commands, Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve Command,
fulfilling a wide range of operational missions in both peace
and war situations. Basic and specialized versions of the
aircraft airframe perform a diverse number of roles, including
airlift support, Antarctic ice resupply, aeromedical missions,
weather reconnaissance, aerial spray missions, fire-fighting
duties for the U.S. Forest Service and natural disaster relief
missions.
Features:
Using its aft loading ramp and door the C-130 can accommodate a
wide variety of oversized cargo, including everything from
utility helicopters and six-wheeled armored vehicles to standard
palletized cargo and military personnel. In an aerial delivery
role, it can airdrop loads up to 42,000 pounds or use its
high-flotation landing gear to land and deliver cargo on rough,
dirt strips.
The flexible design of the Hercules enables it to be configured
for many different missions, allowing for one aircraft to
perform the role of many. Much of the special mission equipment
added to the Hercules is removable, allowing the aircraft to
revert back to its cargo delivery role if desired. Additionally,
the C-130 can be rapidly reconfigured for the various types of
cargo such as palletized equipment, floor-loaded material,
airdrop platforms, container delivery system bundles, vehicles
and personnel or aeromedical evacuation.
The C-130J is the latest addition to the C-130 fleet and will
replace aging C-130E's. The C-130J incorporates state-of-the-art
technology to reduce manpower requirements, lower operating and
support costs, and provides life-cycle cost savings over earlier
C-130 models. Compared to older C-130s, the J-model climbs
faster and higher, flies farther at a higher cruise speed, and
takes off and lands in a shorter distance. The C-130J-30 is a
stretch version, adding 15 feet to the fuselage, increasing
usable space in the cargo compartment.
C-130J/J-30 major system improvements include: advanced
two-pilot flight station with fully integrated digital avionics;
color multifunctional liquid crystal displays and head-up
displays; state-of-the-art navigation systems with dual inertial
navigation system and global positioning system; fully
integrated defensive systems; low-power color radar; digital
moving map display; new turboprop engines with six-bladed,
all-composite propellers; digital auto pilot; improved fuel,
environmental and ice-protection systems; and an enhanced
cargo-handling system.
Background:
Four decades have elapsed since the Air Force issued its
original design specification, yet the remarkable C-130 remains
in production. The initial production model was the C-130A, with
four Allison T56-A-11 or -9 turboprops. A total of 219 were
ordered and deliveries began in December 1956. The C-130B
introduced Allison T56-A-7 turboprops and the first of 134
entered Air Force service in May 1959.
Introduced in August of 1962, the 389 C-130E's that were ordered
used the same Allison T56-A-7 engine, but added two 1,290 gallon
external fuel tanks and an increased maximum takeoff weight
capability. June 1974 introduced the first of 308 C-130H's with
the more powerful Allison T56-A-15 turboprop engine. Nearly
identical to the C-130E externally, the new engine brought major
performance improvements to the aircraft.
The latest C-130 to be produced, the C-130J entered the
inventory in February 1999. With the noticeable difference of a
six-bladed composite propeller coupled to a Rolls-Royce AE2100D3
turboprop engine, the C-130J brings substantial performance
improvements over all previous models, and has allowed the
introduction of the C-130J-30, a stretch version with a 15-foot
fuselage extension. Air Force has selected the C-130J-30 to
replace retiring C-130E's. Approximately 168 C-130J/J-30s are
planned for the inventory. To date, the Air Force has taken
delivery of 32 C-130J aircraft from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Company with orders for approximately 46 more aircraft.
General Characteristics of the Hurricane Hunters WC-130J:
▪ Primary
Function: Global airlift
▪ Contractor: Lockheed Martin
Aeronautics Company
▪ Power Plant: Four Rolls-Royce AE
2100D3 turboprops; 4,700 horsepower
▪ Length: 97 feet, 9 inches (29.3
meters)
▪ Height: 38 feet, 10 inches (11. 9
meters)
▪ Wingspan: 132 feet, 7 inches (39.7
meters)
▪ Cargo Compartment: length, 40 feet
(12.31 meters); width, 119 inches (3.12 meters); height, 9 feet
(2.74 meters)
▪ Rear ramp: length, 123 inches (3.12
meters); width, 119 inches (3.02 meters)
▪ Speed: 417 mph/362 ktas (Mach 0.59)
at 22,000 feet (6,706 meters)
▪ Ceiling: 28,000 feet (8,615 meters)
with 42,000 pounds (19,090 kilograms) payload
▪ Maximum Takeoff Weight: 155,000
pounds (69,750 kilograms)
▪ Maximum Allowable Payload: 42,000
pounds (19,090 kilograms)
▪ Maximum Normal Payload: 34,000
pounds (15,422 kilograms)
▪ Range at Maximum Normal Payload: 2,071 miles (1,800 nautical miles)
▪ Range with 35,000 pounds of Payload: 1,841 miles (1,600 nautical miles)
▪ Maximum Load: 6 pallets or 74
litters or 16 CDS bundles or 92 combat troops or 64
paratroopers, or combination of any of these up to the cargo
compartment capacity or maximum allowable weight
▪ Crew: Three (two pilots and
loadmaster). Aeromedical Evacuation Role: Minimum medical crew
of three is added (one flight nurse and two medical
technicians). Medical crew may be increased to two flight
nurses and four medical technicians as required by the needs of
the patients.
▪ Unit Cost: C-130J, $48.5 (FY 1998
constant dollars in millions)
▪ Date Deployed: Feb 1999
▪ Inventory: Active force, 186; Air
National Guard, 222; Air Force Reserve, 106
The Weather Pallets:
In the cargo department are two pallets used exclusively for the
weather mission; the ARWO and dropsonde/loadmaster pallet.
The ARWO Pallet:
The ARWO pallet consists of a computer system that processes all
the atmospheric data it collects from the airplane’s sensors, a
radio and satellite control for communication purposes (only
data capable), and interphone control and flight deck
representations.
The Weatherbird Software:
The Weatherbird computer software enables the ARWO operator to
monitor atmospheric conditions, both numerically and
graphically, near the WC-130J and transmit this data to
monitoring stations on the ground. Atmospheric and aircraft
flight data are sampled six times per second at flight level and
formulated into ten-second averaged data sets by a signal
conditioner. The software then uses the ten-second data to
compute numerous higher level meteorological parameters, such as
pressure, altitude, temperature, and dew point, all of which can
be displayed and stored. The ten-second data is averaged into 30
second averages which is then formulated into data messages,
called High Density Observations (HDOBs) each containing
10-minutes worth of information. The HDOBS are automatically
sent to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) via satellite
communications where they are fed directly into the NHC
computers and are instantly available to hurricane forecasters
as analysis and forecasting tools.
Finally, the software serves as a storage and transmission
facility for data messages. Vertical sounding messages (DROPs)
are produced by AVAPS (see below for more information), while
horizontal observations (RECCO) and Vortex Data Messages (VDMs)
are produced by the Weatherbird software. RECCO messages contain
both sensed and subjective data collected by the ARWO at flight
level, while VDMs are hurricane eye reports of location and
intensity. All messages can be retrieved, edited, and restored
by the ARWO and finally sent to the customer via the satellite
communication system. Plain language “administrative” messages
can also be sent via SATCOM enabling direct and fast
communication between the mission ARWO and forecasters at the
National Hurricane Center.
The Communication Navigation
Identification Unit (CNIU):
Aircraft position and flight level wind information is provided
by the CNIU. The main CNIU component is a GPS navigation unit
which can pinpoint a position accurately to within one mile
after an average 10-hour hurricane reconnaissance mission. This
position and wind data is also stored by each controller and is
included in the HDOBS messages.
The mission Aerial Reconnaissance Weather Officer (ARWO) can
manipulate the stored data in a variety of ways. It can be
displayed in various digital formats or graphically depicted in
time series or position plots. The speed and flexibility with
which data can be viewed aid the ARWO’s analysis and decisions,
dramatically improving his ability to maintain control of the
mission in the rapidly changing environment of a hurricane.
The Satellite Communication System (SATCOM):
The SATCOM consists of an onboard transceiver and antenna, plus
a reciprocating station located on the ground. There are
currently two operational ground stations; one at the National
Hurricane Center and the other at Keesler AFB, MS. Messages
passed are automatically displayed on the respective receiving
station’s computer monitor. An acknowledgment of receipt of a
message is automatic and is instantaneously relayed to the
sending station by the receiving station. This enhances the book
keeping process by the ARWO on the aircraft and ensures that
none of the critical hurricane reconnaissance data is lost in
space.
The Airborne Vertical Atompsheric
Profiling System (AVAPS) Pallet:
The Airborne Vertical Atmospheric Profiling System (AVAPS) marks
a tremendous advance in hurricane reconnaissance data collection
aboard the Air Force Reserve’s fleet of WC-130J aircraft. AVAPS
is a self-contained atmospheric profiling system, installed in
two standard 19-inch racks, that records current atmospheric
conditions vertically below the WC-130J aircraft from a deployed
dropsonde that transmits data back to the arcraft as it falls to
the surface. AVAPS consists of expendable GPS dropsondes, a
Dropsonde Telemetry Chassis, high power computer, and a color
monitor.
| The GPS
Dropsonde:
The GPS Sonde is a lightweight instrument
package that is launched from the WC-130J aircraft. As it
descends from aircraft altitude (5,000 – 38,000 feet) to the
surface, at about 2500 feet per minute, it measures and
transmits current pressure, temperature, humidity, wind
speed and direction, and GPS position information to AVAPS
hardware in the aircraft twice each second.
The Sonde also receives GPS navigation
signals from at least four GPS satellites, and measures the
Doppler shift of each signal. Up to four sondes can be
deployed simultaneously. AVAPS receives this data, processes
it, then displays the time from launch, raw weather data,
number of GPS satellites being tracked, and geopotential
altitude for each Sonde deployed.
The raw and processed data are also
written to the computer’s internal hard drive. After the
drop has ended, the data files can be printed and data can
be analyzed by the ASPEN program. |
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The Atmospheric Sounding Processing
Environment (ASPEN) Software:
After drop termination, the Weather Loadmaster uses the
ASPEN program to analyze and edit the collected weather data
and formats the data to a standard code.
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The edited and formatted message is then
ready for transmission to the ground station via SATCOM.
ASPEN is a highly complex computer program that is used for
the analysis, plotting, transmission, and quality control of
AVAPS sounding data.
Due to the very hectic and busy nature of
the hurricane reconnaissance mission, ASPEN was specially
designed to operate as automatically as possible, while
allowing the user to have full control over the quality
control methods.
If at any time the processing needs to be
modified, the user, who is a highly trained |
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meteorologist, can change the quality control parameters and
reprocess the data as many times as necessary. |
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