Quote:

There's no way a "short" runway could be for the C-130 Hercules....



Actually, I use to fly the Dew-line runs in a C130 right when they started to dismantle and close them down. Most of the runways were boxed in on three-sides, so you either land or crash. Some were actually on an uphill slope. Pretty damm scary in the winter trying to off-load an aircraft thats trying to slide downhill - you had to keep the engines in reverse, and push the load out. In all the years of resupply mission on the dew run, there was only one crash - and that was caused by a wind shear/updraft just prior to touch-down. The C130 was repaired 6 months later at the site and flown out. The landings were a modified assult landing - basicly a fast approach, big flare, engines into reverse, then touch down. The C130B, with 3-bladed props, could take-off in about 800 ft, give or take a couple of feet- loaded, no JATO assist. The C130E's need a little bit more room, but heavier payload put them just around 1100 ft. Keep in mind, that there was a C130 that was designed to land, and take-off from a regulation soccer field- (Credible Sport) for the Tehran American hostage rescue. The C130 that made the carrier lands, actually made 62 take-off's and landings. Different payloads and aircraft configurartions. The only changes made to the aircraft were beefed up landing gears. The only reason the Navy decided against it was the 10 ft. wing-tip clearance with the (what ever the navy calls it) main structure. Might not be an issue with the new super-carriers.


Cape Romanzof AK - Just remembered where the crash was.


Edited by shaglaptop (09/02/05 09:10 PM)