Lockheed C-130 Hercules

[Jay Beckman]

Nice pair of adds Ned!

[Daniel DeSart]

[Ned Harris]

KC-130J, MCAS Yuma, 4/17/12.


_92W6534 USMC KC-130J by Ned Harris, on Flickr

[bilwor]

Lockheed Martin KC-130J Hercules 167108 BH-08 VMGR-252 Otis MCAS Cherry Point WTI 2-12 MCAS Yuma

[Barry Griffiths]

 
Lockheed KC-130J Hercules BuNo166472 US Marines VMGR-252 "Otis" BH-472 MCAS Cherry Point, NC by Barry Griffiths CAD, on Flickr

[Jeff D. Welker]

^^^^ Nice light on this Herc Barry - well done.

[bilwor]

Who operates this WC-130H??
Lockheed WC-130H Hercules 64-14866 118 AW This Herk shows mixed unit assignments. The nose is 118th AW Tennessee ANG Nashville International Airport. Above the wheel well and on the tail painted  Florida ANG from Jacksonville International Airport.

[bilwor]

This aircraft was originally built as HC-130H with the Fulton Recovery System forks on the nose. Converted to WC-130H and used as "weather bird" until WC-130Js came into service. Then they were handed off to ANG squadrons where they were stripped of their weather gear and turned into regular haulers (nose remained same shape as original HC-130H)

[JWAir]

That bird was assigned to the Florida ANG's 125th FW, 159th FS (F-15C/D unit) up until the end of January. It was based at Jacksonville IAP and was the Wing's OSA bird (Operational Support Airlift). Now assigned to the Tennessee ANG 118th AW, 105th AS out of Nashville IAP. This unit is gaining a training mission for the ANG C-130 fleet. The nose unit markings are usually the first to be applied simply because they take such little time to modify. The tail band will be removed and replaced when the aircraft goes back to the Lockheed depot in Atlanta for it's scheduled heavy MX. There is a small chance the TN ANG might replace the tail band, but it is not likely.

[bilwor]

Thanks JW Air for the input. Much Appreciated
bill

[Joe Copalman]

Jarrod, was this the same Fulton-nosed bird that came into Willie a while back?

Great catch, Bill.  I love birds in transitional markings.

[Chris Kennedy]

Lousy picture, but does anybody know what the thing on the rear fuselage is?

UPDATE - According to Joe Baugher this is an MC-130E Combat Talon I Special Forces support aircraft. It's 64-5065.

[Joe Copalman]

That's a Nemesis DIRCM system.  Basically a laser in a turret that "dazzles" IR guided missiles.  

Cool catch.  I thought for sure when you posted that a C-130 came in and turned off that way that it was an ANG bird equipped with the MAFFS system for firefighting work.  There was one working the Wallow Fire out of Willie last summer.

[Chris Kennedy]

That's a Nemesis DIRCM system.  Basically a laser in a turret that "dazzles" IR guided missiles.  

Cool catch.  I thought for sure when you posted that a C-130 came in and turned off that way that it was an ANG bird equipped with the MAFFS system for firefighting work.  There was one working the Wallow Fire out of Willie last summer.

Thanks for the info. Interesting gadget.

I don't think any of the MAFFS planes have been activated yet this year. They can only be used if all of the civilian contract tankers are busy. I just saw an article the other day about the NC ANG ones training back east.

It was pretty crowded down on that end of the ramp. A Neptune was parked there and later they sent an Air Force C-12C down there. That one actually pulled into the FBO ramp and was re-directed. It was a white one with "United States Air Force" over the windows and "AFMC" on the tail.

[josephea6]

VMGR-152 on final at Yuma.