Any idea where I might get some interior photos or layouts for the C-130 weather birds? I know they have a couple of sensor stations and a dropsound station, but where they are and how they are set up is a mistery.
Saransk
Try contacting the units PIO office, see what they can send you
I have photos of the Herc, the GIV,L188 and P3, but they are external shots only.
If you want, I can email them to you.
Hey, Saransk, you’re a man after my heart! I’ve got a P-3C Orion in the closet that I’m someday going to convert into a WP-3D hurricane hunter–if I ever get done with my tornado chase vehicle![;)]
I myself would like to build one of those WC-130 hurricane hunters, but gad! Even in 1/72 scale those things are huge; definitely not good in this one-bedroom apartment! In any event, it’s good to find someone who shares my interest in modeling weather research vehicles and aircraft.
I don’t have a drawings specifically for the WC-130, but my “Tasks of Hercules” book from Lockheed has drawings for the Coast Guard HC-130H, which may be similar. It also has drawings of the Maritime Patrol C-130H-MP, which does some of the same missions. Email me direct at lengesath@cox.net, if you’re interested.
Larry
Wrote to the Unit - they have a great website, but no interior info.
I have a couple of books - but it is all exterior shots.
Liked the video of a storm penetration - this would be the ultimate E-ticket ride.
I think 2 of the stations are build along the forward bulkhead just behind the cockpit on the cargo level - but the dropsound station is in the center of the bird.
saransk
I wanted to share this photo I took in Houston 2 years ago to show those guys have a sense of humor.[:D]
Eddie
Hi Saransk,
I probably won’t be too much help as I am an old weather bird. Our unit were flying WB-29s and converted to WB-50D (one is in the AF Museum). I have part of the manual and the Dropsonde Operators station was in the area behind the wings. I did see a new report showing the DO putting the dropsonde into it’s chamber for release. The dropsonde it showed was slender like a rocket. From the film I got the impression that the dropsonde chamber was on the left side of the cargo hold. This was in the same general area where ours were on the 29s. I was able to in later years able to photo copy part of the manual. I started building weather birds from the WB-25 on ward in 1/72. I did build the WC-130H, but fudged the interior since I was really unsure. I have flown on C-130As and have a little knowledge about that bird. The only weather birds I have not built yet are the WC-135B and WB-57F. Our dropsondes in the old days were square in shape. In those days every thing was classified because we were also doing sniffer missions. Take care and hope what little information I have given might be of some help.
Sincerely
Debichan
A quick bit of digging has revealed the following.
She is not a bog standard herc, but is in fact an L100 - 30.
She is a stretched civilian model similar to the RAF Hercules C3 in length only.
Many of the military features are not present, like the cheek windows at cockpit floor level and the para deflector doors and RATO attachment points are usually not on the L100.
After a quick browse on the NOAA website the Herc is not shown on their fleet list, N898QR, the L100 in question , is registered to INVESTMENT CAPITAL XCHANGE INC of Helena , MT.
Looking at the slide that I have it has no apparent modifications and the only markings are the reg no. a blue cheatline separating the bottom grey from the top white fuselage, and a NOAA crest just aft of the nose air intake.
I would hazard a guess that she is only a resupply aircraft and has nothing to do with storm chasing.
Before the L100 they operated a C130B which eould be a less challenging, but more colourful project
By concidence, a PBS documentary about Hurricane Katrina screened in Aus last night. It featued a good look at the interior of a WC-130, the website for the show appears below:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/orleans/
And you can view the actual footage: (scroll down to thumbnail with the Herc):