Lockheed XFC-130H Hercules

Lockheed Hercules XFC-130H

After a failed mission Eagle Claw to rescue the hostages from the american embassy crisis in Iran was drawn up a plan for the second rescue mission called Credible Sport, a part of which was the landing of the modified machine of the C-130 Hercules at the stadium Amjadieh in Tehran near the american embassy, the discontinuation of the team of Delta Force and hostage rescue. Subsequently had the machine to take off and finally land on the aircraft carrier (earlier in November of 1963 to carry out a test, during which he landed on the deck of the USS Forrestal (CV-59) machine USMC KC-130F).
To modify the selected three machines from 463. tactical transport wing (463rd Tactical Airlift Wing), which had to fly a crew of machines MC-130 Combat Talon, which participated in the previous operation Eagle Claw.

Modification of the machines took place under strict secrecy on the auxiliary airfield #1 (Wagner Field) of the base Eglin. A request for an adjustment was passed to Lockheed 27. June 1980. First considered the use of the 58 units of the JATO (jet-fuel assisted take off), which turned out as insufficient. With the help of the Naval air weapons station China Lake (Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake) was looking for another solution for the use of available rocket engines. Lockheed continued strengthening of the torso machines.

The result was the installation of thirty rocket engines in five sets:
eight engines of the rockets ASROC in four pairs going forward to stop the aircraft
eight of the rockets Shrike installed on the sides of the bogie shafts to prevent a fall at low speed
eight missiles Mk-56 of shots RIM-66 Standard MR at the stern to accelerate during take-off
two pairs of rockets Shrike on the pylons of the wings to prevent roll over at the start of the
two of the rockets ASROC at the stern, which should prevent the flipping of the aircraft forward and the targeting of the country the nose of the aircraft

Further modifications included the installation of two dorsal and two abdominal plůtků (fins) on the back of the fuselage, dvouštěrbinové flaps, enlarged wings, new radom, stern hook for landing on aircraft carriers and avionics including radar for monitoring the field with the warning system (Terrain Following/Terrain Avoidance radar), Doppler radar and the GPS are linked with the inertial navigation system and defensive countermeasures.

Test machine (s/n 74-2065) flew for the first time 18. September 1980. The first fully modified machine (s/n 74-1683) was delivered to 17. October 1980.
Tests of butterfly valves and other partial tests were carried out seamlessly, so it was scheduled a full test on the 29. October. Due to the fact that the engineers of Lockheed wanted to still calibrate the computer controlled zažehávání rocket engines, were thrusts in this test managed manually. The flight engineer on board during the landing, blinded zažehnutými upper pairs of retro-rockets, triggered by the lower pair of retro-rockets too early. The rocket engines pointing downwards, which had to brake the fall, not enough to respond and the machine, which virtually stopped in the air, landed hard on the ground. This led to the breakage of the wings and subsequent fire. The fire was fortunately able to cope and the crew escaped without injury. Machine 74-1683, however, was destroyed and for reasons of security was in place dismantled.
Later there were voices, that early ignition of the lower pair of retro-rockets and nezažehnutí missiles delaying the fall could glitch on track lighting or a computer.
Another machine was shortly before delivery, but a victory Ronald Reagan in the elections and other circumstances led to the cancellation of plans for a rescue mission. The hostages were freed in January 1981.
The remaining machines have been cleaned of missile equipment, machine 74-2065 returned back to normal service and the machine 74-1686 was sent to the base Robins, where he was in July 1981 changed name to the y. m. c. a-130H and used for testing the development of the type of the MC-130H Combat Talon II in the project Credible Sport II. In 1988 he was placed in the exposition of the museum of aviation at the base of the Robins.

Source:
en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org
www.youtube.com (video of tests with fatal accidents).

http://www.combatreform.org/c130.htm
webcommunity.ilvolo.it

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http://www.chnjet.com/forum/thread-3475-1-1.html

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