Goure really is an analyst at the Lexington Institute. If I wasn't aware of the DOD budget I might've bought it. The USAF requested funding in February; that would've been the time to cancel it.

There are a few problems with this article: 1) I can't find it on the Defense News website, and multiple Google searches have only found it here. 2) The 2012 DOD Budget Proposal came out in February. Copies are available online. Why is this news now? 3) On page F-7B of the 2012 DOD Budget Proposal, there is a specific FY2012 request for $235,635,000 under the line item "C-130 AMP".

"As a consequence of this decision the Government has cancelled the Defence Capability Plan project for the acquisition of two additional C‑130J Hercules aircraft." http://budget.australia.gov.au/2011-12/content/bp2/html/bp2_capital-05.htm

Hex codes are broadcast by aircraft with Mode-S transponders. This allows anybody with a receiver to track them. SELCALs are a code you enter which allows you to ring an aircraft so you can talk to them.

I'd suggest fields for Hex Codes and SELCALs. That way the spotters can join in the fun. Are you planning for it to be open, like a wiki, or updated by a few registered users, like rzjets.net?

According to a LM source, that picture was taken on the morning of 27 April 2011. It was supposed to have come out of paint earlier earlier, so my suspicion is that it went to the mod shop first and then went to paint, possibly due to a backlog.

Unfortunately Dutch's picture is a fake that has been circulating around the Internet the past few years. However, check out this blurb from the LA Times: According to Pentagon officials, photos of Bin Laden's dead face do exist but those widely distributed on the Internet are fake. At some point, if only to convince die-hard Bin Laden followers, officials are expected to release a corpse photo, as has been done in the past when famous villains such as Che Guevara and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein were killed or captured. Additionally, such special ops are typically videotaped by mini-helmet cams to document a sensitive mission and assist in debriefing and future training.

The first of four C-130J Super Hercules for the Qatar Emiri Air Force has completed production at the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta. The picture shows the aircraft leaving the paint hangar. The new Hercules are the longer fuselage or "stretched" variant of the C-130J and deliveries to Qatar will begin later this year. The aircraft will be used for humanitarian relief and military missions for the defense of the State of Qatar. This is Qatar’s first experience with C-130s so the package being provided by Lockheed Martin is a complete solution. The package includes four aircraft, training of aircrew and maintenance technicians, spares, ground support and test equipment, servicing carts, cargo pallets and a team of technical specialists who will be based in Qatar during an initial support period. No pictures of the tail, so we don't know what the actual registration may be. Note that this picture is actually from last month, and the second Qatar herk should be out of paint by now.

Took me a while to get it, but when I did I laughed out loud!

The first Combat Shadow II for the United States Air Force Special Operations Command has completed its first flight at the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta. Less than one month after a rollout ceremony for the aircraft’s AFSOC customer the MC-130J has begun a series of flight tests prior to delivery to Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., in September. The new aircraft is based on a KC-130J tanker baseline and will have the Enhanced Service Life Wing, Enhanced Cargo Handling System, a Universal Aerial Refueling Receptacle Slipway Installation (boom refueling receptacle), more powerful electrical generators, an electro-optical/infrared sensor and a combat systems operator station on the flight deck. In-line production of this configuration reduced cost and risk, and fully supports the required 2012 Initial Operational Capability date. Lockheed Martin is contracted to build 15 MC 130Js to begin replacing the current aging fleet. The U.S. Air Force is authorized to acquire up to 20 MC-130Js against an approved requirement for 37.

Looks like India wants to pick up at least one WC-130J for tracking tropical cyclones: http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?topicName=india&id=news/awx/2011/04/20/awx_04_20_2011_p0-313719.xml&headline=India%20Plans%20To%20Hire%20Weather%20Recon%20Aircraft%20Soon

KC-3806, the final C-130J for India, was reportedly in flight tests on Sunday, 17 April.