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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 19, 2015 16:54:10 GMT 12
Next week marks the 50th Anniversary of the Lockheed C-130H Hercules joining the RNZAF, when the first three examples, NZ7001, NZ7002 and NZ7003 arrived in New Zealand from the factory in the USA and were Brought on Charge. Since then the fleet of five Herc's have performed absolute sterling service to New Zealand, whether as a transport for RNZAF, NZ Army and RNZN personnel, VIP transport for politicians and dignitaries, transport for cargo like food aid and vehicles and animals and tragedy bodies and NZ Embassy furniture and scientific equipment and bulldozers and paratroopers and all manner of other items. It's probably difficult to count how many RNZAF and Army exercises the Hercs have flown in within NZ and on overseas deployments; and more difficult to tally up the thousands of SATS flights they have made.
The RNZAF Hercules fleet served during the "Confrontation" war in Malaysia and Indonesia on the island of Borneo supporting the troops of 1RNZIR. Then it served during the Vietnam war again supporting our soldiers. In 1990 the kiwi Hercules fleet went to war again in Operation Desert Storm, and they served in the more recent years in Afghanistan again supporting our troops and the Allies.
Almost everyone who'd served in the NZDF in the past 50 years will have at some point encountered the No. 40 Squadron RNZAF Hercules. In its time its seen the DC-6's, C-47's, Freighters and Devons go, the Andovers, Golden Eagles, and Boeing 727's all come and go from service and they have carried on regardless. They remain on duty with the Boeing 757's and soon are likely have have C-17's join them, but they'll no doubt still go on themselves for some good while yet.
So I think to celebrate the milestone birthday for the venerable transport planes with a thread of photos, personal memories, stories, facts and figures relating to the Royal New Zealand Air Force's Lockheed C-130H Hercules fleet. Over to all you pilots, aircrew, and ground crew who served in and with them, you passengers who flew in them, and those who merely admired and photographed or filmed them...
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Post by suthg on Mar 19, 2015 18:50:16 GMT 12
Plus their numerous trips to the Deep South... have to start digging out some pics - yes!!
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Post by isc on Mar 19, 2015 20:25:18 GMT 12
I think the Hastings may have still been there when the first of them arrived. Back then it was who could come up with a DC-3 replacement (world wide), I suppose the C-130 is in that place now, I read somewhere that the current upgrade would extend the life of the airframe by 38 years! isc
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Post by alanw on Mar 27, 2015 21:07:44 GMT 12
Even though 5 Squadron was well entrenched in our home (Sunderlands and P 3's), there was always a soft spot for the "Herks". Growing up with both the Herks and Orions at Whenuapai, years later I can still pick the pitch of the Herks flying overhead (while inside or at night) against the higher pitched Orion ( I know both have T56-A Allisons for engines, P3 -14 and C130 -15 ) A few years ago, I was at Whenuapai on the flightline carrying out an inspection, when some personell (probably 40 Sqn) were pushing an airscrew on a dolly toward 6 Sqn hangar direction. The gent with me asked, do you know what aircraft that's off? Without hesitation I said yes - C 130, I was right too It's really cool that the C 130H has come so far, and done so much!!! Happy Birthday As an aside, does anyone know whether the lower colour on the Hi Vis scheme the Hercules arrived in, was Silver or Grey, I can't seem to remember? And if Grey what colour Grey? Thanks/regards Alan
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Post by noooby on Mar 28, 2015 6:54:08 GMT 12
Alan, the high pitch on the P-3 is due to the aircon/pressurisation system.
The Herc engine uses bleed air for pressurisation, while the P-3 engine, for some reason, uses an Engine Driven Compressor (EDC) on the #2 and #3 engines. It spins REALLY fast. I want to say about 120,000 RPM. I do remember it was pretty common for us to change them, as any slight hiccup and it would shear the drive shaft.
I don't know about the Herc (only worked at 49 for a few months) but for the P-3 there are three different engine configurations. #2 and #3 are the same, with Gen's and EDC's. #4 has a Gen but no EDC and #1 has no Gen and no EDC. That is why on long range patrol #1 is shut down. No Gen lost and no aircon air flow lost.
Sorry for the thread hijack. Back to the Herc!
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Post by raymond on Mar 28, 2015 7:48:35 GMT 12
Alan, the high pitch on the P-3 is due to the aircon/pressurisation system. The Herc engine uses bleed air for pressurisation, while the P-3 engine, for some reason, uses an Engine Driven Compressor (EDC) on the #2 and #3 engines. It spins REALLY fast. I want to say about 120,000 RPM. I do remember it was pretty common for us to change them, as any slight hiccup and it would shear the drive shaft. I don't know about the Herc (only worked at 49 for a few months) but for the P-3 there are three different engine configurations. #2 and #3 are the same, with Gen's and EDC's. #4 has a Gen but no EDC and #1 has no Gen and no EDC. That is why on long range patrol #1 is shut down. No Gen lost and no aircon air flow lost. Sorry for the thread hijack. Back to the Herc! If I recall correctly the P3 has EDC as it was derived from a passenger aircraft and they didnt use bleed air for passenger aircraft. I would have thought that the shape of the prop tips would nave contributed to the different noise the aircraft makes. Herc is Squareish and P3 round?
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Post by ErrolC on Mar 28, 2015 8:43:45 GMT 12
If I recall correctly the P3 has EDC as it was derived from a passenger aircraft and they didnt use bleed air for passenger aircraft. I would have thought that the shape of the prop tips would nave contributed to the different noise the aircraft makes. Herc is Squareish and P3 round? When I lived at the end of the runway approach lights at Whenuapai I could certainly tell the Hercs and Orions apart by their sound. I assumed that this was due to the different props, but obviously there may have been other elements.
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Post by beagle on Mar 28, 2015 16:11:32 GMT 12
Even though 5 Squadron was well entrenched in our home (Sunderlands and P 3's), there was always a soft spot for the "Herks". As an aside, does anyone know whether the lower colour on the Hi Vis scheme the Hercules arrived in, was Silver or Grey, I can't seem to remember? And if Grey what colour Grey? Thanks/regards Alan Pretty sure it was an aluminium/silver colour. Peter Gardner was telling me once how they used these marvel of things called lasers to mark the lines for the cheat line along each side of the fuselage as they didn't arrive with them.
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Post by noooby on Mar 28, 2015 17:25:30 GMT 12
The props didn't change the sound. Same RPM at the prop. The shape was due ot the use of the aircraft. Square tips gave a bit more static thrust for shorter takeoffs, rounded tips were more efficient at higher speeds, and the Orion certainly is fast! The high pitch you hear from the P-3 is from the EDC's. They really whine with the RPM they are spinning at.
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Post by shorty on Mar 28, 2015 17:48:43 GMT 12
First time I flew in a C-130 was early Jan 1966 when as an ATC cadet I flew Whenuapai-Brisbane-Port Moresby-Labuan -RAF Changi then back via Cocos Island-Perth-Whenuapai for about 39 1/2 hours flying time
The colour was definitely Aluminium 19537. So states the pages I have from NZAP 2656 leaflet D9
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Post by alanw on Mar 29, 2015 10:46:38 GMT 12
Beagle/Shorty Thanks for the information on the Aluminium Have a C 130 I want to build and finish in the early delivery scheme. Thanks/regards Alan
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Post by shorty on Mar 29, 2015 10:59:23 GMT 12
Alan, PM me with your email addy and I'll send you the scans of the relevant pages from NZAP 2656 Or if you are going to Classic Fighters I can do you a copy and give it to you there.
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Post by alanw on Mar 29, 2015 14:13:16 GMT 12
Alan, PM me with your email addy and I'll send you the scans of the relevant pages from NZAP 2656 Or if you are going to Classic Fighters I can do you a copy and give it to you there. PM sent Many thanks Alan
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Post by Freighter5910 on Mar 29, 2015 16:10:27 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 30, 2015 8:33:43 GMT 12
That's a great photo, thanks for posting it. I think they look so much better in the grey they wear now, compared to this old scheme.
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Post by camtech on Mar 30, 2015 8:42:21 GMT 12
The last two Hastings were flown to Ohakea for storage in Feb 1966 - NZ5801 had already been flown down in May 65.
I can recall seeing Hastings visiting Woodbourne during 1965, as well as the Hercules later in the year.
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Post by shorty on Mar 30, 2015 9:01:38 GMT 12
That's a great photo, thanks for posting it. I think they look so much better in the grey they wear now, compared to this old scheme. Sorry Dave, you have no taste, the grey scheme looks dull, bland and boring, the early scheme at least had some pizzaz to it.
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Post by alanw on Mar 30, 2015 16:20:44 GMT 12
Alan, this pic might help with your model. It was taken by my Dad and shows NZ7001 sitting on the tarmac at Whenuapai in April 1965. I don't have the exact date, but it looks like it could be freshly delivered. It shows the silver lower fuselage, wings and fin leading edge but also shows some interesting details of the markings, or lack of them! Note it has its serial 'NZ7001' with very small spaced out characters that can be seen just behind the wingtip tank. This and the roundel seem to be pretty much it. The roundel appears to just be red/white/blue with no fern-leaf. The propellor tips are also yellow, not the red-white-red that they had later on. Thats a really cool photo, thanks for posting it. I have read that the roundels were US Insignia colours, interesting, that there appears to be no Silver Fern. From a document I found online (similar but not same scheme) the prop tips are 6" yellow so more info to help www.cybermodeler.com/aircraft/c-130/c-130_profile04.shtmlI hope to do my Herks (Probably 7001) in the scheme she wore when she was sent to Vietnam to help supply the army etc. Which was not that long after her arrival here in New Zealand. Thanks/regards Alan
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Post by beagle on Mar 30, 2015 19:19:12 GMT 12
great shot
as I said in an earlier post, Pete Gardner will have some images I presume or stories about their arrival etc
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Post by Peter Lewis on Mar 30, 2015 22:28:50 GMT 12
NZ7002 in the early white-feather colour scheme. I have no record of where/when, but I do note that it has been zapped by the Aussies!
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