C-130 as a COD aircraft

Pangur

Donor
I think was in 1963 that the US Navy experimented with landing a C-130 on a carrier to see if it was doable and if so was it viable a super COB aircraft. It worked however the USN as I understand it reckoned it was a bit iffy. So the question is would it have been possible for Lockheed to have modified a C-130 that would have removed the USN concerns
 
I very much doubt it'll fit on any reasonable size lift, so it can't be stored in the hangar. And up top, it'll take up a significant amount of the deck park.

So, there's one issue Lockheed probably can't fix...
 

Pangur

Donor
Which is why I mentioned the idea of a new version of the c-130 to resolve those very problems
 

Ming777

Monthly Donor
To be honest, the size of the Herc will mean any means to get to fit it on a carrier will virtually be a new design.

About the largest COD plane that could be regularly based on a carrier would be a navalized DHC-5 Buffalo or a conversion of another STOL turboprop plane.
 
Which is why I mentioned the idea of a new version of the c-130 to resolve those very problems

Err... so, redesign a C-130 so it fits onto a flight-deck lift? Wouldn't we just end up with something more like the size of a C-2?
 

Pangur

Donor
Err... so, redesign a C-130 so it fits onto a flight-deck lift? Wouldn't we just end up with something more like the size of a C-2?

To some degree perhaps however the c-130 can carry 3 times near enough the load on a c-2 and as the objective is to have a COD aircraft that carry some serious heavy loads.
 
You might do better starting from a C-123 as the base aircraft, then. The C-130 would have to have it's length and wingspan reduced by half before it had any reasonable chance of fitting on a lift. The C-123 is already most of the way there in terms of length, and because it only has 2 engines the wings can fold closer in to the body. On the other hand, it's max takeoff weight is the same as the C-2, so I'm not sure there's much to be gained by it.
 
I think for the C 130 trials the carrier had to clear the entire flightdeck of all other aircraft (either launching them or putting them below), so I'm doubtful if such an option could be used as a day to day solution.

You'd also have to scarifice the ability to keep them on the carrier and you'd still face the costs of the E-2 Hawkeye's development as well.
 
Fitting on the deck-lift doesn't help if it doesn't fit in the hangar deck, limited to 17'6". The Herc stands at 38'5". The C-2 is under 16' The S-3 had a folding fin.
 
Some pictures of the actual landing:

4c81835cf0ad8.jpg


USS-Forrestal-KC-130-Testing.jpg
 
The C-130 was tested on carriers for two reasons

1) As a secure staging point for 'special' missions

2) For emergency delivery of outsized items that would not not fit in a C-2 aircraft.

I was told by someone I trusted when I was in the Air Force that there were at least 2 cases where a C-130 was used for the second purpose during the Vietnam war. I believe the person because of details he had and the unit he was assigned to at the time but I have no proof.

In the second case the operation would be land, unload re-spot, take off. There was no intent of staying on board and tying up the deck any longer than neccesary.

In the first case the C 130 would either be refueled and then take off or be spotted on the deck for transit to a preplanned launch point. There was never a plan to move the C-130 to the hanger (I don't even thing the fuselage would fit in the hanger deck because of height)
 

Pangur

Donor
The C-130 was tested on carriers for two reasons

1) As a secure staging point for 'special' missions

2) For emergency delivery of outsized items that would not not fit in a C-2 aircraft.

I was told by someone I trusted when I was in the Air Force that there were at least 2 cases where a C-130 was used for the second purpose during the Vietnam war. I believe the person because of details he had and the unit he was assigned to at the time but I have no proof.

In the second case the operation would be land, unload re-spot, take off. There was no intent of staying on board and tying up the deck any longer than neccesary.

In the first case the C 130 would either be refueled and then take off or be spotted on the deck for transit to a preplanned launch point. There was never a plan to move the C-130 to the hanger (I don't even thing the fuselage would fit in the hanger deck because of height)

OK, this in useful as it explains a lot - basically why the US tried in the first place it the a/c being so large in the first place .Many thanks
 
OK, this in useful as it explains a lot - basically why the US tried in the first place it the a/c being so large in the first place .Many thanks

Well there was the belief that it actually resulted from a bar bet at an O Club and the justification was created to let them settle the bet but that one even I have a hard time believing :D (Not that it resulted from a bar bet but that the pilots were capable of coming up with a justification that the brass would buy;))
 
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