Warbird Information Exchange

This is up there on the list of bad ideas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjUKQCMnX10&mode=related&search=

Shay
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Semper Fortis

Ouch...

Maybe if they deployed them a littler later... maybe sometime after touchdown and not before... that could have been better.

-David

The program was called Credible Sport. It was actually a workable modification. It was intended as a follow on to the failed Eagle Claw rescue mission in 1980...

http://www.spectrumwd.com/c130/articles ... _Sport.htm

http://aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu/databa ... tm?id=1996

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0870637/M/

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

I had several acquaintances who worked on that program.

They have told quite a few very interesting stories about how quickly a program of that importance gets red tape cut. Also, about how scary the Special Forces troops were who were going to perform the mission.

The performance goals of the aircraft were incredible. Something like the nose gear had to clear a 4' obstacle after a ground run of a hundred feet. That was presumably to clear the fence (or wall) around the stadium.

By the way, the takeoff procedure was "takeoff flaps, takeoff trim, 100% power on the turbines, hands and feet off the controls, and push the red button. Wait until "X" knots comes up on the ASI before you touch anything, and oh, by the way, you'll be well into your climb-out at that point."

One of the surviving (somewhat de-modded) airframes is on display at the Warner Robbins Museum in Georgia.

Learn someth'n new every day. Especially regarding the Herc, a aircraft very near and dear to me.

Shay
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Semper Fortis

Cool video and interesting info.

Since we're on the subject of C-130's...when did the special ops community stop using the foulton recovery system?

John

early 60's. Before We were working over Vietnam, I think. It was invented around Korea but I don't think our green beanies used it until the 60's. I had a Sgt. Maj. who used to talk about using it to pick up things--but never people- in Vietnam.

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"I knew the jig was up when I saw the P-51D-20-NA Mustang blue-nosed bastards from Bodney, and by the way the blue was more of a royal blue than an indigo and the inner landing gear interiors were NOT green, over Berlin."

Actually the AFSOC retired the system (Fulton Recovery) from use on their MC-130E's in 1996...

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

Thanks for the info guys!

Say Muddy...you never did reply to my question on the other thread about what unit you were with while stationed in Fort Hood.

John

They used to demo the Fulton system with an MC-130 at Mildenhall's late, lamented Air Fetes in the 80s / early 90s. Quite impressive, lifting a cable on a balloon, then using it to snatch a dummy by a low-flying Herk.

Fulton Recovery Demo...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PErEsNhDmo8

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

Man...that would be the ultimate thrill ride!!!!

John

Ooops! I thought he was asking when they started using it

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"I knew the jig was up when I saw the P-51D-20-NA Mustang blue-nosed bastards from Bodney, and by the way the blue was more of a royal blue than an indigo and the inner landing gear interiors were NOT green, over Berlin."

I must have missed it somehow-sorry. I was there with the 5th Infantry Division from Fort Polk. Eventually that became the 2nd AD which left its assets in place in Saudi Arabia (where I got shipped in the process) and eventually the 4th ID. I reflagged three times in one year!

You? 1st Cav or 2nd AD?

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"I knew the jig was up when I saw the P-51D-20-NA Mustang blue-nosed bastards from Bodney, and by the way the blue was more of a royal blue than an indigo and the inner landing gear interiors were NOT green, over Berlin."

Discovered after reading the article about the Lockheed-Martin Flying Club meeting featuring the test pilot of the Credible Sport C-130, Armi Armitage, that I knew him from my time in Marietta GA. We went to the same church, but I never knew this story. I knew he was a test pilot for Lockheed.

Small world, eh!

Walt