Warbird Information Exchange

My February 2008 issue of "Flight Journal" arrived in the mail. It contains an interesting article on the C-130 trials that took place on the U.S.S. Forrestal in 1963. I know that this subject has been a recurring theme on WIX. The article is by Jim Flatley,who was the primary pilot on what was a test of the C-130 as a possible COD airplane. That situation was solved by the Grumman C-2 entering service not too much later. One item that I found to be enlightening is that Flatley had only flown tactical jets prior to test pilot school at Pax River. He said that before flying the C-130, the only propeller driven airplane that he'd ever flown was an SNJ in flight school. Also, the method used for landing on the carrier without a hook was to go into full reverse pitch on the props at the "Cut" signal from the LSO.

Full reverse while still in flight was commonly used in Viet Nam by both Caribou & Herk to great effect. A lightweight 'bou can land in <500' using that method. The problem with the Herk is it needs more runway to takeoff than it does to land - enter the C130J - now it can takeoff from places it can't land in! The J-model still has some teething problems, but I'm sure they'll be worked out soon enough.

The other major challenge with going to reverse in flight is it's not that difficult to bog an engine down when the weather is hot with a subsequent flamout & significant directional control issues. Worse would be to have a low pitch stop hang up. IIRC, they only had about 10' clearance between wintip & superstructure on the Forrestal, so any directional control issues would be pretty bad on the good-bad scale...

Still, a helluva feat - I believe Flatley did something like 120 landings on the carrier working up from an empty weight around 75000lbs to 120000lbs...

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Daddy always said, "If yer gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough" and I'm one tough sonofagun!

Cool that this C-130 is preserved at the NMNA.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Larry, I just read that article this AM. I found it interesting that the "New Guy" with attack/fighter experience was give the job. Good article.
Robbie

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Fly Fast Make Noise!

There was reportedly a debate/discussion at Pax about who should be the pilot for the sea trials - train a C-130 guy to land on carriers or train a carrier pilot to fly a C-130. The outcome was a fighter pilot in the left seat and a C-130 guy in the right seat to handle the details and emergencies. (There were difficulties in putting the AJ Savage to sea ascribed to the decision to use multi-engine patrol bomber pilots which may have influenced the outcome in this case.) I haven't read this article, but according to other reports, after touchdown Flatley and his copilot split the workload on the various controls to get the C-130 stopped and keep it straight in the process.

Capt Flatley was the CO of the saratoga when my step-dad was onboard has the SMO. I chatted with him in his cabin a couple of times and had dinner in the wardroom at his table. Very nice man!!

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Don't touch my junk!!

Wonder if they did it any differently than we do it now. The only workload split is the handoff of the control column to the copilot so the AC can get his left hand on the nose-wheel steering - AC is doing everything else (which is only throttles & brakes, really).

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Daddy always said, "If yer gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough" and I'm one tough sonofagun!