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Hush

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  1. Hush

    Happy Birthday Herc!

    On this day in 1954, marked the first flight of the C-130 Hercules! Some interesting history from Wikipedia: Background and requirements The Korean War showed that World War II-era piston-engine transports—Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars, Douglas C-47 Skytrains and Curtiss C-46 Commandos—were no longer adequate. Thus, on 2 February 1951, the United States Air Force issued a General Operating Requirement (GOR) for a new transport to Boeing, Douglas, Fairchild, Lockheed, Martin, Chase Aircraft, North American, Northrop, and Airlifts Inc. The new transport would have a capacity of 92 passengers, 72 combat troops or 64 paratroopers in a cargo compartment that was approximately 41 feet (12 m) long, 9 feet (2.7 m) high, and 10 feet (3.0 m) wide. Unlike transports derived from passenger airliners, it was to be designed specifically as a combat transport with loading from a hinged loading ramp at the rear of the fuselage. A key feature was the introduction of the Allison T56 turboprop powerplant, which was developed for the C-130. At the time, the turboprop was a new application of gas turbines, which offered greater range at propeller-driven speeds compared to pure turbojets, which were faster but consumed more fuel. They also produced much more power for their weight than piston engines. Design phase The Hercules resembled a larger four-engine brother to the C-123 Provider with a similar wing and cargo ramp layout that evolved from the Chase XCG-20 Avitruc, which in turn, was first designed and flown as a cargo glider in 1947.[5] The Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter also had a rear ramp, which made it possible to drive vehicles onto the plane (also possible with forward ramp on a C-124). The ramp on the Hercules was also used to airdrop cargo, which included low-altitude extraction for Sheridan tanks and even dropping large improvised "daisy cutter" bombs. The new Lockheed cargo plane design possessed a range of 1,100 nmi (1,270 mi; 2,040 km), takeoff capability from short and unprepared strips, and the ability to fly with one engine shut down. Fairchild, North American, Martin, and Northrop declined to participate. The remaining five companies tendered a total of ten designs: Lockheed two, Boeing one, Chase three, Douglas three, and Airlifts Inc. one. The contest was a close affair between the lighter of the two Lockheed (preliminary project designation L-206) proposals and a four-turboprop Douglas design. The Lockheed design team was led by Willis Hawkins, starting with a 130-page proposal for the Lockheed L-206.[6]Hall Hibbard, Lockheed vice president and chief engineer, saw the proposal and directed it to Kelly Johnson, who did not care for the low-speed, unarmed aircraft, and remarked, "If you sign that letter, you will destroy the Lockheed Company."[6] Both Hibbard and Johnson signed the proposal and the company won the contract for the now-designated Model 82 on 2 July 1951.[7] The first flight of the YC-130 prototype was made on 23 August 1954 from the Lockheed plant in Burbank, California. The aircraft, serial number 53-3397, was the second prototype, but the first of the two to fly. The YC-130 was piloted by Stanley Beltz and Roy Wimmer on its 61-minute flight to Edwards Air Force Base; Jack Real and Dick Stanton served as flight engineers. Kelly Johnson flew chase in a Lockheed P2V Neptune.[8] After the two prototypes were completed, production began in Marietta, Georgia, where over 2,300 C-130s have been built through 2009.[9] The initial production model, the C-130A, was powered by Allison T56-A-9 turboprops with three-blade propellers and originally equipped with the blunt nose of the prototypes. Deliveries began in December 1956, continuing until the introduction of the C-130B model in 1959. Some A-models were equipped with skis and re-designated C-130D. As the C-130A became operational with Tactical Air Command (TAC), the C-130's lack of range became apparent and additional fuel capacity was added with wing pylon-mounted tanks outboard of the engines; this added 6,000 lb of fuel capacity for a total capacity of 40,000 lb.
  2. Below is a link from a web site called The War Zone about the 130J demo (Forget The Fighters, Lockheed's LM-100J Super Hercules Demo Slayed At Farnborough). It also has some additional 130J videos on the demo pilot, MAFFS and The Four Horsemen. http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/22238/forget-the-fighters-lockheeds-lm-100j-super-hercules-demo-slayed-at-farnborough
  3. he Air Force plans to fly its war-tested 1950s-era C-130 aircraft well into the 2030s By Kris Osborn - Warrior Maven The Air Force plans to fly its war-tested 1950s-era C-130 aircraft well into the 2030s and beyond through a sweeping, multi-pronged technical overhaul, designed to enable the propeller-flown aircraft to perform its high-risk troop transport and combat support missions for decades to come. While there have been many innovations, upgrades and technological enhancements to the aircraft since it originally surfaced in the mid-1950s, the historic cargo plane may wind up flying for more than 80 years, according to current Air Force plans. The service is giving the platform new propeller technology, radios, glass cockpit touchscreen displays, digital avionics, collision avoidance technology and reinforced "wing-boxes," service officials said. The airframes themselves are a key focal point of the effort, Air Force developers explain, which includes replacing and reinforcing the “center wingbox” of the aircraft where the wings mount to the fuselage. “The C-130 center wing box replacement program replaces time-limited center wing boxes on applicable variants of the C-130s. Center wing box installations are underway at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center for legacy C-130s and C-130Js as flight hours require,” Maj. Emily Grabowski, Air Force spokeswoman, told Warrior Maven. As for when a C-130 needs maintenance upgrade to preserve and maintain service life, the Air Force uses an assessment metric referred to as “equivalent baseline hours.” The wing-boxes are changed once the aircraft reaches a certain “severity factor” in its operational service time. This is necessary because the wear and tear or impact of missions upon and airplane can vary greatly depending upon a range of factors such as the altitude at which a plane is flying, Air Force weapons developers said. “Low-level flight may be three to four times the severity factor of flying at a higher level,” one senior Air Force official told Warrior. Called an Avionics Modernization Program by Air Force developers, the upgrades also include adding new 8.33 radios to the aircraft to improve communication and initiatives to upgrade cockpit voice recorders and digital data recorders. C-130s will also receive new collision-avoidance technology designed to prevent the planes from hitting terrain or colliding with one another mid-air As a propeller-driven aircraft, the C-130s are able to fly at low altitudes, land in more rugged conditions and withstand harsh weather such as obscurants. The propellers make the aircraft’s engines less susceptible to debris flying in and causing operational problems for the engines. An Air Force C-17, by contrast, needs to operate in more defined conditions, such as areas with longer, separated or unobstructed runways. Flying debris or uneven terrain could of course present complications for C-17 engines, whereas the C-130 is specifically designed for low-altitude, high risk combat zones with uneven terrain – scenarios requiring both durability and maneuverability. In fact, in so-called “hot” or active combat zones, C-130s often airdrop weapons, supplies and even troops when called upon by Commanders. These factors inform a large part of the calculus for the ongoing Air Force effort to replace the C-130s existing hydromechanical propeller control system with a new Electronic Propeller Control System (EPCS). Electronic Propeller Control System modification is underway for all C‑130Hs, Grabowski said. “The T-56 3.5 engine, 8-bladed propeller, and EPCS are undergoing operational test and evaluation at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. These modifications were tested individually and are now undergoing test together to determine their combined operational effectiveness,” she added. An essay written by the National Guard Association of the United States further elaborates upon the merits of moving to electronic propeller control systems. “EPCS improves safety by accelerating response time when throttles are rapidly advanced; an issue in previous mishaps. The legacy propeller control system uses 1950’s technology and is a significant maintenance cost driver,” a 2015 National Guard Association “C-130 Propulsion Upgrade” paper for Congress states. Acceleration improvements such as this naturally bring tactical advantages as well; more maneuverable aircraft better able to handle and accelerate are less vulnerable to enemy ground missile attacks. “EPCS kits replace 54H60 propeller mechanical controls with a system based on digital computer software, offering improved reliability, and more precise performance. EPCS represents a 50-year leap in prop control technology for C-130 operators with the 54H60 propellers,” a statement from EPCS-maker Hamilton Sundstrand states. The original 1999 US Patent Application for Electronic Propeller Control Systems, submitted through United Technologies by a small group of inventors, explains that the new electrical system improves the mechanisms controlling the “pitch angle” of a propeller blade. This improves maneuverability, creates faster acceleration from the throttle and optimizes the connectivity between the propeller controls and the movements of the propeller blades. A stable pitch angle, described as the angle between the horizontal and vertical axes of the aircraft, is essential to aircraft performance and flight stability. “The apparatus converts mechanical inputs of the propeller and airframe systems to electronic signals, which can be measured by the electronic control. The apparatus also receives and converts the electronic control's commands into hydraulic pressure and flow changes through an electro-hydraulic servo valve,” the Patent Abstract writes. More Weapons and Technology - WARRIOR MAVEN (CLICK HERE) --- Kris Osborn, Managing Editor of WARRIOR MAVEN (CLICK HERE) can be reached at [email protected] --
  4. Link: https://news.usni.org/2018/04/02/congress-accelerates-funding-new-navy-c-130t-propeller-replacement-program?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EBB 4/3/18&utm_term=Editorial - Military - Early Bird Brief Article if the link is broken: The Navy will regain a significant heavy airlift capability a bit sooner than anticipated, after lawmakers accelerated funding needed to get the service’s fleet of C-130T aircraft back in the air. The four-engine turboprop C-130T aircraft is the backbone of the Navy’s supply and personnel transportation system. However, 80 percent of the Navy’s fleet of 24 C-130 aircraft remains grounded due to a problem with the propellers, after the service halted their operations in July 2017. Outfitting the fleet with a new propeller system designed to improve performance will cost about $121 million and was originally listed on the Navy’s Fiscal Year 2019 unfunded priorities list — a supplement to the Navy’s budget request to Congress that outlines additional spending needs, if more money were to be appropriated for defense spending. The fleet has been grounded since a fatal 2017 Marine KC-130T crash that killed 15 Marines and a sailor. The Navy and Marine Corps have not made a direct connection between findings of the crash investigation and the grounding of the Navy C-130Ts, and the investigation and root cause analysis of the Marine Corps crash has not yet been finalized and publicly released. But lawmakers chose to fund the propeller replacement program even earlier, in the FY 2018 omnibus spending bill recently passed, after Navy officials spoke to the readiness challenges created by having the bulk of the C-130T fleet grounded in a March 20 House Armed Services readiness subcommittee hearing, according to Capt. Christopher Scholl, director of the public affairs office for the Chief of the Navy Reserve. The Navy relies on reservists to crew its fleet of C-130T and C-40A cargo planes. With so many C-130 aircraft grounded, the Navy turned to its fleet of reservist-operated C-40 aircraft, which are operating at 100 percent capacity, Vice Admiral Luke McCollum, chief of the Navy’s reserve force, said during the hearing. McCollum estimated that replacing the propeller systems would take between 12 and 18 months to complete. This timeline appears too long a wait for the Navy’s most famous C-130T, the Blue Angels flight demonstration team’s “Fat Albert.” The team is set to retire its C-130T support cargo plane, and Naval Air Systems Command announced on March 23 its intent to purchase a used British C-130J through a sole source contract with the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence. “The Government requires a suitable replacement aircraft, which must be delivered in an expeditious manner, to avoid a gap in logistical support of the Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron,” the announcement states as justification for the purchase.
  5. Excellent article on the Mighty Herc from AF Times: https://www.airforcetimes.com/off-duty/military-culture/2018/01/24/the-c-130-hercules-is-the-perfect-airlifter/?utm_source=clavis
  6. From the web site, This Day In Aviation (https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/) August 23, 2017Aviation53-3397, Allison Division of General Motors, Allison Model 501-D13, Allison T56-A-9, First Flight, Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Lockheed YC-130 Hercules, Prototype, Roy Wimmer, Stanley Beltz, Test Pilot, Transport The first prototype Lockheed YC-130 Hercules, 53-3397, takes of from the Lockheed Air terminal, Burbank, California, 23 August 1954. (Lockheed Martin) 23 August 1954: The first of two Lockheed YC-130 Hercules four-engine transport prototypes, 53-3397, made its first flight from the Lockheed Air Terminal at Burbank, California, to Edwards Air Force Base. The flight crew consisted of test pilots Stanley Beltz and Roy Wimmer, with Jack G. Real (a future Lockheed vice president) and Dick Stanton as flight engineers. The flight lasted 1 hour, 1 minute. The C-130 was designed as a basic tactical transport, capable of carrying 72 soldiers or 64 paratroopers. All production aircraft have been built at Lockheed’s Marietta, Georgia, plant. The first production model, the C-130A Hercules, was equipped with four Allison Model 501-D13 (T56-A-9) turboshaft engines, driving three-bladed propellers. The engines produced 3,755 horsepower, each. The C-130A had a maximum speed of 384 miles per hour (618 kilometers per hour) with a range of 2,090 miles (3,365 kilometers). It had a service ceiling of 41,300 feet (12,588 meters). Lockheed YC-130 53-3397 during its first flight, 23 August 1954. (Lockheed Martin) In addition to its basic role as a transport, the C-130 has also been used as an aerial tanker, a command-and-control aircraft, weather reconnaissance, search and rescue and tactical gunship. It has even been used as a bomber, carrying huge “Daisy Cutters” to clear large areas of jungle for use as helicopter landing zones, or, more recently, the Massive Ordnance Air Blast “mother of all bombs.” The aircraft has been so versatile that it has served in every type of mission. Over 40 variants have been built by Lockheed, including civilian transports. It is in service worldwide. The latest version is the Lockheed C-130J Hercules. After 63 years, the C-130 is still in production, longer than any other aircraft type. YC-130 53-3397 was scrapped at Indianapolis in 1962. Lockheed C-130J Hercules transports under construction at Lockheed’s Marietta, Georgia plant. (Lockheed Martin)
  7. Hush

    Hush

  8. You are correct, as usual, Ron Dogers. Hush
  9. Butch is a good airman - we were stationed together at the 463rd at dyess in 79 - 82 - don't piss off his wife Brenda! Hush
  10. It was left in 6N because it was assumed that you would be opening the ramp first. That is why you move it from the #6 to the #1 position which slightly raises the ramp and retracts the locks, then the #2 position which lowers the ramp, then to #3 (neutral). The #4 position raises the ramp while the number 5 position extends the locks. Its been many years, but I believe the sequence is correct - cannot remember what the -1, -9 (or 55-130) specified regarding the sequence, but some document specified the selector valve was suppose to be left in the 6N position. Again, many years have passed and I could be suffering from CRS. Hush
  11. Hush

    C-130E 64-0500

    In addition to the DIRCM test bed in the late 90's at Eglin (which I flew on), it was also the original Quiet Knight program.
  12. Air Force Pilot MIA From Vietnam War is Identified The Department of Defense announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors. Air Force Maj. Curtis Daniel Miller of Palacios, Texas, will be buried on March 29 in the Dallas-Ft. Worth National Cemetery. Miller was part of a 14-man aircrew, all of which are now accounted-for. Remains that could not be individually identified are included in a group that will be buried together in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. On March 29, 1972, 14 men were aboard an AC-130A Spectre gunship that took off from Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, on an armed reconnaissance mission over southern Laos. The aircraft was struck by an enemy surface-to-air missile and crashed. Search and rescue efforts were stopped after a few days due to heavy enemy activity in the area. In 1986, joint U.S.- Lao People's Democratic Republic teams, lead by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), surveyed and excavated the crash site in Savannakhet Province, Laos. The team recovered human remains and other evidence including two identification tags, life support items and aircraft wreckage. From 1986 to 1988, the remains were identified as those of nine men from this crew. Between 2005 and 2006, joint teams resurveyed the crash site and excavated it twice. The teams found more human remains, personal effects and crew-related equipment. As a result, JPAC identified the other crewmen using forensic identification tools, circumstantial evidence, mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons.
  13. regarding Dan's last post: Keep in mind that the J was sold to the AF when idiot McPeek was the Chief and Sheila Widnell was SECAF. McPeek believed that all military aircraft could be commercial unless of course it was a fighter and I believe he encouraged LMart to that extent. Hush
  14. Have read with interest the debate - many sound, good arguments can be made regarding R&D and industry. My two cents: First, the "acquisition holiday" of the Clinton years and everyones desire to reap the cost benefits of winning the cold war drove the industry to consolidation. That is why you saw the defense industry move into a decade of M&S (Mergers and Acquisitions - an example is Northrop acquiring Grumman and Newport News Ship Building). Second, industry is reluctant to commit R&D funds (known as Internal R and D - or IRAD) without a JROC approved requirements document. They do not have the money to start large IRAD projects without a solid business case as to why the company needs to spend millions of share holder dollars. The big 3 (Lockheed, Boeing & Northrop) are also reluctant, if not opposed, to any contract vehicle that places all of the program risk on them (which is what is being proposed for KC-X) as opposed to sharing development risk (both are known as a Firm Fixed Price versus Cost Plus Incentive). An additional challenge for both industry and government is fully funding programs once they reach a major Milestone decision. Many times a program's cost growth can be attributed to both requirements creep (not nailing down the requirements before you start) and poor funding). Unforntunantly , there is no simple solution. Both industry and governments is at fault, and when you throw politicians into the fray who dictate to the military what to buy and when to retire aircraft, it gets even worse (actually, it does get worse because now you have more lawyers on acquisition programs than acquisition professionals!). Sorry for my rambling, but I have spent the last 5 years in industry and there is plenty of blame to go around. Anyway, my two cents... Hush
  15. From today's AFA Daily Report eNewsletter: Members of Det. 1 of the 314th Troop Carrier Wing received the Presidential Unit Citation for their service during the Vietnam War during an Oct. 9 ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Fla. Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz presented them with the high honor, which recognizes extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy. These former special operations airmen flew MC-130E Talons in support of the Military Assistance Command Vietnam Studies and Observations Group from 1966 to 1968 on missions such as transport, air rescue, and leaflet drops over enemy territory. Although the MACVSOG and its supporting units received the citation in April 2001, Det. 1 was not included as a supporting unit on the citation, prompting retired Capt. Richard Sell, formerly of Det. 1, to wage a six-year campaign for the unit's recognition, which finally came in June. Long overdue congratulations to those who were assigned to Det 1... Hush
  16. Thanks - We worked pretty extensively with Bob Daly trying to track down the aircraft. We knew 1819's wings were removed a number of years ago - the Det 4 guys said the cost of the removal was a lot more then they originally thought because of all of the wave guides running through the leading edge along with other "unique" items (we also have been working with Bill Grimes (former Big Safari/CC)on trying to document the declassified history of the squadrons from a Big Safari perspective - he attends our reunions). As best as we can tell all three aircraft were shredded in 2004 or so, and we believe all the special enclosures within the cargo compartment were also disassembled and destroyed (what a shame). At some point, perhaps next year, we will have the history of the mission, to include the 7499th available. Much, probably 80%, has been declassified - we are working with one of our former intel officers, who is on the Air Staff, to ensure we understand which pieces have been declassified. Hush
  17. The Berlin For Lunch Bunch (7405th & 7580th Ops Sq, Rhein Main AB, GE, 1975 - 1991) will be having its second reunion in Dayton, Ohio, 2 - 4 October 2009. We will be hosting the 7499th Group which was our predecessor organization who flew C-97, C-29, etc, out of Wiesbaden before switching to the C-130 in 1975 and moving to Rhein-Main. The reunion also coincides with the 60th anniversary of the completion of the Berlin Airlift (additional information of those activites can be obtained from the National Museum of the United States Air Force web site: http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/) For additional information contact Mike Hushion at: [email protected]
  18. Dan - You are correct: Eat Ice Cream or Die! Attached is the official logo for The Berlin For Lunch Bunch group:
  19. Don - You sure that wasn\'t after a night at the Legion??
  20. I spent 6 years at Pope (41st, 39th, 2nd, 317th and 43rd) from 87 till 93. The thing about Pope was that if you wanted to see what the Herc could do, go to Pope. You saw the largest AD loads (M551s, 130G, M35, etc)and routinely worked in the dirt LZs of R5311. I always equated Pope to the Tac Airlift version of Nellis. The old flight line snack bar was memorable, along with the NCO club. Don was right about the beer vending machines and Hay Street. Of course, once the idiot McPeek took over, everything changed forever. Hush
  21. The significance is (besides having a pure C-130 pilot lead our Air Force) this is the first time since our inception that the Chief of Staff of the Air Force has gone to someone who is not a bomber or fighter pilot. It shows how dissatisfied SECDEF was in the direction that the AF was going. Having the announcement occur during Corona at Wright-Pat set a clear message to AF General Officers: the status quo is going to change. How incredibly fortunate, and proud, we are to have Gen Schwartz lead our Air Force! Hush
  22. Al Elburn\'s funeral will be Wednesday, 9 April, in Warner Robins, GA. Below is the link to his obituary with an online guest book that you may want to sign. http://obit.mcculloughfh.com/obitdisplay.html?id=525083&listing=Current
  23. Regret to report that CMSgt (ret) Chuck \"Al\" Elburn, C-130 FE, passed away on Thursday evening (3 Apr) due to complications from open heart surgery, in Macon, GA. Funeral arrangements are incomplete, but will post them when they are known. Al (or Elbows) and I flew together in Germany (The Berlin for Lunch Bunch) and he later when on to become the Chief C-130 FE in ACC when the Herc\'s went back to ACC (TAC) in the early 90\'s. Hush
  24. Hush

    AMP Program

    RZ - What is driving AMP upgrades (KC-10, C-5, KC-135PC upgrades, Navy C-130, etc) is the need for the aircraft to be compliant in European airspace, often referred to as Global Air Navigation & Safety/Global Air Traffic Management (GANS/GATM - it has other acronyms). That upgrade, which was one of the original requirements driving AMP, obviously ballooned because of cost/schedule/risk/etc (same old sh_ _). The services, to include SOCOM/AFSOC and NAVAIR are looking for alternatives to the Boeing AMP (which exist; a number of companies have already developed, flown and certified a “glass cockpit†which generally meet GANS/GATM requirements). The fact is that the AF/DoD can’t afford everything on its plate and has to find money to fix structural problems on a lot of aircraft (C-130, P-3, F-15, KC-135, etc) in addition to meeting unfunded requirements (GANS/GATM), fuel costs and aircraft high utilization rates. Strictly my thoughts folks…… Hush
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