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A video of the early BQM-34A and then the -34B. Demonstration flights flown by the 6514th Test Squadron of the AF Flight Test Center. The vehicle was flown using a nose TV camera. The missile was launched using a separate sensor display. The -34A launched the Maverick, Stubby HOBO in test flights. The early -34A lacked asymmetric flight capability thus during missile launch a weighted shape was dropped from the opposite wing. The later -34B included a laser designation nose and could fly without the weighted shape. It is shown launching a Maverick and a Shrike missile. These demonstration flights starting in 1972 showed the capability of defense suppression in a program called HAVE LEMON.

Two Texas Highway Patrol Officers were conducting speeding enforcement on Highway 77, just south of Kingsville , Texas . One of the officers was using a hand-held radar device to check speeding vehicles approaching the town of Kingsville . The officers were suddenly surprised when the radar gun began reading 300 miles per hour and climbing. The officer attempted to reset the radar gun, but it would not reset and then it suddenly turned off. Just then a deafening roar over the mesquite tree tops on Highway 77 revealed that the radar had in fact, locked on to a USMC F/A-18 Hornet which was engaged in a low-flying exercise near this, its Naval Air home base location in Kingsville, Texas. Back at the Texas Highway Patrol Headquarters in Corpus Christi the Patrol Captain fired off a complaint to the U. S. Naval Base Commander in Kingsville for shutting down his equipment. The reply came back in true USMC style: "Thank you for your letter . . . "You may be interested to know that the tactical computer in the Hornet had detected the presence of, and subsequently locked on to, your hostile radar equipment and automatically sent a jamming signal back to it, which is why it shut down. "Furthermore, an air-to-ground missile aboard the fully armed aircraft had also automatically locked on to your equipment's location. "Fortunately, the marine pilot flying the Hornet recognized the situation for what it was, quickly responded to the missile system alert status and was able to override the automated defense system before the missile was launched to destroy the hostile radar position on the side of Highway 77, south of Kingsville. "The pilot suggests you cover your mouths when swearing at them, since the video systems on these jets are very high tech. "Sergeant Johnson, the officer holding the radar gun, should get his dentist to check his left molar. It appears the filling is loose. Also, the snap is broken on his holster." Semper Fi

From the AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION C-130XJ as Affordable Option: Lockheed Martin officials are pushing a new variant of the C-130J aircraft to international customers who may not need the full tactical capability of the current airlifter, said Jim Grant, the company's vice president for air mobility programs. The C-130XJ, as the aircraft is dubbed, will cost 10 percent to 15 percent less than the C-130J model used by the Air Force, he said. Customers who typically don't do a lot of engine-running offloads will have the option of removing the fully automated cargo handling system and its underfloor winch, said Grant. In its place, Lockheed would use the above-ground winch similar to those on today's C-130H2 and C-130H3 models, he said. The company also would remove some of the J-model's radios and defensive capabilities, although it would leave wiring for those systems in place in case a customer wanted those as future upgrades, said Grant. "This opens up the opportunity to tailor the aircraft to meet the needs of the customer, and potentially get customers into the J-model capability who otherwise might not be able to get there," he said on Feb. 23 during a briefing at AFA's Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3214[/ATTACH] MARIETTA, Ga., Feb. 16, 2012 – The 250th C-130J Super Hercules built at the Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] facility here was delivered to Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, today. This is the 15th C-130J delivered to the 317th Airlift Group at Dyess since 2010 and the second of 11 aircraft to be delivered to the base in 2012. Dyess will have the distinction of being home to the largest C-130J fleet in the world when it receives its 28th Super Hercules aircraft in 2013. Read More

From the Air Force Association: Blowing an AMP: In place of the C-130 Avionics Modernization Program, which the Air Force seeks to terminate in its Fiscal 2013 budget request, the service is proposing a more affordable and less technically complex project to upgrade the communications and navigation gear on its legacy combat-delivery C-130s. The Optimize Legacy C-130 Communication, Navigation, Surveillance, Air Traffic Management program will outfit these H-model C-130s to comply with modern air space requirements, allowing them to fly at the most advantageous altitudes and direct routes for reduced fuel consumption, according to the Air Force's Fiscal 2013 budget overview. These upgrades will "meet the basic CNS/ATM requirements and resolve obsolescence issues for the legacy C-130 fleet," states the document. The Air Force projects that the proposed savings from these changes will to amount to some $300 million in Fiscal 2013 and $2.3 billion between Fiscal 2013 and Fiscal 2017, according to the Pentagon's Fiscal 2103 budget overview. Boeing has been the lead contractor for AMP, which has progressed into its low-rate initial production phase.

Here is the break out for all aircraft. http://www.afa.org/PresidentsCorner/WashingtonPerspective/2012/State%20Impacts%20-%20Overall_V7.pdf

This is from the AFA. Fiscal 2013 Actions: Eliminate 19 C-130H2s from JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, along with an active association there; remove three -H2s from Niagara, N.Y., and end a Reserve association there; remove 10 -H2.5s from Rosecrans AGS, Mo., six -H2s from Youngstown-Warren, Ohio, one -H2.5 from Louisville, Ky., one -H3 from Charleston, W.V., one -H2.5 from Cheyenne, Wyo., four -H2s from Stratton AGS, N.Y., seven -H2s from Dobbins ARB, Ga., and seven -H2s from Pittsburgh, Pa., resulting in the closure of the associated Air Reserve Station there. Fiscal 2014 Actions: Remove seven C-130Hs from Maxwell AFB, Ala.; eight -H2s from NAS JRB Ft. Worth, Tex.; and eight -H3s from Minneapolis-St. Paul. Also remove 10 C-130Js from Keesler AFB, Miss. Fiscal 2016 Actions: Remove eight C-130H2s from Savannah, Ga., and eight -H3s from the active component at Little Rock, Ark. Fiscal 2017 Actions: Remove eight C-130H2s from Niagara, N.Y., three -H2s from the Reserve component and six H3s from the active component at Little Rock and two -H3s from Charlotte, N.C.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3216[/ATTACH] Photo Credit http://www.shephardmedia.com Lockheed Martin announced the delivery of the 2400th C-130 Hercules that it has manufactured on its production line in Marietta, Ga. The company said Marietta's Hercules assembly activities represent "the longest continuously operating military aircraft production line in history." The 2,400th C-130 is an Air Force MC-130J special-mission aircraft destined for beddown at Cannon AFB, N.M. This aircraft's delivery follows a record year for C-130J production in 2011, with 33 C-130Js supplied, a new high for the C-130J model, according to the company. These 33 C-130Js were in six different configurations for six operators: Air Mobility Command, Air Force Special Operations Command, the Marine Corps, Canada, India, and Qatar. According to the Air Force, the company delivered the first C-130s in December 1956. Story Links: http://www.airforce-magazine.com/Pages/HomePage.aspx http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/press-releases/2012/january/120130ae_c-130--240th-delivery.html http://www.shephardmedia.com/news/mil-log/lockheed-martin-marks-2400th-c-130-hercules-delive/ http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2012/02/01/Lockheed-touts-C-130-milestone/UPI-31871328118000/

Bob, I would like one, too. [email protected]

http://themilitarywallet.com/veterans-day-free-meals-and-discounts/#axzz1dKAZ0Xa9

From the Air Force Times: The performance of the Air Force’s new C-130J in intra-theater lift in places like Afghanistan is so remarkable that the service may replace the engines of its older-model Hercules aircraft to increase their fuel efficiency, the service’s second highest ranking uniformed leader said Wednesday. “Throughout the single-command area of operations, we have prioritized the use of newer, more efficient C-130Js for intra-theater airlift over older, less efficient C-130 models,†said Gen. Philip Breedlove, Air Force vice chief, at the U.S. Army & U.S. Air Force Energy Forum in Arlington, Va. “In fact, this difference is significant enough that we are considering commercially available engines for our older C-130 fleet that would cost less in maintenance and fuel consumption.†While re-engining older aircraft would be beneficial, the problem for the service’s accountants is that any savings from such an endeavor would mostly fall outside of the five-year budgetary cycle, Air Force undersecretary Erin Conaton said at the same conference. Conaton said she wants to make sure the Air Force not only is buying new, more efficient engines for older aircraft, but also invests in the next generation of engines. “Those are the things I’m very conscious of trying to make sure we compete for resources as we go forward,†she said. “Because I think in times of budgetary restriction, many people look to cut the things that are of long-term benefit.†Speaking to reporters at the conference, Kevin Geiss, deputy assistant Air Force secretary for energy, said that next-generation engine programs such as the ADaptive Versatile ENgine Technology (ADVENT) could be as much as 30 percent more fuel efficient than the current generation F119 or F135 found on the F-22 and F-35, respectively. ADVENT, Geiss said, is currently an Air Force Research Laboratory program moving into the technology development phase. “The estimates that we have now is that it could cut fuel consumption by about 30 percent for that fighter aircraft type of engine,†he said. The F-35 engine, Geiss said, uses much more fuel than the F-16’s or F-15’s engine, and as such the fuel savings would be significant. Geiss added the caveat that the Lightning II’s engine, which produces about 43,000 pounds of thrust, is much more powerful than those older engines. Geiss said he couldn’t immediately offer a timeline on when the ADVENT engine would be operational, but said that a sixth-generation follow-on to the F-35 could use such a propulsion system. For subsonic aircraft the service is working on the Versatile, Affordable, Advanced Turbine Engines and Highly Efficient Embedded Turbine Engine programs, Geiss said. Much of the ADVENT technology would be applicable to those engines, he said. The service does have a schedule by which it intends to mature these new engine technologies but Geiss didn’t have those details on hand. “Some of the things we still need to develop on the subsonic aircraft are the advanced materials to enable those technologies,†Geiss said. But “those three engine technologies I mentioned would be revolutionary, not evolutionary,†he said.

C-130 Upgrade Program Prepares for Operational Testing: Boeing announced that the C-130 Avionics Modernization Program is preparing for five aircraft to enter initial operational test and evaluation early next year. "Once evaluation is complete in late 2012, we will have a fully tested and proven weapon system," said Mahesh Reddy, Boeing's C-130 AMP program director. The Air Force intends to install new digital cockpits in 221 C-130H2, -H2.5, and –H3 aircraft under AMP. The three C-130s that Boeing modified for developmental testing have since gone through scheduled programmed depot maintenance to bring them up to the AMP production configuration. All three of them are expected to be at Little Rock AFB, Ark., this month. The first two C-130s receiving the new avionics during the program's production phase are expected to arrive at Little Rock by early 2012, joining the three other airplanes for IOT&E.

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) -- Members of the 418th Flight Test Squadron C-130 Hercules Wheel Brake System Improvement program here are testing the performance of carbon brakes and the new Mark IV Digital Antiskid Control Unit for the aircraft to replace the C-130's legacy brake system. Members of this test group said they know the lives of current and future C-130 crewmembers depend on them doing their job right. "My primary objective is to make sure the carbon brakes and the Mark IV are equivalent to or better than the legacy steel brakes and the Mark II Analog Antiskid system," said Colin Young, a 418th FLTS subsystems engineer. "If the tests are successful, then the brakes will be retrofitted to all C-130s, other than the C-130J (that already uses the new brakes)." Parts for the current legacy brake system are becoming scarce because they are no longer being manufactured, so the need for new brakes is significant. The testing involves max-effort braking where the pilot would apply the maximum pressure to the brakes to stop the cargo plane. Different test points include observing how the carbon brakes perform with different cargo weights and wet-runway tests to evaluate the digital antiskid system. Mr. Young said the carbon brakes are designed to have a 25-percent increase in thermal capacity when compared to the current steel brakes, which reduces potential for brake fires and locking up. The brakes also reduce stopping distance. For testing purposes, team members drilled holes into the center stator and inserted thermal probes into the brakes to obtain real-time brake temperatures during testing. Test officials said temperatures are essential to determine how hot the brakes get during maximum effort braking and to evaluate the cooling profile of the brakes. "The one thing you find with steel brakes is they cannot handle as much heat, and they certainly heat up a lot quicker than carbon brakes," said 1st. Lt. Nicole Potter, a 418th FLTS flight test engineer. "The nice thing about steel brakes is they dissipate the heat quickly, and we're finding with the carbon brakes it takes a little longer to cool, but their capacity to handle heat is a lot better." Along with better performance, the new carbon brakes are more durable and efficient. "From a logistics point of view, the old brakes can last up to 4,000 miles of landing distance," Mr. Young said. "The new brakes can last 25,000 (miles), so it's almost six times better in terms of logistics support." With C-130s doing constant missions throughout Southwest Asia, a new braking system stands to benefit cargo pilots down range and that fact is not lost on the test team. "The warfighters have had a continuous problem with the wear-out of the brakes and the turnaround time to rebuild them," said Lance Stoebling, assistant program manager. "Composite brake systems are coming out throughout the Air Force and the C-130 is next on the list." A C-130E on loan from the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. is being used to accomplish testing and is scheduled to complete one last mission for the Air Force before it is decommissioned. WBSI testing is scheduled to conclude in July. Since testing began in March, Mr. Stoebling said the 418th FLTS has completed 100 percent of the legacy baseline brake testing and about 75 percent of the new brake system tests. "So far, it looks very promising," said Mr. Stoebling.

6/2/2011 - U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFNS) -- A C-130 Hercules ramp support platform designed by four cadets here in May could save not only Air Force dollars but also the backs of the loadmasters who currently drag around 75-pound monstrosities, officials said. The newly designed "milk stool," as the ramp support platform is called, would weigh 20 pounds, while supporting a load of up to 61 tons, according to a presentation May 5 by Cadets Aadit Patel, Zachary Peters, Jeremy Robben and Joshua Yeaste to the Air Force Academy's Department of Mechanical Engineering. The department has begun discussions with the Air Force engineering authority at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., to determine testing requirements for the new milk stool, said Maj. Trent Greenwell, a mechanical engineering instructor who served as the cadets' adviser for the redesign project. The new design could be incorporated into a technical order supplement as early as 2012, depending on when the milk stool fulfills the test requirements. The cadets began their project in the spring semester as part of their Mechanical Engineering 499 class, an independent study on one of several topics approved by the department head. Cadet Peters, now a senior with Cadet Squadron 24, said the ramp support platform interested him because of its potential application to the operational Air Force. "One day, a loadmaster could be using what we designed," Cadet Peters said. "This could help the C-130 community." Major Greenwell guided the four through a systems engineering process that included preliminary and critical design reviews, development of a prototype and procedure validation and verification. The cadets began their semester-long project by researching users' requirements. To find out what loadmasters needed from a milk stool, they visited the 52nd Airlift Squadron, part of Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd Airlift Wing at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. "While in a deployed environment, a loadmaster may lift the milk stool more than 10 times on a normal mission," said Master Sgt. A.K. Roberts, the loadmaster superintendent for the 52nd Airlift Squadron at Peterson AFB. "That may not sound like much, but when you take into account the heat and hydration issues that come with flying these missions, a lightweight design would help tremendously." Loadmasters must also lift the milk stool over cargo or carry it outside the aircraft and in through the crew door due to the cargo configuration, a process that Sergeant Roberts described as "very cumbersome." In their Feb. 15 preliminary design review, the cadets concluded the new milk stool must support at least 27,700 pounds without failing, and be durable enough to survive the rough working environments in which C-130s take off and land. It must also weigh 50 pounds or less, and preferably less than 35 pounds, Cadet Peters said. "It has to be quickly deployable for combat environments," Cadet Peters said. "And it has to function anywhere in the world, from deserts to tropical environments to the Antarctic, because C-130s fly to all of those locations." The team brainstormed ideas, including an inflatable bag and a one-column support structure. They faced both budgetary and time constraints, Cadet Peters said. "We took our timeline and (asked), 'What's feasible?'" he said. They presented their ideas in the preliminary design review and opened the floor to suggestions from mechanical engineering instructors and staff. They got support from instructor Maj. Matthew Obenchain and materials scientist Megan LaBahn, along with others, Cadet Peters said. After the first review, the cadets split their responsibilities into the categories of materials, manufacturing, modeling and analysis. Cadet Peters took charge of materials. "I started out with 7075 aluminum for initial analysis," he said. "I used some information that Ms. LaBahn gave me." Aluminum 7075 is an alloy of aluminum, zinc, magnesium and copper used in some airframes. Unfortunately, it turned out to be too rare for the cadets to procure it, and the second option was also out. The group went back to the drawing board. "We ended up going with 6061-T6 aluminum," Cadet Peters said. "It's lightweight, really cheap and readily available in sizes we could work with." While the 6061-T6 metal has less tensile strength than 7075 aluminum, it proved to be sufficient for the cadets. Their design, which incorporates four columns with flat top and bottom surfaces, withstood nearly 4.5 times the required weight without permanent deformation, Major Greenwell said. The team received the prototype just in time to present it at the Colorado Springs Undergraduate Research Forum, where it received glowing reviews, Cadet Peters said. "People loved it. Everyone who was there for our presentations wanted to stay afterward and talk to us about it," he said. One reason why visitors to CSURF liked the prototype might be the production cost, which is anywhere from $100 to $150 apiece, Major Greenwell said. "A maintenance shop could build it from readily available parts," Cadet Peters said. "They could weld it together ... and put the wooden deck on top of it to fit the ramp if they needed a spare." The simplicity and ease of construction would allow Air Force officials to bypass the process of seeking outside vendors or sourcing a contract to build the new ramp supports, Major Greenwell said. Cadet Peters said he was pleased with the outcome of the project. "I enjoyed the project a lot," he said. "Our team really worked well together, and Major Greenwell and the people in the (mechanical engineering) lab helped us out a lot. We worked hard, but we had fun, and we're happy with what we got out of it."

Officials with the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon AFB, N.M., have actviated the 522nd Special Operations Squadron. "We will commit ourselves to excellence, be dedicated and courageous, and we will always, lead the way," said Lt. Col. Paul Pendleton, who took command of the reformed unit, whose history dates back to World War II. The 522nd SOS will be USAF's first unit assigned the MC-130J Combat Shadow II, which is due to begin operations in 2012. The unit's role will be covert infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of special forces in hostile and denied regions. Pendleton received the unit's laurelled guidon from 27th Special Operations Group acting commander Col. Charles Myers during the April 7 stand-up ceremony. The 522nd, known as the Fireballs, was one of the most decorated air units during World War II.

From Air Force News: Air Force Special Operations Command officials welcomed the latest variant of the MC-130 at a rollout ceremony held at Lockheed Martin's Marietta, Ga., factory recently. The rollout accelerates AFSOC commander Lt. Gen. Donald C. Wurster's priority to recapitalize the fleet by acquiring MC-130J Combat Shadow IIs to replace aircraft that have been flying combat missions for up to 45 years. Lockheed Martin officials exhibited the MC-130J for members of AFSOC, U.S. Special Operations Command, the Air Force, Congress and the community. The streamlined turboprop tanker is designed to fly low-level, clandestine aerial refueling missions as well as infiltration, exfiltration and resupply missions. The Combat Shadow II has the capability to complete these missions faster and more efficiently than its MC-130 Combat Talon and MC-130P Combat Shadow counterparts, said Wurster, who was the keynote speaker at the event. "The MC-130J is better in all respects," he said. "It's faster, it's more powerful, it's more efficient, it flies higher and farther, and it is easier to maintain." Capt. Joey Sullivan, a member of the initial MC-130J training cadre and an MC-130P pilot, touched on the enhanced capabilities of the aircraft for the crowd by comparing the MC-130P and the MC-130J in a fictional mission scenario. In the same resupply scenario, the Combat Shadow II completes its mission on less fuel since the rate of consumption on a J-model is 18 percent less than that of an MC-130P. Takeoff and cruise power exceed that of the MC-130P by 25 and 20 percent, respectively. Range is also increased by 40 percent, he said. Enhanced efficiency is not limited to fuel consumption, carrying capacity and avionics, Sullivan said. The MC-130J is minimally manned by a five-member crew as opposed to the standard eight-member MC-130P crew, requiring increased coordination among members. "The MC-130J is powerful and capable," he said. "While it requires fewer crewmembers, it demands more from each (crewmember) to utilize all the capabilities and situational awareness that this aircraft provides." Traditionally modified from baseline C-130 Hercules E and H models, the MC-130J represents the first C-130 specifically built for special operations, making it lighter and more efficient, Wurster said. It was not modified after the fact to accommodate special operations missions. "From this frame, we will build all the new variants of Hercules in the future AFSOC fleet," Wurster said. "We will leverage 50 years of design and operational lessons to field the special operations airlift, refueling, penetration and strike force of the future." In addition to the MC-130J tanker, AFSOC officials will be acquiring AC-130Js as the streamlined version of the gunship. "If we use our heads, that airplane will be remarkably similar to this machine with the addition of a proven weapons package," Wurster said. The first of the MC-130Js are slated to be delivered to their home bases during fall of this year. Wurster credited Air Force and SOCOM staffs, government partners and industry teammates for years of hard work dedicated to making the acquisition possible. "All of you have had a hand in bringing this program to the finish line and should be proud of the service you are providing to our great nation," he said. "Our current (crewmembers), as well as the next generation, will benefit from the intellectual, technical and financial investment we have made in this new fleet." Though Sullivan lauded the modern avionics and capabilities of the Combat Shadow II, he said crewmembers will be the ones who will make it great. "The MC-130J can carry the Shadow's legacy and it can do it with fewer crewmembers, but it is going to take true (special operations forces) spirit and tenacity to carry this aircraft to its true potential."

You can try this site. http://usaf.aib.law.af.mil/

From the AFA daily report: Eight to Four, a Day's Work in Cheyenne: Maintainers have removed the four, eight-bladed NP-2000 propellers that had been fitted to a C-130 of the Wyoming Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing since 2007 as part of an evaluation at Edwards AFB, Calif. Wing airmen briefly returned the C-130 to the unit's home in Cheyenne for the propellers' removal. USAF testers have used this Hercules since 2005 to assess the performance of a modernized electronic propeller control system and the NP-2000s. Wing airmen found the C-130 to be more powerful, efficient, quieter, and easier to maintain with the NP-2000s. The aircraft will return to Edwards for the evaluation's final stage to gather performance data on the C-130's baseline propellers to compare with NP-2000 data. That testing should be completed by June. The wing's C-130 is retaining the EPCS. (Cheyenne report by 1st Lt. Christian Venhuizen)

USAF reactions to this event follow: Air Education and Training Command: The purpose is to familiarize the chicken with road-crossing procedures. Road-crossing should be performed only between the hours of sunset and sunrise. Solo chickens must have at least three miles of visibility and a safety observer. Special Ops: The chicken crossed at a 90 degree angle to avoid prolonged exposure to a line of communication. To achieve maximum surprise, the chicken should have performed this maneuver at night using NVG’s, preferably near a road bend in a valley. Air Combat Command: The chicken should log this as a GCC sortie only if road-crossing qualified. The crossing updates the chicken’s 60-day road-crossing currency only if performed on a Monday or Thursday or during a full moon. Instructor chickens may update currency any time they observe another chicken cross the road. Tanker Airlift Control Center: We need the road-crossing time and the time the chicken becomes available for another crossing. Command Post: What chicken? Tower: The chicken was instructed to hold short of the road. This road-incursion incident was reported in a Hazardous Chicken Road-Crossing Report (HCRCR). Please re-emphasize that chickens are required to read back all hold short instructions. C-130 crewmember: Just put it in back and let’s go. C-141 crewmember: I ordered a no. 4 with Turkey and ham, NOT chicken. Besides, where the heck are my condiments?! We ain’t taking off til’ I get my condiments!!! Fighter dude: Look, dude, that was the frag, OK? I’ve flown my 1.0 for the day and I ain’t got time for anymore questions! B-1 crew: Missed the whole show–we had an IFE so we couldn’t get out to see it; you’ll have to ask the SOF. Air Force Personnel Center: Due to the needs of the Air Force, the chicken was involuntarily reassigned to the other side of the road. This will be a 3-year controlled tour and we promise to give the chicken a good-deal assignment afterwards. Every chicken will be required to do one road-crossing during its career, and this will not affect its opportunities for future promotion. John Warden: The chicken used its unique ability to operate in 2 dimensions to bypass the less important strategic rings on this side of the road and strike directly into the heart of the enemy, thereby destroying the will of the enemy to fight and thus ending the conflict on terms favorable to the chicken. Congress: The chicken will do anything to get the C-17 and the F-22.

According to the USAF the pilot did not surive. http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123231773

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) -- Engineers with the 418th Flight Test Squadron are currently testing a C-130H3 cargo plane equipped with Hamilton Sundstrand NP 2000 propellers. The new eight-bladed composite propellers are shaped to provide additional thrust in the takeoff and low airspeed range while using the current C-130 engines. Regular C-130 "legacy" planes use four-blade propellers. With eight blades, the NP 2000 props are designed to perform with more power and efficiency. "A major limitation propellers have is the wave drag generated by shockwaves when the propeller tips go supersonic," said Dustin Marschik, a 418th FTS performance and flying qualities engineer. "Newer propeller designs aim to reduce this wave drag, which improves efficiency and performance. The NP 2000 blade design incorporates a more efficient airfoil design, which theoretically will lead to improved performance in the takeoff and climb out phases of flight. "The eight-bladed props are much more efficiently designed and utilize modern design and manufacturing methods which aim to optimize twist and blade sweep to improve performance," Mr. Marschik said. Computer simulation and the composite materials that make up the blades help engineers optimize the blade angle and twists to make the propeller faster and better. "It is designed specifically for the LC-130 mission in Antarctica," said Maj. C.B. Cain, a C-130 flight commander. "Right now, they use these jet-assisted takeoff bottles to help them takeoff to get to about a 60-knot takeoff range. If this propeller does what it is supposed to do, then it would produce additional thrust and reduce the need for those JATO bottles, or eliminate them completely." Engineers have been conducting performance testing since May on the NP 2000 propeller to characterize how the propeller performs to produce a flight manual for the LC-130, or any other C-130 that may be outfitted with the new prop. The 418th engineers just wrapped up flight tests involving velocity minimum control airspeed Oct. 28, with Edward AFB's only C-130H3. "This is where we shut down an engine on purpose and slow down to find the point where we have neutral directional control," Major Cain said. "It involves the pilot putting 180-pounds of rudder force in and then slowing, putting it in a five-degree bank angle, and seeing where the directional control switches back the other way." "If you lose an engine, this is the slowest you ever want to get. Any slower and you wouldn't have positive control of the heading of the aircraft." In the previous week, squadron testers completed takeoff tests to see how the cargo plane and its propellers perform on maximum-power takeoffs as well as landing tests, which included free-roll landings to see how the plane stops without using its brakes and using reverse thrust. Major Cain said test data still needs to be analyzed, but preliminary testing has shown that the eight-bladed NP 2000 propeller provides noticeable drag on the free-roll landing tests and the C-130H3 seems to fly smoother. He said with less vibration, there is less wear and tear on the propeller, which can also be an added benefit. "Instead of four similar airfoil blades pounding around up there, you have these eight highly tuned blades that make it smoother with less vibration," Major Cain said. "From a maintainability standpoint, you can change one blade at a time. On the legacy four-blade C-130, you have to change out the whole prop." This flight testing is a continuation of a process to improve the capability of the Air Force's workhorse C-130 fleet. The C-130J "Super" Hercules already employs a six-bladed composite propeller. "The NP 2000 has been optimized more and represents the next step in propeller technology," said Major Cain. In the coming months, the NP 2000 propellers will be replaced on the C-130H3 with legacy four-blade propellers to conduct flight tests to directly compare the performance differences between new and old. Additional testing will involve taking off with a maximum combat-load weight and conducting takeoffs on three engines and malfunction simulations. Major Cain said flight tests for the NP 2000 C-130H3 will likely go through January 2011. Once all the data is assessed, and if Air Force officials see a solid benefit of the NP 2000, certain C-130s may get a new and improved upgrade in the future.

From the Air Force Times web site: 5 bodies found after Afghanistan plane crash By Amir Shah - The Associated Press Posted : Wednesday Oct 13, 2010 8:28:33 EDT KABUL, Afghanistan — Five charred bodies were recovered Wednesday from the wreckage of a cargo plane carrying NATO supplies that slammed into a mountaintop east of Afghanistan's capital with eight people aboard. Searchers scoured the blackened site high up the mountainside for three other crew members missing and feared dead, said police Gen. Zulmayi Horya Khail. The plane went down east of Kabul shortly after taking off Tuesday evening from Bagram Air Field, the main U.S. military base in Afghanistan. The cause of the crash wasn't immediately known. Weather conditions were clear at the time. Kabul Airport Director Mohammad Yaqub Rassuli said the aircraft was carrying supplies for NATO forces. Six Filipinos, one Indian and one Kenyan were aboard the flight. Rassuli said all eight were believed dead. Hundreds of Afghan security forces in fatigues carrying M-16 rifles gathered at the bottom of the mountain Wednesday. Smoke could be seen rising from the scattered wreckage. The plane, owned by United Arab Emirates-based TransAfrik, was under contract by the U.S.-based company National Air Cargo. "The company has confirmed that a TransAfrik L-100 aircraft flying from Bagram to Kabul went down shortly before 8 p.m.," National Air Cargo said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the crew and their families." The L-100 Hercules aircraft is the civilian equivalent of a military C-130 plane. NATO said in a statement the crash occurred about 16 miles east of Kabul International Airport.

From the AFA news: The Air Force has awarded L-3 Communications a $61 million contract to add a weapons package to eight MC-130W Combat Spear special-mission aircraft to give them a gunship-like attack capability. Under the terms of the deal, L-3 will provide the weapons kits, which are called "precision strike packages," for installation on the aircraft at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center in Georgia. MC-130Ws fitted with the weapons will be known as Dragon Spears. Air Force Special Operations Command is arming these aircraft to relieve the relentless operational demands on its regular AC-130 gunships until new AC-130Js enter the fleet.

Air Force officials have activated the 345th Airlift Squadron at Keesler AFB, Miss., to work with Air Force Reserve Command's 403rd Wing in operating C-130J transports from there. This pairing is one of the Air Force's new active associations. 345th AS personnel will work alongside their Reserve counterparts in Keesler's 815th AS and 403rd Maintenance Group to fly and maintain initially eight, and eventually 10, AFRC C-130Js. "We have three goals: to create a new and outstanding squadron, to seamlessly integrate with the 403rd Wing, and then execute the mission for which we've trained so many hours," said Lt. Col. Craig Williams, 345th AS commander, during the unit's Aug. 6 activation ceremony. The 345th AS is organized under the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock AFB, Ark.