This is the place where the majority of the warbird (aircraft that have survived military service) discussions will take place. Specialized forums may be added in the new future
Wed Oct 08, 2008 7:14 am
Yesterday about noon a C-130, with a blue tail, upper fuselage blue and underneath fuselage and wings light gray, flew over my house southwest of Tucson heading wnw.
Anybody know what the identification could be with that color scheme?
bill word
Wed Oct 08, 2008 9:11 am
Sounds like a Marine KC-130. They use a camo like you described. Looks blue at first and then ages to a gray. Those airplanes can be identified by the refueling pods hung outboard of the outboard engines. Just a guess.
Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:15 pm
What you saw may well have been a USAF EC-130E "Commando Solo". One was on display at Travis AFB some years back and when I first spotted it I thought it was a USN A/C but the 'DM' code on the tail gave it away as a USAF bird. It was a very dark blue color with a light blue /gray underside and had a variety of mysterious antennas hanging off of it including a 'net' antenna draped from the top of the vertical to the tips of the horizontal. Very strange. It was roped off and was surrounded by armed guards.
Wed Oct 08, 2008 2:37 pm
Good input, as DM AFB in Tucson has (to my knowledge) the only contingent of EC-130 Compass Call airplanes in the inventory, with the DM tail code. There are quite different, however, from the EC-130 Commando Solo psyops airplanes, which, again, to the best of my knowledge are only assigned to the PA ANG in Harrisburg. Always seen 'em in shades of gray, however the AF is known to tinker and the past decade has brought us enviornmentally friendly paints which weather terribly and can cause shade differences.
I'd still lean towards KC-130, but it could be either ....
Wed Oct 08, 2008 3:39 pm
The blue was a different blue than the photo and was about to mid-fuselage. I have lived in Tucson and volunteered at PASM for 17 years and I have not seen any C-130s with this paint scheme before. I will admit I could have missed something with these well aged eyes.
bill word
Wed Oct 08, 2008 5:45 pm
Probably not it, but have you seen the current scheme on the MC-130P and her sisters?
http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Ai ... id=1395770
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