Banned
I know this sounds a little off but i just wondered how many people have had the opportunity to fly in a Hercules C-130??
I have flown in one a few times, and I have come to the conclusion that it is reliable and as noisy as a big rig (18-wheeler truck).
Enthusiast
No, but it sounds awesome.
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Banned
Upon take off, the whole aircraft shakes very violently. It is really really loud inside. It can taxi to the take off point with 1 of its 4 turbo prop engines. It can stay in the air with 2 of its 4 engines.
When you are inside a C-130 when it lands and it is trying to slow down, it is the most violent thing you will ever experience besides a rally race or a roller coaster. Every fibre of the plane is shaking and trying to come apart.
Yet, this is the one of the most reliable aircraft on this planet. When a C-130 crashes, it is really a big deal because it is really rare to have one crash. It can take abuse of the worst kind and still make it home.
You can load it beyond its design limit and it will still take off, but it may need a longer run way to do so.
Even with some load, it has one of the shortest landing and take-off distance of any plane its size. I have seen empty C-130s take off and land in less than 1/4 mile of the runway.
It is really slow in flight. A normal 1 hour flight with civil aviation aircrafts will take a C-130 about 1 hour and 20 minutes to do the same amount of work. However, it will do this with a lot more load than civil aviation aircrafts. Sometimes, the limits of a C-130 is how much stuff you can throw inside and yet be able to close the hatch.
Last edited by G35COUPE; 09-25-2009 at 11:24 AM.
Enthusiast
Yes it's really violent.
What surprises me is how come reliability and vibration beyond belief can be combined in the same package...
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Banned
Well said! I have been asking myself the same question for years.Originally Posted by lightweight
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
Never ridden in one... seen them fly several times. Pretty awesome planes...
As a side note: qiseng365 has been banned. Forever.
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Furniture
i've been in a caribou. now that is interesting, such short take off and landing. shame they are being replaced
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Fanatic
Safety wire. You wire two bolts together, if bolt A loosens up, it tightens up the bolt B and stops bolt A from loosening more.
"We went to Wnedy's. I had chicken nuggest." ~ Quiggs
Banned
I agree with you. However, I have inspected the C-130 up close and personal and it doesn't have any safety wires holding panels of its framework together. It seems to use rivets just as any other aircraft. However, they do use safety wires on bolts that could become loose.Safety wire. You wire two bolts together, if bolt A loosens up, it tightens up the bolt B and stops bolt A from loosening more.
On take off, the whole body panels are shaking violently and yet it is held together by only rivets.
Enthusiast
I never have, but I have seen one land on a tiny freaking grass runway. Had to buzz the runway before landing to get the deer off of it. I couldn't believe it made it.
My dad made tons of jumps from them when he was in the millitary, and said it's one fo those planes that makes you glad you have a parachute on.
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Fanatic
Sure the outside panels are riveted, but any and every bolt is safety wired or threadlocked. Its a standard in aviation and it carries over to race cars too.I agree with you. However, I have inspected the C-130 up close and personal and it doesn't have any safety wires holding panels of its framework together. It seems to use rivets just as any other aircraft. However, they do use safety wires on bolts that could become loose.
On take off, the whole body panels are shaking violently and yet it is held together by only rivets.
"We went to Wnedy's. I had chicken nuggest." ~ Quiggs
Novice
Flew as cargo in one once: The DC7 Rangeliner broke, and so we piled in to a C-130 that was fresh from Viet Nam...meaning that the AK-47 rounds induced ventilation was still in place:-)
The skipper had 2 cases of empty berr cans which he rolled out of the flight deck periodically, to impress the ladies, ya know...it also had a porta potty rigged for privacy, but no heat...
Departed Gran Turks, TWI and arrived Eleuthera, where we disembarked and the aircraft refueled. Upon refire, both port engines caught fire....
Everyone is now stranded, but at least closer to the mainland...I caught a P3C returning from VP patrol back to Jacksonville...that was a no contraband flight and the exec searched bags to comply....BTW: Somewhere between Eleuthera and Jacksonville there is a case of Jack Daniels that did not pass the contraband test:-)
Fanatic
My father did it plenty of time, he was a paratrooper.
So did my brother, but I don't think the C130 was still used over here when he was in the army.
We even built a nice (and accurate) scale model.
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Rookie
Yes, but I was too young to remember it. My uncle was a navigator on them for years and years.
Enthusiast
agree, a personal favourite, love their slow potent drone as they inch across the skyi've been in a caribou. now that is interesting, such short take off and landing. shame they are being replaced
seen videos of them in PNG doing STOL in rough conditions, very impressive!
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