Lockheed C-130 and variants

John21

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Just heard on another site that Lockheed is proceeding with development for two new variants of the C-130. One for export and another for U.S. use later this decade or the next to replace our C-130H's. Here's the link:
http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2011/12/pictures-lockheed-unveils-two.html

I guess if this goes through we will almost certainly have the "old" herky bird see a century plus of service. Fine by me. With budget issues, what's old is new again.

C130%20slide.jpg
 
Singapore: Lockheed Unveils Plans for 2 C-130 Variants
Feb. 16, 2012 - 02:18PM
By WENDELL MINNICK

Source:

SINGAPORE — Lockheed Martin announced plans at the 2012 Singapore Airshow to create two C-130J variants.

The C-130XJ (Expandable J) and the SC-130J (Sea Herc) will offer customers more capability choices than the current Super Hercules J model, said George Standridge, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics’ vice president of business development.

The C-130XJ offers the U.S. domestic and international markets a variant that does not feature all the capabilities inherent in the C-130J, thus providing a significantly lower price. However, the XJ’s capability can expand after delivery in a variety of mission areas, except for the Enhanced Cargo Handling System, Standridge said.

Interest in the C-130XJ will come from the special mission market, which uses roll on/roll off mission packages, and operators that use airlift for low-threat air and land transport of troops and equipment.

The C-130XJ will retain all the provisions necessary to be fully configured for combat missions. It will keep the current propulsion and avionics suite, and no changes will be made to the current C-130J airframe.

The primary airframe focus is on the short-body C-130J, but the C-130XJ package will offer the C-130J-30 stretch version upon request. The C-130XJ will have the same mission capabilities as the C-130J, including search and rescue, firefighting, surveillance and reconnaissance, signals intelligence and close air support.

The SC-130J Sea Herc will offer an affordable replacement for the P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) and anti-submarine warfare aircraft (ASW), Standridge said.

“You take the well-proven C-130J and import the P-3 missions into the aircraft for maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare,” he said.

The new variant will provide a wide spectrum of MPA and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission capabilities using roll on/roll off systems. The patrol radius and endurance is on par with the P-3, but it features a new airframe and updated ASW systems. The variant also saves costs by leveraging existing C-130J fleet infrastructure, support system, spares and training, he said.

An artist’s conception provided by Lockheed of the Sea Herc shows it firing a missile from a hardpoint under the wing.
 
Artist's impression of Lockheed Martin SC-130J Sea Hercules "Sea Herc".

Source:
 

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Triton said:
Lockheed Martin promotional video for the SC-130J Sea Hercules prepared for the Farnborough International Air Show 2012:


"replacement for nimrod"


Interesting! Do the RAF have any interest in that?... my money is on not!


edit: and that is not a slight on the aircraft
 
The forward sponson bomb bay idea for the SC-130J gave me a "Why didn't I think of that" moment, and strikes me as a potentially easy mod for existing airframes (AC-130?). The early video shot seems to put a big APU on the aft end of the sponson, arguably to power the search radar belly button. Possible back door engineering work to prepare for tactical laser power systems?
 

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Judging the shown scenario, the way, the Sea Herc is circling those boats and the thing, sticking out from its side,
it looks, as if it is fitted with a gun like the the AC-130 ! ???
 

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Via Defense Update, from IMDEX 2013:
cj130sc.jpg

Original Caption:
Lockheed Martin displayed here a model of the proposed CJ-130SC designed to replace the Orion P-3C currently in service with many world navies. Note the surface attack missiles carried underwing and ASW torpedoes carried on the belly sides
 
Jemiba said:
Judging the shown scenario, the way, the Sea Herc is circling those boats and the thing, sticking out from its side,
it looks, as if it is fitted with a gun like the the AC-130 ! ???

Might be useful when you're patrolling of Aden. Other nations probably have similar low-profile situations...
 
LC-130H's are being modernized with the T56 Series 3.5 engine, when combined with the eight-bladed propeller they no loner need JATO bottles for takeoff.

The new T56-8-15A 3.5 engines, combined with the LC-130H’s NP2000 eight-bladed propellers, are the answer to beginning to shift away from JATO bottles.
“The updated features allow the aircraft to create the same thrust as JATO bottles but at lower operating temperatures, making them more eco-friendly,” said Staff Sgt. Jason Candido, a propulsion specialist with the 109th. “We’re looking at an efficiency of about 20 percent more fuel efficiency compared to the 3.0 engine.”

 
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April 1, 2022
Lockheed just announced an upgrade kit that allows C-130 Hercules to carry up to 90 paratroopers at a time, up by half from the previous maximum load of 60 paratroopers. The kit slides into stock C-130 cargo rails and ceiling rails. It allows adding an additional 30 paratroopers to sit in the new upper deck. It also includes a new floor panel that extends the full length of the cargo compartment from the front bulkhead to the rear edge of the lower ramp. This fully utilizes the other-wise wasted space above the regular seats. Just think of it as the upper bunk bed in barracks.

The first 60 paratroopers sit in the regular fabric troop seats and exit via side doors. The only difference is reduced headroom over those seated along the center row of seats. But this minor inconvenience disappears as soon as they stand up.
The additional 30 paratroopers walk down a central aisle and exit single-file through the opened top half of the tail ramp. This increases troop density by 50 percent to reduce assembly time on contested objectives. In the event that enemy AAA gunners are successful, the new high-density configuration reduces flail injuries in the event of an unscheduled pre-mature arrival on the objective.
The Indonesian paratroopers who participated in initial trials declined to comment on comfort issues. It seems that the Indonesian language lacks the correct adjectives to describe the experience.
Lockheed has offered to license the new technology in the form of retrofit kits for military transports from other manufacturers.
 
Well if they were smart, they would have rows of a paratroopers seating over the wings and fuselage. This way they could carry much more than a paltry 60 - 60 more outside the fuselage, plus 60 seating per wing, and voilà - 4*60 = 240 paratroopers on an Hercules: as much as a freakkin' C-17 or An-124...
 
Well if they were smart, they would have rows of a paratroopers seating over the wings and fuselage. This way they could carry much more than a paltry 60 - 60 more outside the fuselage, plus 60 seating per wing, and voilà - 4*60 = 240 paratroopers on an Hercules: as much as a freakkin' C-17 or An-124...
Not sure the US Army wants to put that many troops in one airplane, other than for training (maybe not even then). Same reason they do not want to put more than a squad and enablers on one assault helicopter. Although it might be of value for training as it reduces the number of aircraft needed for training jumps. I know that they use C-17 for training, but the probability that they would be used in a real combat mission is exceeding small. Even in Afghanistan they used C-130 to drop in the Rangers.
 
Lockheed just announced an upgrade kit that allows C-130 Hercules to carry up to 90 paratroopers at a time, up by half from the previous maximum load of 60 paratroopers. The kit slides into stock C-130 cargo rails and ceiling rails. It allows adding an additional 30 paratroopers to sit in the new upper deck. It also includes a new floor panel that extends the full length of the cargo compartment from the front bulkhead to the rear edge of the lower ramp. This fully utilizes the other-wise wasted space above the regular seats. Just think of it as the upper bunk bed in barracks.
The funniest part about this is that the upper deck contraption actually exists for the Il-76!
1648915784070.png
 

133rd Airlift Wing Welcomes First Eight-Bladed Propeller C-130​


The 133rd Airlift Wing currently flies eight C-130H3 Hercules model aircraft out of the Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport. Last year the Wing launched a three-phase modernization process by introducing the electronic propeller control system (EPCS).

The Wing is currently in the second phase of the modernization process, which includes transitioning the C-130s from four-bladed propellers to eight-bladed propellers. The eight-bladed propellers will deliver more power and efficiency while reducing maintenance. Due to increased thrust for takeoff and climb-out, they are also helpful in cold weather and arctic operations. The completion of this phase is projected to end in September 2023.

The third phase will introduce a T56 3.5 turbo engine and will kick off in the fall of 2023.
 
Cannot fathom that a twin turbofan version is still not in the works. Turboprops are great and all, but they are maintained by iPads and contractors these days. Would rather have more options for maintenance than the current sole source arrangement.
 
Yesterday in Amsterdam, a Grey C-130 was misidentified as a private jet by some Greenpeace backed protestors contesting the wastage of private flights.

I guess that, now, every cargo crew rounding the world to feed and bring next to everything to everyone (and soldiers), from bullet to baby supplement can now hold proudly the front desk yoke their pinky raised: per definition, elitist they are (not).

View: https://youtu.be/MwT9oOrshqI
 

U.S. Special Operations Command originally planned to buy nearly 40 Ghostriders to replace three older gunships: the AC-130H Spectre, AC-130W Stinger II and AC-130U Spooky. Each of those 37 aircraft are now retired.

Rather than swap out the airframes one-for-one as expected, SOCOM wants to end the decade-long AC-130J acquisition seven short of the full program.
 
Doh! Here I was hoping that somehow they had miraculously worked out how a C-130 could carry a M1.
Doesn't need to, Murdoch can fly them.
 

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