The immortal Herk, for all your pics 'n propaganda

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just came across this afa article...it is definately worth going over

The Immortal Hercules

It was exactly 2:45 p.m. on Aug. 23, 1954, in Burbank when the prototype of a brand-new Air Force transport slowly took off into the smoggy skies over southern California. As they watched it climb out of sight, Lockheed officials dared to hope that the Air Force might buy as many as 100 of these new aircraft.

Talk about answered prayers.

Even the airplane’s most ardent supporters could not have foreseen that the humble C-130 would enjoy the longest continuous production run of any military aircraft in history. USAF snapped up those first 100 airplanes and just kept on going—for decades, with no sign of stopping anytime soon.

http://www.afa.org/magazine/Aug2004/0804herc1.jpg

Still under its original type certificate, the Hercules remains in production 50 years after that maiden flight. Lockheed has delivered 2,262 C-130s to some 60 countries. Even today, the aerospace giant enjoys a healthy backlog; it is working off firm orders for 71 of the latest variant—the C-130J.

No one would have believed that an aircraft designed as a workhorse “trash hauler” would undertake such a variety of missions. It has dropped bombs, supplies, and paratroops, jammed electronic transmissions, fought fires, tracked icebergs, flown in hurricanes, hauled a live whale and camels, carried Muslims to Mecca, taken Ethiopian Jews to Israel, and even landed on an aircraft carrier.

Four C-130s were used to form the Four Horseman aerial demonstration team. The “Herk” has flown to most countries and every continent. It has landed in the Arctic and Antarctic. For the last 50 years, it has usually been among the first airplanes to arrive at a trouble spot.

http://www.afa.org/magazine/Aug2004/0804herc2.jpg

Lockheed built the prototype C-130s in Burbank, Calif., but moved production to Marietta, Ga. (above), where it is today. In 1951, B-47 production (in background) was ending.

It has served as a gunship, tanker, bomber, and drone mother ship. It has supported psychological warfare, special operations, electronic intelligence, command and control, and humanitarian rescue and relief.

The Air Force experience with cargo aircraft early in the Korean War convinced senior leaders that USAF needed a more capable transport. The Fairchild C-119 proved to be marginally more effective (and less reliable) than the Douglas C-47s and Curtiss C-46s from World War II.

Birth of a Program

So it was that, on Feb. 2, 1951, the Air Force put forth a general operational requirement that called for a huge advance in cargo aircraft capability. Lockheed, Boeing, Douglas, and Fairchild were invited to compete for the contract.

All of the specifications for range, load, and operating conditions were formidable (see box at right). The most daunting of these, however, was the requirement that the airplane have the ability to fly with a full load with one engine out. In the past, twin-engine aircraft, especially those operating out of short fields in forward areas, usually did not survive the loss of an engine on a heavy-weight takeoff.

Willis M. Hawkins, then head of preliminary design for Lockheed, put together a team of veteran Lockheed engineers that included Eugene Frost, Art Flock, and **** Pulver, all of whom had worked together on other projects. Notably absent from the team was Lockheed’s most well-known engineer, Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, who was deeply involved in the F-104 project.

In the Beginning ...

Here is an excerpt from the original General Operational Requirement for Cargo Aircraft, issued in 1951.

The aircraft must be able to:

1 Carry 92 infantrymen or 64 paratroopers on a mission with a combat radius of 1,100 nautical miles, or, alternatively, a 30,000-pound cargo more than 960 miles.

2 Operate from short unprepared airstrips of clay, sand, or humus soil.

3 Slow down to 125 knots for paradrops and even slower for assault landings.

4 Have both a rear ramp operable in flight for heavy equipment and side doors for paratroop drops.

5 Handle bulky and heavy equipment, including bulldozers, artillery pieces, and trucks.

6 Fly with one engine out.

In June 1951, the Hawkins team completed its proposal for what Lockheed called the Model 82 aircraft and took it to Hall L. Hibbard, Lockheed’s chief of engineering. The entire proposal was about three-quarters of an inch thick.

Hibbard asked, “Has Kelly seen this?” When Hawkins said no, the group asked Johnson to come review it.

http://www.afa.org/magazine/Aug2004/0804herc3.jpg

This C-130A is not stuck: It’s taxiing in sandy soil at Eglin AFB, Fla., in 1959, demonstrating its capability to operate on unimproved strips. The early C-130s featured three-bladed props and a “Roman nose,” later extended for a radar.

Johnson went through the drawings, glanced at the model Hawkins had provided, and then declared to Hibbard, “If you send that in, you’ll destroy Lockheed.”
Johnson’s reaction to the C-130 was based in part on aesthetics. Lockheed was known for building beautiful aircraft, from the early Vega through the P-38 and Constellation. The Hercules, as the new aircraft would be called, was not exactly beautiful.

Fortunately Hawkins persisted and Hibbard backed him. They knew that, despite its plain looks, the C-130 was a radically advanced transport, using four T56 turboprop engines and featuring a completely pressurized cargo compartment.

Form had followed function, and the heart of the aircraft was the huge 4,500 cubic foot cargo area that duplicated the volume of the standard American railroad boxcar. The use of a high wing and rugged dual-tandem wheel landing gear system, mounted in stub-like fairings outside the fuselage, improved its short, rough-field capabilities.

On to Georgia

Lockheed won the competition, and construction of two prototypes began in Burbank.

The first flight was staged by the second (Serial No. 53-3397) of the two prototypes. It was piloted by Stanley Beltz and Roy Wimmer, with Jack Real as flight-test engineer and **** Stanton as flight engineer. Johnson flew in a chase airplane. After a satisfying 61-minute flight, the YC-130 landed at Edwards AFB, Calif., where it awaited further tests.

The new aircraft exceeded all goals, cruising faster, climbing higher, and landing on less runway than required in any of the Air Force specifications. The C-130 had a maximum payload of 40,000 pounds, thanks in part to the weight control measures that kept the airframe down to 108,000 pounds, 5,000 less than anticipated.

When the Air Force issued a contract for the first seven production aircraft, Lockheed decided to move the program to Marietta, Ga., where Lockheed had built Boeing B-47s under license. B-47 production was coming to a close, and the C-130 program was perfectly timed to pick up the slack.

Shortly after the successful first flight, the Air Force increased its production order from seven to 75 airplanes.

http://www.afa.org/magazine/Aug2004/0804herc4.jpg

Ski-equipped C-130s provided a lifeline to the facilities along the DEW Line in Greenland (above) and resupplied scientific teams at the poles. The Herk quickly gained a reputation as the “go anywhere” airplane. (Staff photo by Capt. Mike Perini)

Production went smoothly at the Georgia plant, despite a mishap to the first production aircraft (53-3129), which suffered a major in-flight fire in its No. 2 engine nacelle on its third flight. The aircraft landed without further incident. The left wing was replaced. (This specific aircraft was subsequently modified to become an AC-130A gunship and saw service in the Vietnam War. It is now at the USAF Armament Museum, Eglin AFB, Fla.)

The most significant engineering change stemmed from the unsatisfactory operation of the turboelectric propeller. At one point, 50 completed C-130s could not be delivered because no decision had been made about which propeller to use. Finally, a new hydraulically operated propeller was selected, and it mated perfectly with the engine.

The Hercules entered the Tactical Air Command (TAC) fleet Dec. 9, 1956, with the delivery of 55-0023 to the 463rd Troop Carrier Wing at Ardmore AFB, Okla. Crews were delighted, for the aircraft was far nimbler than the C-119s. It also had surplus takeoff power.

Deliveries to TAC continued on a regular basis, and two C-130 units, the 463rd and the 314th TCW, Stewart AFB, Tenn., formed an important part of the Composite Air Strike Force.

Wherever the C-130 went, it brought new standards of performance along with vastly improved comfort and reliability. C-130s were called on to fly troops, weapons, and ammunition to trouble spots around the world. One early case occurred in July 1958, when turmoil in Iraq caused Lebanese President Camille Chamoun to seek a US troop presence in his country. An 11-day airlift brought eight million pounds of equipment into Lebanon.

With hundreds of similar incidents to come, the ability of the C-130 to move troops and equipment directly to a crisis zone became an essential part of US military and diplomatic power.

Hercules Down

The first combat loss of the C-130 occurred Sept. 2, 1958, when Soviet pilots flying MiG-17s shot down a United States Air Force C-130A-II signals intelligence platform over Soviet Armenia. All 17 crew members were killed.

Many more losses were to occur in Vietnam, where the C-130 formed the backbone of the airlift system. About 50 C-130s were lost in combat between 1965 and 1972. Few if any of the losses stemmed from accidents.

In Vietnam, no other theater airlifter could match the capacity or the versatility of the Hercules. The C-130s not only underpinned the tight logistics network throughout Southeast Asia, but also saw the war up close, bringing troops and equipment directly to front-line action within range of enemy guns. The C-130 radar permitted it to operate in a much wider range of weather, and this capability led logically to it being employed later as a gunship.

In its best-known Vietnam exploit, the C-130 fleet frustrated North Vietnamese Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap’s efforts to trap American forces at Khe Sanh. Giap wanted to score a significant propaganda victory by capturing a large number of prisoners, and, to that end, he sent two regular North Vietnamese Army divisions to surround the 6,000 Marines defending the Khe Sanh garrison.

During the 70-day siege in early 1968, 92 percent of all supplies were brought in by C-130s. Other elements of American airpower, including close air support, helped the Marines resist, but it was the C-130s that kept them supplied and operating.

The C-130s would land at Khe Sanh after a steep approach and off-load cargo as swiftly as possible. When it was too dangerous to land, the C-130s would achieve the objective by using the low-altitude parachute extraction system technique (LAPES). When neither landing nor LAPES was possible, the C-130s would air-drop their cargoes.

In every instance, the transports were vulnerable to enemy fire.

The first AC-130 Spectre gunship commenced operations from Nha Trang in September 1967. It was so successful that the Air Force built 28 more. The effect of the Spectre’s firepower was startling. In one minute, its 20 mm gun could saturate an area the size of a football field. The last 11 AC-130s were equipped with the 105 mm howitzer.

Long Takeoff at Tan Son Nhut

On April 29, 1975, the fall of Saigon was imminent, and nearby Tan Son Nhut Air Base was under heavy fire. South Vietnamese Air Force officer Tinh Nguyen saw a single C-130A taxiing out. The cargo ramp was still open, with desperate people clambering on board. Nguyen joined them.

At the end of the runway, the cargo door finally closed, and the pilot powered up. The overweight Hercules slowly ran down the 9,000-foot runway, finally staggering off the ground at the end of the 1,000-foot overrun. The C-130 stayed in groundeffect until it gained enough speed to begin a shallow climb.

The airplane was at least 20,200 pounds overweight, as it carried 452 people, including 33 crowded into the flight deck.

After a flight lasting nearly four hours, the C-130 landed at U Tapao RTAB, Thailand. When Nguyen got out, he looked at the C-130 and vowed that he would someday work for the company that built such a remarkable airplane.

Today, he does just that. Nguyen works at Lockheed Martin in Marietta, Ga., where he is a specialist in defensive systems. The aircraft that carried him and 451 others to safety may now be found as the gate guardian at Little Rock AFB, Ark.

The AC-130 performed spectacularly in the April to June 1972 battle for An Loc.

The C-130 also served as a bomber. In Operation Commando Vault, C-130s flew hundreds of bombing sorties to clear a jungle area for use by helicopters. During the Tet Offensive in early 1968, C-130s bombed enemy troops with improvised bombs. The Herk can now handle the Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb, more colloquially known as the “Mother of All Bombs.”

Continuous improvement of the aircraft over the years, particularly the increase in performance resulting from the use of new and more powerful engines, made it attractive for a wide range of roles.

Seventy, So Far

There have been at least 70 C-130 variants. Some were built in small numbers for tasks that differed only slightly from the routine, while others were built for highly specialized tasks, far removed from the concept of carrying troops and cargo from Point A to Point B. Some aircraft, after having fulfilled the new duties of a specific mission, were converted back to standard C-130 transport configuration.

Gathering signals intelligence was one of the first additional missions, and 10 C-130A-II-LM aircraft were modified for use by the 7407th Combat Support Wing. This tradition has been expanded in today’s EC-130 counterparts.

The now-retired EC-130 ABCCC (Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center) was an effective supplement to the larger E-3 Airborne Battlefield Warning and Control System aircraft.

The EC-130 Commando Solo is used in psychological warfare, carrying such powerful radio and television broadcasting equipment that it literally becomes the one voice that can be seen and heard in its broadcast area.

In Vietnam in 1968, the Herk resupplied the besieged Marine garrison at Khe Sanh. Exposed to enemy fire, C-130s often performed pallet insertion of desperately needed materiel, as seen here.

The Hercules offered the Marine Corps a chance to obtain a suitable aerial tanker for its aircraft. The first of these, originally designated GV-1s but subsequently redesignated KC-130F, entered service in 1960. One of the most remarkable capabilities of the Hercules was the in-flight refueling of helicopters. This not only helped choppers conduct conventional missions but also opened a broad new area of helicopter tactics.

The C-130 was especially valuable for the search and rescue role, with HC-130H aircraft acting both as command and control aircraft and tanker. The Air Force uses the HC-130P version currently for combat search and rescue.

Some Hercules were modified to become MC-130E Combat Talon I aircraft used for special operations. They have in-flight refueling receptacles and infrared detection equipment, and some used to carry Fulton rescue gear. The follow-on MC-130H Combat Talon II is a new-build aircraft with additional equipment. The MC-130P Combat Shadow is dedicated to long-distance, clandestine, low-level missions into denied areas to provide air refueling to special operations forces helicopters.

Unique Roles

In addition to broad missions as outlined above, many Hercules were used for unique roles that sometimes required only a few aircraft. These versions included weather reconnaissance aircraft (WC-130), a ski-equipped version (LC-130) for use in both the Arctic and Antarctic, “TACAMO” (Take Charge and Move Out EC-130G) that linked the National Command Authority to submarines on patrol, and a satellite recovery version (NC-130H). Perhaps the most dramatic of all was the YMC-130H. Under a project called Credible Sport, this specially equipped C-130 was to participate in the ill-fated 1980 attempt to rescue hostages held by Iran. The YMC-130H was to make extremely short field landings and takeoffs using booster rockets and retro-rockets. One example of the three YMC-130Hs may be seen at the Museum of Aviation, Robins AFB, Ga.

The first among the many foreign users of the C-130 was the Royal Australian Air Force, which obtained 10 C-130As beginning in 1957. The United Kingdom purchased the most aircraft, 66, while Saudia Arabia is second, with 50.

The Israeli Defense Force received 12 C-130s during the October 1973 war, and they were pressed into service, taking ammunition directly to front-line units. The Israeli C-130s performed as flying trucks, following tanks into battle, “S” turning to maintain position, and landing on a spot to deliver ammunition and fuel directly to the armored forces.

The next generation C-130J has a six-bladed prop, more powerful engines, and a digital cockpit. With better performance and unmatched flexibility, the Herk will be around for decades to come. (Lockheed Martin photo by John Rossino)

The Hercules has been around so long that one tends to take it for granted. Observers see the C-130 operating effectively 50 years after its first flight and think it’s perfectly routine. The same observations will probably be made decades hence, when, almost certainly, later models of the C-130 will be going strong.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Walter J. Boyne, former director of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., is a retired Air Force colonel and author. He has written more than 400 articles about aviation topics and 29 books, the most recent of which is The Two O’Clock War: The 1973 Yom Kippur Conflict and the Airlift That Saved Israel. His most recent article for Air Force Magazine, “Von Karman’s Way,” appeared in the January issue.

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Herks

50 years and still going stong !!!
:)

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The United Kingdom purchased the most aircraft, 66, while Saudia Arabia is second, with 50.

Somehow agitprop articles like this always have their numbers wrong at one place or the other. Iran has gotten 64 Herks, and including the rumoured detachment of USAF Herks for ELINT missions along the Soviet border, they were actually the largest non-US Herk operator.

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what do guys think will be the future of the USAF hercules use...would they want a replacement anytime soon or would they continue to upgrade

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More Herculean feats


Here are some more peace and war stories of the new champion workhorse of the air. Bates Lynden passed on a picture of a C-130 on Fletcher Ice Island T3 in the Arctic Ocean.

It is sitting on its belly, wings drooping to touch the ice, after a landing accident. Lynden was there for 16 days on the 7-by 3-mile floating island while the plane was being repaired with the help of a center wing section borrowed from the Marine Corps. It flew off the island nine months after it had crashed in February 1973.

Peter Rourke reports flying in the 1980s in Navy EC-130s. These aerial communications relay stations "maintained 24/7 airborne coverage to deter the Soviets from a surprise nuclear attack." Mike Archer was a C-130 crew chief in my old photo mapping outfit; he recalls flying on projects in Ethiopia, Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil. "Landing on dirt strips in Sudan and the Galapagos Islands was adventurous, to say the least."

Ed Rice says that when the C-130s were supporting ground electronics sites on a mapping project in Africa, one site's crew complained that baboons had overrun their mountaintop ground station. The C-130 made low-level passes over the station to scare them away until a helicopter could evacuate them.

A former ALC commander at Robins, Bob Hails, recalls checking out in the C-130 when he arrived at the base. Unlike any of the other 43 types of aircraft he had already flown. "It was the only aircraft I ever flew that the pilot could actually back into a parking spot by reversing the propellers."

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nice

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what do guys think will be the future of the USAF hercules use...would they want a replacement anytime soon or would they continue to upgrade

I think the C-130J standard will keep them happy for quite a while now.

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The Immortal Hercules (pictures!!!)

So let's try and get pictures of all the 60 countries whom opperate, or have opperated the Hercules. Happy hunting ;)

1. South Africa
http://www.military.cz/usa/air/in_service/aircraft/c130/c130base.jpg

2. United States Navy (Fat Albert)
http://my.6to23.com/zhili000118/AIR/PIC/c130-04.jpg

3. United States Coast Card
http://www.cgaux.com/Photos/June292002/C-130%201501.jpg

4. United States Air Force
http://www.airshow.org/1989/c130-022.jpg

5. Israeli Defence Force / Air Force
http://homepage.eircom.net/~steven/images/c130-2-10.jpg

6. Norwegian Air Force
http://www.vogue-web.ch/phantom/c130.jpg

7. Hellenic Air Force
http://www.highgallery.com/NATO-MEET-C-130-GREEK-AFA.jpg

8. Egyptian Air Force
http://www.azwingwaxers.com/Israeli%20C-130%20pic1.jpg

9. Japaneese Self Defence Force / Air Force
http://www.seis.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~myamada/SDF/C-130.gif

10. Romanian Air Force
http://www.airforce.go.ro/Foto/Hangar/Fotografii/c1305.jpg

The rest is up to you :D.

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Royal Moroccan Air Force

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Herks

1 Dutch 2 French

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Royal Malaysian pictures (previous camo)

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Algeria
Iran
Sudan
Turkey
UAE
Pakistan
Saudi Arabia

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20. New Zealand Airforce
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=643538&WxsIERv=TG9ja2hlZWQgQy0xMzBIIEhlcmN1bGVzIChMLTM4Mik%3D&WdsYXMg=TmV3IFplYWxhbmQgLSBBaXIgRm9yY2U%3D&QtODMg=RmFpcmZvcmQgKEZGRCAvIEVHVkEp&ERDLTkt=VUsgLSBFbmdsYW5k&ktODMp=SnVseSAxOCwgMjAwNA%3D%3D&BP=1&WNEb25u=RGF2aWQgTWFyc2hhbGw%3D&xsIERvdWdsY=Tlo3MDAx&MgTUQtODMgKE=S2l3aSBwYXJ0aWNpcGFudCBpbiBIZXJrNTAgYXQgdGhlIFJJQVQyMDA0&YXMgTUQtODMgKERD=MjA%3D&NEb25uZWxs=MjAwNC0wOC0yMw%3D%3D&ODJ9dvCE=NjQtMTUwOTQ%3D&O89Dcjdg=NDA1Mg%3D%3D&static=yes

21. Oman Airforce
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=639546&WxsIERv=TG9ja2hlZWQgQy0xMzBIIEhlcmN1bGVzIChMLTM4Mik%3D&WdsYXMg=T21hbiAtIEFpciBGb3JjZQ%3D%3D&QtODMg=RmFpcmZvcmQgKEZGRCAvIEVHVkEp&ERDLTkt=VUsgLSBFbmdsYW5k&ktODMp=SnVseSAxOSwgMjAwNA%3D%3D&BP=0&WNEb25u=U3R1YXJ0IGZyZWVy&xsIERvdWdsY=NTAz&MgTUQtODMgKE=&YXMgTUQtODMgKERD=Mjgy&NEb25uZWxs=MjAwNC0wOC0xNQ%3D%3D&ODJ9dvCE=&O89Dcjdg=&static=yes

22. Royal Airforce
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=642396&WxsIERv=TG9ja2hlZWQgSGVyY3VsZXMgQzMgKEMtMTMwSy9MLTM4Mik%3D&WdsYXMg=VUsgLSBBaXIgRm9yY2U%3D&QtODMg=SGFub3ZlciAoLSBMYW5nZW5oYWdlbikgKEhBSiAvIEVERFYp&ERDLTkt=R2VybWFueQ%3D%3D&ktODMp=QXVndXN0IDcsIDIwMDQ%3D&BP=0&WNEb25u=U2FzY2hhIEthbXJhdQ%3D%3D&xsIERvdWdsY=WFYxOTk%3D&MgTUQtODMgKE=&YXMgTUQtODMgKERD=MjYw&NEb25uZWxs=MjAwNC0wOC0yMA%3D%3D&ODJ9dvCE=MTk5&O89Dcjdg=NDIyMA%3D%3D&static=yes

23. Venezuelan Airforce
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=641439&WxsIERv=TG9ja2hlZWQgQy0xMzBIIEhlcmN1bGVzIChMLTM4Mik%3D&WdsYXMg=VmVuZXp1ZWxhIC0gQWlyIEZvcmNl&QtODMg=TWlhbWkgLSBJbnRlcm5hdGlvbmFsIChNSUEgLyBLTUlBKQ%3D%3D&ERDLTkt=VVNBIC0gRmxvcmlkYQ%3D%3D&ktODMp=SnVseSAyMDAx&BP=1&WNEb25u=QWxhaW5EdXJhbmQ%3D&xsIERvdWdsY=MzEzNA%3D%3D&MgTUQtODMgKE=&YXMgTUQtODMgKERD=Mjcy&NEb25uZWxs=MjAwNC0wOC0xOA%3D%3D&ODJ9dvCE=&O89Dcjdg=&static=yes

24. Italian Airforce
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=639548&WxsIERv=TG9ja2hlZWQgTWFydGluIEMtMTMwSiBIZXJjdWxlcyAoTC0zODJHKQ%3D%3D&WdsYXMg=SXRhbHkgLSBBaXIgRm9yY2U%3D&QtODMg=RmFpcmZvcmQgKEZGRCAvIEVHVkEp&ERDLTkt=VUsgLSBFbmdsYW5k&ktODMp=SnVseSAxOSwgMjAwNA%3D%3D&BP=0&WNEb25u=U3R1YXJ0IGZyZWVy&xsIERvdWdsY=TU02MjE4MA%3D%3D&MgTUQtODMgKE=&YXMgTUQtODMgKERD=MjIy&NEb25uZWxs=MjAwNC0wOC0xNQ%3D%3D&ODJ9dvCE=&O89Dcjdg=&static=yes

25. Austrian Airforce
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=629211&WxsIERv=TG9ja2hlZWQgSGVyY3VsZXMgQzFQIChDLTEzMEsvTC0zODIp&WdsYXMg=QXVzdHJpYSAtIEFpciBGb3JjZQ%3D%3D&QtODMg=R3JheiAtIFRoYWxlcmhvZiAoR1JaIC8gTE9XRyAvIExPWEcp&ERDLTkt=QXVzdHJpYQ%3D%3D&ktODMp=SnVuZSAyMywgMjAwNA%3D%3D&BP=1&WNEb25u=TWljaGFlbCBQcmllc2NoIC0gU3BvdHRlcnRlYW0gR3Jheg%3D%3D&xsIERvdWdsY=OFQtQ0I%3D&MgTUQtODMgKE=&YXMgTUQtODMgKERD=MzIz&NEb25uZWxs=MjAwNC0wNy0zMA%3D%3D&ODJ9dvCE=&O89Dcjdg=&static=yes

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any photos of use in arctic or antarctica and what is the range and payload of that scientific version ?

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Gabon

Niger

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Danish Hercs Turn Over

A crowd of maintainers, staff, wives, and husbands stand in anticipation on the ramp at Aalborg AB in Denmark. They are waiting for the planes and crew of 721 Squadron, the only transport unit of the Royal Danish Air Force, to arrive at their new home at this base in northern Jutland. The crowd cheers and waves as two Challenger 601 patrol/executive transport aircraft, three T-17 trainers, and two C-130Hs make low passes over the runway. Soon after, the day's main attraction arrives—Denmark's first C-130J Super Hercules. The Super Hercules crew is escorted by one of its new neighbors, a pilot flying an Aalborg-based F-16 from 726 Squadron. The C-130J landing marks the completion of 721's relocation to Aalborg from Værløse AB, near Copenhagen. The landing also marks a new era for the RDAF, which begins operating the Super Hercules this year.

The day after the arrival, a team of technicians from Air Materiel Command, the acquisition arm of the Danish Air Force; Terma, a Danish electronics firm; and avionics specialists from the base start installing RDAF-specific countermeasures on the aircraft. They begin their work early because they have a tight schedule to keep. 721 Squadron, the first C-130J operator in Scandinavia, is scheduled to be operational with its three new C130Js in eight months.

"We will officially be in training until October 2004," notes Capt. Karsten Jensen, the director of operations for 721 Squadron. "I have told our air force bosses not to have too high expectations from us for six months. However, I am sure we will be tasked left, right, and center once they see what we can do with this aircraft."

The White Bear Goes
The RDAF made the decision to close Værløse AB in 2000 for force consolidation. The base had been 721 Squadron's home for fifty-one years. "I was asked to make a drawing for a new hangar at Aalborg four years ago," says Maj. Poul Olesen, the squadron's chief of maintenance. "I am certainly not an architect, but I came up with four designs. I knew what we needed. Now, in early March 2004, we are occupying one of those designs. We still need some alarms and locks on some of the doors, but those are minor fixes. We have moved, and we are ready to go."

A new two-bay hangar at Aalborg, completed last December, has underfloor electrical and hydraulic connections. The electrical power generator is outside to reduce noise in the work area. The C-130J crew chiefs have an office on one end of the building and the crew chiefs for the Challenger aircraft are at the other end. The large building is tied to an existing hangar. The new maintenance complex was finished this spring.

"We combined the avionics shops and sheet metal shops for the C-130Js and the F16s in the hangar," notes Olesen. "The two powerplant shops are integrated in a building just outside. Putting like jobs together just makes sense. Of course, each aircraft requires some specialized skills, but the basic tasks are the same."

The military shares a runway with Aalborg's commercial airfield and has been the home of one of the RDAF's three F-16 squadrons for more than two decades. The commercial air traffic and the modern maintenance complex appear out of place at a military base with hardened shelters, hardstands, and dispersed buildings. Aalborg AB is a product of the Cold War—or what the Danes call the "Russian time."

The new home for 721 Squadron's aircrews can be found about a mile from the new maintenance hangar. The building is the former headquarters for 723 Squadron, whose pilots had once flown Lockheed F-104s. It has since been refurbished and enlarged for its new occupants. Areas have been set aside for T-17 flight operations, search and rescue, both traditional and computerized mission planning, mission planning support, duty operations, and Challenger flight operations. Temporary offices have been built for Lockheed Martin flight crews who will help train the Danish crews. The squadron commander and director of operations have separate offices as well.

721 Squadron, established in 1926 as a Naval flying unit, is Denmark's oldest flying unit and is actually twenty-eight years older than the Royal Danish Air Force itself. To honor that heritage, the squadron has hung a propeller from a World War I era Hansa Brandenburg torpedo bomber on the wall of the crew briefing room with an outline of the aircraft painted behind it. The maintenance break room has its own historical artifacts. "We brought the mounted heads from a reindeer and a white bear from Værløse," says Olesen. "Nobody remembers how we acquired them, but everybody thought it was important that they make the move with us."

New Base, New Aircraft
The transition from a cosmopolitan world capital to a much smaller, industrial city near the North Sea has proven to be a challenge to the squadron. "Many of the wives were making more money in the private sector in Copenhagen than their husbands were in the military," notes Jensen. "But we have a lot of dedicated, motivated people who really love their jobs. And, if you want to fly Hercs in the Danish Air Force, Aalborg is now the only place to be."

The squadron also needed to retain flight engineers and navigators to keep its C-130H models flying until the fall while the C-130Js come on line. "Since the J model requires fewer crewmembers, we offered to convert the flight engineers into loadmasters," notes Jensen. "Only one said no, but he agreed to live here temporarily and get out of the service when the H models go away.

"We had eight navigators and most are getting promoted out of the squadron to staff jobs," Jensen adds. "The others will become observers on the Challengers for missions, such as fishery protection, and for sovereignty flights. Some of the navigators will be used in planning groups when we operate the C-130J abroad. We have a lot of experience we need to keep."

"We will phase the J into service and the H out of service," says Olesen. "We now have one small team that is dedicated to the C-130J. Gradually, the maintainers will transition to the J in groups and we will end up with one small team dedicated to the H model. We will have only a few people to train on the new aircraft early next year. It won't be difficult to support both the C-130H and the C-130J."

The unit has certainly put its three 1975-vintage C-130Hs to work. In addition to its normal airlift, search and rescue, and long-range patrol missions, 721 Squadron began conducting extensive operations outside of Denmark in the early 1980s. They made relief flights into Nigeria, Sudan, Turkey, and Albania after various natural and man-made disasters. On Christmas Day 2001, crews flew their first mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Based in Kyrgyzstan, the unit's seven aircrews—the standard complement—conducted seventy-eight missions totaling nearly 450 hours flying into Afghanistan. Last year, the squadron flew its first missions into Iraq.

Because they found they were frequently taking their C-130Hs into harm's way, the Danish Air Force installed a sophisticated electronic countermeasures suite in the aircraft in the early 1990s. That suite is also a prominent feature in the C-130Js. The Group A modifications—basic survivability equipment such as chaff and flares—were installed on the three new aircraft at the factory in Marietta, Georgia. The more technologically advanced, Danish-specific Group B modifications were installed at Aalborg after the three new aircraft were delivered.

The Danish aircraft, the long-fuselage version of the C-130J, feature a strengthened cargo ramp and improved airdrop system, to allow crews to make airdrops at 250 knots, helping them avoid antiaircraft fire in hostile areas. The Enhanced Cargo Handling System allows for rapidly converting the aircraft from hauling rolling stock to palletized cargo. Denmark also holds an option to buy a fourth C-130J.

Once the unit has fully converted to the new Super Hercules, the C-130Hs will be sold to another country. "We had one prospective customer come in a few months ago. They knew we had been flying our aircraft hard, but they were surprised what good shape they are in," Olesen notes, somewhat proudly.

Changes In Operations
The coming of the C-130J will lead to some changes in how the RDAF operates its Hercs. In Kyrgyzstan, the small size of the Danish fleet led to an innovative agreement in which the unit worked closely with C-130H units from the Netherlands and Norway. Each country brought a small supply of spare parts to form a parts pool. Denmark also brought aircraft generation equipment such as work stands and generators. "We had excellent cooperation with the Norwegians and the Dutch," notes Olesen. "For future actions, we will try to develop a similar relationship with the Royal Air Force and the Italians, as they are the only other nearby C-130J operators."

Anytime the Danish Hercs are off base for more than a day, a crew chief is normally deployed with them. "With the J, we expect we will be deploying more often and longer," Olesen adds. "On very long deployments, we will send avionics technicians, two crew chiefs, and limited spare parts. We will need to be a little more self-sufficient."

"We depend on local loading teams when we deploy," Jensen notes. "We usually carry two loadmasters and they can handle the ramp forward. We need help getting the load to the ramp. Because we will be away from home station more, headquarters is looking into the feasibility of establishing an aerial port squadron that will go with us to a forward base."

One RDAF-specific mission is resupply of scientific stations and fishing outposts in Greenland, a Danish protectorate. While the squadron has no need to perform heavy equipment drops for these resupply flights, container delivery system drops are critical. The integral container delivery system rails in the C-130J will prove especially useful in this mission. In addition to dropping vital supplies such as food and fuel, 721 Squadron crews perform a highly unusual airdrop task—dropping mail, gifts, and wrapped Christmas trees once a year to some of the remote stations on the Greenland ice cap.

"We make low-level flights in training, but not so much operationally," observes Jensen. "In the actual threat environment we are seeing, we fly high, get where we are going, and make a tactical approach. We don't do night-vision goggle operations in the C-130H, but we hope to do them with the C-130J. The addition of NVG ops is being staffed at Air Materiel Command, and we could see that in the short term. Even to go to Greenland in bad weather, an NVG capability will be very beneficial.

"I am positive that our taskings will increase," says Jensen. "Denmark doesn't need a real strategic airlift capability, but the C-130J will move us into that area without losing a tactical capability. Now when we go someplace, we won't have to sit in the back as long because we'll get there a lot quicker."

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Member for

19 years 8 months

Posts: 160

Somebody needs to get the pics and video of the super STOL Herc they planned to use for rescuing the American hostages in Iran over 20 years ago. The one video clip i saw of it of the first STOL test the lift rockets fired prematurely and it was a write off.

Member for

19 years 10 months

Posts: 537

My favorite C-130

Guys, this thread rocks!

My personal favorite C-130 of all times is

... Karnaf 420 landing at LLBG on 1976-07-04, back from Entebbe,
with the tsanhanim and the hostages they freed.

DAN
--
The person missing in the picture is Yoni Netanyahu.

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Member for

19 years 10 months

Posts: 537

Somebody needs to get the pics and video of the super STOL Herc they planned to use for rescuing the American hostages in Iran

You mean the YMC-130H.