That would be us when it comes to posting today, mainly coz we're in one of our "Meh" moods. We've read the overnight mail, reviewed the blog-feed, perused a limited amount of news-fodder, and nothing clicks. But Hey! There's always plane pr0n, right?
I might have more later if or when my mood improves.
OK. You can say it, I don't mind: that's a piss-poor example of plane pr0n. But it IS a cool photo whose subject just happens to be an airplane.Bagram NightsAir Frame: A Halvorsen loader pulls away from a C-130J Super Hercules at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Feb. 11, 2014. The airfield is the busiest single runway in the Defense Department. (Air Force photo by Capt. Brian Wagner)
I might have more later if or when my mood improves.
I respectfully disagree, that is awesome plane pr0n. It's a Herky-bird, it's nautical twilight (I think) and there's time lapse photography involved.
ReplyDeleteGood stuff!
You're a good man, Chris... and good for my ego. (Heh)
DeleteI'm only a bit perturbed by the photo, in that the time lapse left the loader virtually invisible, so I had to Gargle it.
ReplyDeleteDid your googling mention the loader is named for the famous Berlin Airlift Candy Bomber? Quite the guy, he was.
DeleteAs I recall the Congress had throw the Air Force hard to the ground, kick it half a dozen times and then kneel on its throat to get it to take any C130Js. They called it pork.
ReplyDeleteOTOH, I may be thinking of another C-130 the Air Force didn't want. I like them, I just wouldn't want to fly back from Adak in another one of them.
As I recall...
DeleteI dunno about that, but I went and googled it to see what I could find. There's this, in part, from a 2004 DOD IG report:
The Air Force bought the C-130J as a commercial item needing minor modification, but in the 8 years since the Air Force began contracting for the C-130J, Lockheed Martin has been unable
to design, develop, or produce a C-130J aircraft that meets contract specifications. In addition, the Air Force did not determine whether the commercial version of the C-130J met the operational requirements before procuring the aircraft. The Air Force C-130J withholds do not correlate with C-130J aircraft outstanding contract deficiencies, nor do current levels of withholds ensure that
corrections are performed in a timely manner. All contract deficiencies should be resolved and retrofits should be performed before the Air Force funds additional upgrades. We request that the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition provide comments on the final report by August 23, 2004.
That doesn't sound like AF was being forced to buy the plane, it sound like they simply screwed up yet another acquisition. As for C-130s in general... THE noisiest gotdamned plane ever made, IM(NS)HO. I've only flown in them in SEA and I sweated my ass off on the ramp and damned near froze to death once we got to altitude. Not very good experiences, all in all.
My Dad loved the Herk. For many years VXE-6 out of Point Mugu supported Deep Freeze and The Winter Over with those neat ski equipped 130s. I tried to get a set of orders to Antarctic Development Squadron Six............The initial was a trip to the Dentist.........I had too many fillings...........................It had to do with the cold.......................Tailhooks.............were my lot in life.
ReplyDeleteJim Flatley proved you could land and take off from a deck in one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't think I'd wanna fly in and out of the South Pole in a -130. It's a long, cold ride.
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