a service publication of lockheed aeronautical systems company · it gives me great pleasure to...

A Service Publication of Lockheed Aeronautical Syst ems Company

The Hercules In Transition

A SERVICE PUBLICATION OFLOCKHEED AERONAUTICALSYSTEMS COMPANY

EditorCharles I. Gale

Art DirectionCathy E. MiannayAnne G. Anderson

Vol. 21, No. 2, April -June 1994

CONTENTS

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3

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14

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Focal PointJohn L. Gaffney, PresidentLockheed Aeronautical SystemsSupport Company

The Hercules in TransitionNVIS-compatibility requirementshelp initiate wide-ranging cockpitenhancements.

A Digital Tool for Ramp HookRetainer IdentificationAn accurate, easy-to use tester sim-plifies hook retainer identification.

Hercules Operators Update

Deletion of Radome Anti-Icing andRedesign of Nose Radome

HOC 1994

The VASTA major update of an acclaimed andcost-effective training system.

Cover: New C-130Hs being delivered tothe North Carolina Air Guard are equippedwith a number of advanced systems,including night-vision imaging (NVIS).Back panel: A leased RAF Herc with theAllison AE 2100D3 engine and six-bladeDowty R391 prop that will power theC-130J installed in the No. 2 position.

Cover photos by John Rossino.

John Gaffney

The Lockheed Aeronautical SystemsSupport Company

The amazing success of Hercules airlifter, nowoperating in 64 countries throughout the world, hasgenerated a constantly escalating demand for high-quality Hercules support products and services. Thishas led to the development of a global marketplacefor these products that presents the Herculesoperator with both risks and opportunities.

In my Focal Point message in Vol. 20, No. 4 ofService News, I stated that LASC Product Support istotally committed to providing the very highest levelof service to each of our customers and every one ofour airplanes. This verbal commitment is now beingbacked up by an innovative new approach that will

offer every operator of the Hercules aircraft the most comprehensive and cost-effective support package available anywhere.

For the past several Years, the Lockheed Western Export Company (LWEC) hasbeen providing Hercules operators with low-cost, high-quality field support andaircraft field modification services. Based on LWEC’s demonstrated success, wehave now created a new company which will incorporate LWEC’s functions andenlarge upon its role. It gives me great pleasure to announce the formation of theLockheed Aeronautical Systems Support Company (LASSC).

LASSC offers an expanded product line designed to provide our operators witha one-stop shop for total Hercules support. The new venture greatly simplifies theprocess of obtaining logistic support, whatever level you may require. We havemade it much easier for You to conduct business with Lockheed by consolidatingpreviously separate Hercules support organizations under one company. Theresulting efficiencies also make it possible for us to offer extremely competitivepricing for all logistics elements. And the quality of LASSC support is unmatched.Every service we offer, and every spare part we sell-new, used, rebuilt, orexchanged-is fully warranted by Lockheed, the original equipment manufacturer.No other supplier can make that statement, or offer that kind of protection.

When we created LASSC, we listened to the world’s best consultants: You,our customers. LASSC has been designed from the ground up to meet Your supportneeds, based upon the ideas, concerns, and expectations which you have sharedwith us over the years. We think You will like the result. Welcome aboard!

Sincerely,

John L. GaffneyPresident,LASSC

J. L. GAFFNEY - DIRECTOR

FIELD SUPPLY TECHNICAL RM&S CUSTOMERSUPPORT SUPPORT PUBLICATIONS DESIGN TRAINING

C. A. McLeish J. L. Bailey A. G. Hunt H. D. Hall S. S. Clark

IJ\' Lyle H. Schacl'cr CJ1i,.f E..t11er/111e11tal Te:it Pilot Fl)•fng Open11lo11s Depanruenr

W hile the vcru:r.tblc: C 130 has retained 1he exrt!n~al appc.:•trancc of ilS herita~e through the ye.ars. 1hel'e are :i nunll'!t!r of io1pro\'Cn1cnts now being i ncorpora1ed

into :-.ome oe\\' produc1io11 111odt:I~ 1h;u v.•ill no• only itnprove ics ope1a1io11al e tfec:1i\•c11i:ss. but v.•ill 111akc a positive contribution to fl igJtt safe1y. The

puflX)Sc of 1J1i:> aniclc is 10 highJight son1e of th<1se c 11h.11u.:ing features. Many appeared in 1993 cleli\'t:rics; othe rs will he inCOf))('irflteJ incrc 111cn1ally

over 1hc: nc:X:I l,~·o yc,•Cb.

By day: the NVIS-compatible cockpit features a clean new layout, updated instrumentation.

In C-130H deliveries to the U.S. Air Force and AirReserve Component beginning in 1993, the cockpit ofthe Herc has a totally new look to it. The most notablefeature is the subdued flat black and gray color scheme.This is the first hint that the cockpit has beenreconfigured for something quite focused-flying atnight! The customer mission requirement to use night-vision imaging systems (NVIS) led Lockheed to initiatea complete redesign of the cockpit in order to ensureNVIS goggle compatibility.

New Cockpit Lighting

This resulted in a totally new cockpit lightingsystem, as well as a modified crew alerting scheme toprovide a safer environment for the crew when flying onnight-vision goggles. In the redesign process, theoverriding consideration in all decision-making wasflight safety. It was recognized that flying low-levelmissions at night is in itself a demanding task, and it iseven more demanding to fly them with one or more ofthe crew on night-vision goggles.

Different approaches have been taken to modifyC-130 cockpits in an attempt to make them NVIS-compatible, but this is the first time that the C-130cockpit has been production-configured by the primecontractor to be totally NVIS-compatible. The entirecockpit lighting is new. All of the panel lights are NVISgreen, and all the incandescent floodlights have been

replaced withgreenelectroluminescent strips. The edge-lit panels with the screw-in bulbs have all been replacedwith panels that have NVIS-compatible integrated backlighting.

Many of the panel legends have been abbreviated oreliminated to reduce the overall cockpit luminance. Allthe instrument post lights have been replaced with newNVIS green lights. The pilot has a master, lever-lockswitch that shifts all cockpit lighting to the NVIS mode.This safeguard protects the crew from an inadvertentillumination of a non-NVIS-compatible light duringgoggle operations. This switch not only shifts all thecockpit lights to a NVIS dim mode, but also converts theelectronic displays to a NVIS-compatible color palette.

All of the panel lights have been balanced to givevery uniform night lighting. In addition, the side shelveshave been modified to include shields that block outreflective light from inside the cockpit on the sidewindows. Normal night operations in the cockpit havebenefited significantly from these improvements,resulting in one of the best-lit and reflection-free nightcockpits in existence today. This will make seeingoutside the cockpit at night more efficient and willeliminate reflected-light interference with externalvisibility, thus improving the safety of night operations.

New forward windshields will allow 50% moreNVIS frequency-band light to pass through. This will

4 Lockheed SERVICE NEWS V21 N2

By night: the normal nighttime lighting mode offers a beautifully illuminated and reflection-free operating environment.

not result in a noticeable change in non-NVIS nightviewing, but will significantly improve NVIS goggleeffectiveness under comparable lighting conditions,allowing the crew to maximize the viewing utility of thegoggles.

Aircrew Alerting System

When using the NVIS goggles, the pilots’ field ofview allows them to see the instrument panel by lookingunderneath the goggles, but restricts their ability to seethe overhead or side panels. It was concluded thathaving warning, caution, and alert lights distributedthroughout the cockpit panels would not be acceptablein the night-vision goggle environment.

To solve this problem, the cockpit was modified to

as well as MIL-L-85762, the military specification forNVIS-compatible cockpits. The approach included theincorporation of the Mode Advisory Caution andWarning System (MACAWS). This system ties allcaution alerts to two master caution lights that areimbedded in the glareshield, places two sets of warningalert lights in panels directly adjacent to them, andrelocates all existing caution and advisory lights to acentrally located panel.

These changes put the master caution and warninglights in a position to get the pilots’ attention, and allowthe pilots to see which alert has triggered them even ifthe night-vision goggles are being used. All of the lightsthat are employed in the MACAWS are purposelylocated in such a way as to ensure that they will bereadilv visible to both of the pilots and the flightengineer at all times.conform to MIL-STD-411, Aircrew Alerting Systems,

The MACAWS includesinstallation of a mastercaution light and a setof alert warning lightsin the glareshield direct-ly in front of each pilot.

Lockheed SERVICE NEWS V21 N2 5

side, other zones for electrical, hydraulic, bleed air, andfuel were established.

The typical aviation yellow for caution lights had tobe abandoned in favor of NVIS green in this panel. Toassist the crew in identifying a green caution light as acaution indication when it triggers the master cautionlight, the individual caution light flashes along with themaster caution lights. Pressing either master cautionlight to acknowledge the alert results in the mastercaution lights going out and the caution light shiftingfrom a flashing to a steady condition.

All the lights that reflect flight director, autopilot,or navigation system modes are aggregated into twomode light panels conveniently placed in the flightinstrument cluster on the forward instrument panel. Asimilar mode panel is located at the navigator’s stationto reflect navigation and system status. All of theselights conform to a standard that allows a maximum ofeight letters, numbers, or spaces; thus maintaininglarge, easily read alphanumerics of consistent size.

Electronic Flight Instrument Displays

Another cockpit feature that is immediatelynoticeable is the use of electronic flight instruments(EFIs) in the instrument panel. Four of these are color,liquid-crystal, flat-panel displays that replace theconventional electromechanical attitude director in-dicators (ADIs) and horizontal situation indicators(HSIs), two are radar displays, and two are verticalspeed/Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System(VSI/TCAS) indicators.

In the MACAWS, all caution and advisory lights are placed

in a centrally located panel below the engine instruments.

Optimizing the Layout

A major design objective was to clear everything offthe top of the glareshield, and to optimize the shape ofthe glareshield to provide an improved external field ofview for the pilots. The standby compass is relocatedhigh above the center of the glareshield, installed in anarea of reduced magnetic interference just below theeyebrow panel. Here it can be seen by both pilots andprovide a more accurate output without obstructing theexternal field of view.

A caution/advisory panel, organized into eightcolumns of lights, is now located in the center in-strument panel in place of the bottom three rows ofengine instruments. The panel is divided into zones; thetop zones are reserved for cautions and the bottom zonesfor advisories. To make room for this panel, the oiltemperature, oil quantity, and oil cooler flap gages weremoved to the overhead right-hand side of the fuel panelalong with the oil cooler flap control switches. The fuelpanel was simplified and condensed to make room forthese gages and switches.

New alerts to warn of high engine oil temperature,low engine or gearbox oil pressure, or rudder deboostfailure have been incorporated. The rudder boost gageshave been eliminated from the cockpit, although actualdirect reading pressure can still be read in the rudderservo area in the cargo compartment.

The layout of the caution/advisory panel wasplanned to keep related system lights grouped together.The left four columns of the panel are devoted to engine-related alerts, with the most important cautions at thetop of the cautions zone and the most importantadvisories at the top of the advisory zone. On the right

6

These flat-panel instruments make the best use ofcolor and are very bright and easily readable in directsunlight, even with sunglasses on. They also are mucheasier to read in dusk conditions when the otherinstruments are hard to see in the transition between sun-in-your-eyes and darkness.

The new displays provide improvements over theelectromechanical gages they replace and incorporateadditional critical data. For instance, a digital readout ofradar altitude is presented on the upper left comer of theAD1 in large numerals. This single feature improvessituational awareness during low-level work and in-strument approaches. In response to customer requests,the combined altitude radar altimeter indicator (CARA)itself has been moved to the left of the HSI, just belowthe VSI, to a spot more convenient for the pilot’s in-strument scan.

The EFIs are able to do things that cannot beachieved with electromechanical instruments. One suchfeature is that EFIs will only display data when it isavailable. On electromechnical instruments, needlesmust either be mechanically stowed or they will be left

Lockheed SERVICE NEWS V21 N2

The electronic HSI features large numerals that “ferris-wheel,” always remaining vertical as the HSI rotates.

to rotate in a “hunting” mode. An example of this wouldbe selecting a VOR station when no signal is available.On the electronic HSI, no data will be displayed; theconventional indicator would present a searching,rotating needle, which is distracting and disorienting.

Flight director commands are displayed in astandard V-bar format, making it very easy to trackcommanded roll and pitch commands without having tosearch for the correct bank angle. The pilot merelymatches the aircraft symbol (which is a different colorfrom the command bar) in pitch and roll to fly thecommanded track. This reduces pilot workload andreduces deviations from the commanded track. Theindividual marker beacon lights have been eliminatedand are presented in the upper right corner of the ADI.When the marker beacon signal is received, it ispresented in a square in the appropriate color with theouter-marker (OM), middle-marker (MM), or inner-marker (IM) letters.

The top of the HSI has a green inverted chevron thatdisplays aircraft course (or track) relative to theheading. Drift angle is measured from the lubber(heading) line to the chevron and provides a simple cueto the pilot for flying approaches or any other precisiontracking maneuver that requires compensation for drift.The pilot merely matches the chevron with the bearingneedle or desired track and the airplane tracks directlyto the station.

Another feature of the HSI is large numerals that“ferris-wheel” as the HSI rotates, i.e. the numeralsalways remain in the vertical orientation. In the right-hand corner, true airspeed and ground speed aredisplayed continuously. Static air temperature is shownin the lower left corner, so the need for the large groundspeed, true airspeed, static air temperature, and driftangle instruments has been removed.


The need for a separate station-keeping equipment(SKE) range marker has been eliminated by integratingthe SKE information into the electronic ADI. When thepilot selects SKE on his mode select panel, the AD1 isconfigured to include range variations on the verticalflight director needle. An airplane symbol replaces theslow/fast symbol on the right side of the instrument,showing the deviation from the desired tracking interval.This allows the pilot to concentrate on the basic flightinstruments and improves his situational awareness ofthe SKE picture within a much smaller scan pattern.

Digital Low-Power Color Radar

The other two flat-panel displays are used to displaythe new multimode digital low-power color radar(LPCR), flight plan, and SKE data. Each pilot has hisown display and a display controller. The navigator hasa monochrome display with a full set of radar controls.The pilots can bring up different displays at the sametime. For instance, one pilot can be on SKE, while theother is on weather radar.

Even when seen from an extreme angle, the new EFls areremarkably easy to read.

Developed especially for the Hercules airlifter byLockheed and Westinghouse, the LPCR is unique to theHere and a truly state-of-the-art radar. It has thefollowing modes: ground map, weather, air-to-air skinpaint, and wind shear. It is fully integrated with the self-contained navigation system (SCNS) via the 1553 databus and offers a quantum improvement in performance,reliability, and capability. The flight plan mode isavailable as an overlay to indicate the airplane’s plannednavigation route relative to weather, obstructions orother displayed features.

The Hercules is the first operational militaryaircraft to have a proactive, on-board, wind-shearalerting system. This system marks the wind-shear areaahead of the aircraft, allowing the crew time to takeevasive action. The unique features of this radar willmake a major new contribution to keeping aircrews outof harm’s way.

In the area of ground safety, the new radar operatesat such a low power output level that it can be operatedon the ground without any restrictions on the proximityof ground personnel. This removes restrictions duringoperational pre-flights and eliminates the need to set upoutside warnings.

Part of the upgrade of the navigation system is theinstallation of a second inertial system, a GlobalPositioning System (GPS) receiver. A standby attitudeindicator is installed in the instrument panel. Gone is theC-12 compass system and the standby gyros. The secondinertial system provides a more accurate attitude sourcethan the gyro it replaces, and the dual heading outputsfrom the inertial systems exceed the C-12 system interms of accuracy.

The GPS in combination with the Doppler beamsharpened mode of the radar will provide aircrews withvery precise locator information. This opens up all kindsof possibilities in the tactical world, as well as makinga vital contribution to navigating precisely to avoidground obstructions. The radar cursor will couple withthe autopilot for airdrops so that position updates can beused to improve drop accuracy right up to the droppoint.

Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System

The TCAS II as installed in airliners is beinginstalled in the Herc. This system includes two newliquid-crystal VSIs, which display both traffic alertinformation and vertical speed. TCAS information canalso be selectively displayed in a larger format on eitherradar display. Mode “S” is incorporated in the IFF tosupport TCAS. The system gives the Hercules the sameairspace alerts that the airliners have, providingadditional protection against mid-air collisions. This willsupplement the air-to-air skin paint mode of the radar,

8

which displays digitally processed airborne target in-formation on the radar display.

The new instrument panel incorporates threatwarning indicators for both pilots. This will give theman immediate indication of the threat sector without thedelay associated with communications from anothercrew member. The capability should enhance safety ina hostile environment, giving the pilots instantaneousinformation allowing them to react quicker to a threatalert.

Summary

No single item in this list of improvements can betagged as making a major contribution to improvedflight safety. But taken in aggregate, we believe theywill make a positive contribution to the proven safety ofthe Hercules aircraft. Even with all these design andsystem improvements, the aircrew member is still thecritical common denominator in the safety equation.Proper knowledge of how the aircraft systems work,what their limitations are, and the application of goodjudgement in their utilization is still necessary foreffective and safe mission completion. All the safetyimprovements in the airplane can only be effective whenoperated by a well-trained, well-rested, and well-prepared aircrew.

The author and Service News gratefully acknowl-edge the generosity of Dave Didier and Avionic Dis-plays Corporation in providing photographic support forthis article.

Lyle Schaefer may be contacted at 404-494-3049.

Lockheed SERVICE NEWS V2lN2

The cargo ramp rigging procedures shown in theauthorized maintenance manuals for various models

of the Hercules aircraft sometimes differ from oneanother in a variety of details, but all start out with thebasic assumption that the correct hardware is installed inthe correct locations on the aircraft. Unfortunately,experience from the field has shown that this assumptionis not always justified. Mislocated ramp hook retainers,in other words, retainers that are installed at incorrectstations on the sloping longerons, appear to be a com-mon finding in some parts of the Hercules fleet.

When the hook retainers are not installed at theirintended locations, the result can be a host of un-explained discrepancies involving the ramp, and anexercise in frustration for anyone unfortunate enough tobe tasked with re-rigging the locking system. An in-depth discussion of the Hercules airlifter’s cargo rampand its locking system was published in Vol. 20, No. 4


(October-December 1993) of Service News magazine.The article, written by MSgt. Dave Crerar of theWyoming Air National Guard, includes a completediscussion of the cargo ramp hook retainers and theproblems that can arise if a retainer is not located in itsintended position.

If you are not already thoroughly familiar with theramp hook retainers and the ramp locking system, wesuggest that you read MSgt. Crerar’s article. A copy canbe obtained by contacting the Service News editor if youdo not already have the issue in your library.

Identifying the Problem

The key to avoiding mislocation of the ramp hookretainers is having a reliable way of identifying each ofthe seven different part numbers included in everycomplete shipset. A second article in the same Service

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The heart of the new rams hook retainer identification tool is the digital protractor, a high-tech “hand” tool now in wide usein civil engineering and the construction industry.

News issue, written by Ben Puckett of the Warner Rob-ins Air Logistics Center, addresses this requirement.Mr. Puckett describes a locally manufactured mechan-ical measuring device developed by the U.S. Air Forcefor the purpose of identifying C-130 cargo ramp hookretainers. When constructed with sufficient precisionand used with care, this tool provides a useful method ofidentifying the ramp hook retainers without requiringtheir removal from the aircraft.

The mechanical tool identifies individual ramp hookretainers by measuring the angles between an individualramp hook retainer’s locking lug and the flat surfaces onthe tops of its mounting hole bosses. Mr. Puckett’sgenerosity in providing the prototype tool to Lockheedfor evaluation led to an inspired suggestion by twoLockheed engineers, Jim Taylor and Larry Lassiter,who proposed an entirely different approach to the taskof measuring the very small angles involved.

The Digital Edge

Their idea makes use of a digital protractor, a high-tech “hand” tool now in wide use in civil engineeringapplications and the construction industry, to determinethe angular difference between a retainer’s locking lug

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and the top surfaces of its mounting hole bosses. Thisconcept yielded excellent results in two prototype hookretainer identification tools built by Lockheed forinternal use, and immediate action was taken to makesimilar devices available to Lockheed customers.

Lockheed support equipment engineers teamed upwith one of our commercial suppliers to improve theoriginal concept and develop a low-cost digital hookretainer identification tool using off-the-shelf compo-nents. The result of these efforts is now available as thePN 122-000-l Ramp HookRetainer Identification Tool.

The new tool consists of a digital protractor fastenedto a black-anodized, machined aluminum plate. Theplate is equipped with tangs at right angles to its mainaxis that help facilitate making the measurements. Asmall bubble level is fixed to one of the arms to helpensure that the protractor will not be tilted excessivelytoward or away from the operator while the mea-surements are being made.

The digitally based tool performs the same functionas the mechanical tool, but it is easier to use and moreaccurate. In many cases, the digital tool will also turnout to be less expensive to acquire than the locally


fabricated mechanical tool, which requires precisionmachine shop equipment and the services of an ex-perienced machinist for its construction.

Using the Tool

Complete instructions and a protective carrying caseare provided with the new tool. A simplified instructionplate containing all of the information necessary tooperate the tool and interpret the results is attached tothe back of the digital protractor. The basic steps re-quired to measure a ramp hook retainer are listed below:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

IND

Remove dirt and sealant from the tops of themounting hole bosses.

Turn on the digital protractor.

Place the tangs on the flat surfaces of the mountinghole bosses. - 6

Level the tool and press the ALT REF button tozero the indicator.

Relocate the arms to the top of the locking lug.Level the tool and press the HOLD button.

Remove the tool. Note the reading and compare itwith the table below (or the one provided on theback of the tool).

Cargo ramp hook retainer layout, including index numbers andpart numbers. Note that the 2 R 4R. and 6R positions willshow negative angles when measured with the digital tool.

Press HOLD and the ALT REF to return the displayto normal.

Use of the bubble level during measurements will help ensure the accuracy and repeatability

EX INDEX

- 1


Be ready to actuate the ALT REF or HOLD buttons as soon as the tool is properly seatedon the retainer and level.

Hints and Tips

During our evaluation of the PN 122-000-lRampHook Retainer Identification Tool, we learned a fewthings about using it that will interest all potential users.

Read and save the separate sheet of instructions thatcovers the operation of the digital protractor itself.The protractor is the heart of this piece ofequipment and must be handled properly if accuratemeasurements are to be expected.

Best results will be obtained if another person ispresent to hold a flashlight on the hook retainerbeing checked and to record the data.

Use the bubble level to hold the tool level duringmeasurements. This will improve the accuracy andrepeatability of the results.

When first turning on the protractor, and before l

starting any measurement sequence, make sure theindicator is in the normal mode. The display shouldnot be flashing (i.e. not in HOLD mode), and ALTREF should not be shown on the screen.

It is not necessary to look at the display when taking l

measurements. Better results will be obtained if youhold a finger ready to actuate the ALT REF orHOLD buttons while watching the bubble level.When the bubble is centered, press the appropriatebutton crisply. If the measurement is performedproperly, pressing the HOLD button will lock themeasured value on the display, allowing it to beobserved and recorded at leisure.

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Note that properly positioned ramp hook retainersin the 2L, 4L, and 6L positions will show positiveangles when using the digital tester: no minus signwill be shown on the display. However, the re-tainers in the 2R, 4R, and 6R positions will shownegative angles. In these cases, a minus sign will beshown on the protractor’s display.

After recording the data on the first hook retainermeasured, press the HOLD button to take theprotractor out of the hold mode and press the ALTREF button to take it out of the ALT REF mode.This returns the protractor to the normal mode forthe next measurement. Also perform these two stepsprior to turning the protractor off. If you fail to dothis at shutdown, the next time the protractor is usedit will still be in the same mode it was left in.

When actuating the ALT REF and HOLD buttons,a quick press and release like a clicking motionworks best. If the button is held down more than afraction of a second, the instrument will not remainin the mode selected.

One common discrepancy often found is a hookretainer mislabeled by the supplier; i.e., showingthe wrong dash number. Another is a correctlylabeled part in the wrong location. A third is an out-of-tolerance part. If the parts have been repaintedand the part numbers are painted over (the usualsituation), you will not be able to distinguishbetween mislabeling or mislocation if the correctangle is not obtained.


Tolerances

Tests conducted at Lockheed and the Wyoming AirNational Guard confirmed that the PN 122-000-l RampHook Retainer Identification Tool is dependable, easy touse, and accurate. It is particularly useful for identify-ing the 2” and 6” 15’ retainers. Because of tolerancebuildups in the parts and inherent measurement in-accuracies, it may not always be possible to distinguishbetween the 0” retainers and the O'45’ retainers. This isdue to the following factors:

The manufacturing tolerance of the lug anglespecified on the part drawing is +0.33', asmeasured from the bottom surface of the retainerforging. However, since the measurements madewith this tool are based on the top surfaces of themounting hole bosses, any divergence from aperfectly parallel condition between the bottom andthe top surfaces of the forging will further affect theaccuracy of the results.

Sealant, uneven paint, or dirt accumulations on thetop of the mounting hole bosses will also affect thereliability of the readings.

The accuracy of the digital protractor is +/-O. 1

O'45’ is an extremely small angle to measure in thefield, even under the best of circumstances.

As a practical matter, it is unlikely that a ramp riggingproblem would result even if it does not prove possibleto distinguish between the 0” and O'45’ retainers in allsituations. The difference in angle is very small, andcould easily be masked by other variables in the riggingsystem.

Digits and Decimals

In using the digital tester to identify the ramp hookretainers, it is important to keep in mind that the angledata shown in Figure 1 and the authorized doc-umentation are expressed in degrees and minutes. Thedigital protractor, on the other hand, displays angles indegrees and tenths of a degree. This means that a littlecalculation is required to convert the applicable valuesfrom one scale to the other. Recalling that 1 degreecontains 60 minutes, we find that O'45’ becomes 0.75”;2” 00’ is 2.00”; and 6'15’ equals 6.25”.

Battery Life

The tester is designed to be powered by a 9-voltindustrial alkaline battery. According to the man-ufacturer, a service life of approximately 100 hours canbe expected when a battery of the specified type isinstalled. Standard 9-volt alkaline batteries may also beused, but their service life will be shorter.


Special circuitry is included in the digital protractorto protect the battery in case the unit is left on bymistake. If it is turned on and unused for a period ofabout 6 to 15 minutes, the digital protractor willautomatically turn itself off. It should be noted,however, that the current drain on the battery is about1.15 milliamps when the unit has been allowed to timeitself out in this manner. By contrast, the measuredbattery drain when the unit is turned off normally is only7 microamps.

It makes good sense, therefore, always to use theOFF-ON button to turn the unit off between testingsessions, and not depend on the automatic shutofffeature to protect the battery. As with other testequipment, the technician may wish to remove thebattery entirely if the unit is to be left unused for asignificant period of time. This helps protect the digitalprotractor from the possibility of internal damage in casethe battery leaks.

Availability

The PN 122-000-l Ramp Hook Retainer Identi-fication Tool is available from the manufacturer, KWDManufacturing, Inc., 7847 Fortune Drive, San Antonio,TX 78250; telephone 210-523-2014; fax 210-523-0475.It may also be ordered through Lockheed by contactingCustomer Supply Business Management, Dept. 65- 11,Lockheed-LASC, Marietta, GA 30063-0577; telephone404-494-4214; fax 404-494-7657; telex 804263 LOCCUST SUPPL.

The author and Service News wish to express specialthanks to MSgt. Dave Crerar and photographer TSgt.Bob Watkins of the Wyoming Air National Guard fortheir valued assistance in the preparation of thisarticle.

13

HERCULES OPERATORS UPDATE

Conducted by Dave Holcomb, Service Analyst Lockheed A eronautical Systems Service C o m p a n y

DELETION OF RADOME ANTI-ICING andREDESIGN OF NOSE RADOME

Extensive testing of in-service aircraft has indicated that anti-icing is not required onthe C-l 30 nose radome. This discovery has led to a decision to disable the system onall USAF C-l 30 aircraft.

A substantial testing program involving some fifty C-l 30s of various types with theradome anti-icing systems disabled revealed no adverse effects, even thoughparticular was attention paid to radar performance. A decision was therefore made toissue TCTO 1 C-l 30-I 294, which requires that all nose radome anti-icing systems inUSAF aircraft be deactivated.

At the same time, it was suggested that Lockheed redesign the nose radome toremove the anti-icing provisions and introduce this change into new productionaircraft. In response to this initiative, a new radome incorporating this and othermodifications has been developed and is currently in testing. Its specifications arebeing prepared for full qualification testing in accordance with USAF and FAArequirements. Initial production of the new radome will be used for support of USAFneeds to comply with the recently issued TCTO. However, other customers willreceive a Design Change Notice later this year to provide for retrofit to the preferredspare radome. New production aircraft with Lockheed serial number LAC 5389 andsubsequent will have the new radome installed during assembly.

Features of the new radome include:

Incorporation of lightning diverter strips.

Retrofit capability for C-l 30B aircraft and up.

New radome wall construction, offering better radome transmissivity andallowing a larger “window” in order to accommodate a great variety of radarantennas.

Lighter weight.

Simpler repairs, allowing the use of standard materials and procedures.

Physically interchangeable with existing radomes.


The radome change will also be effective for FAA certificated (commercial) aircraft,and has been submitted to the FAA for approval. As a matter of information, the FAAhas previously approved removal of the nose radome anti-icing from the Herculesaircraft in a separate case.

The new radome will become the preferred spare for the existing radome. Itemspresently maintained in supply stocks for the radome anti-icing system should beremoved at the incorporation of the radome change.

In summary, the PN 389154-l radome will be discontinued. The new PN 3333921-Iradome, which omits anti-icing provisions, will be the preferred spare for aircraftbearing Lockheed serial number 5389 and subsequent. TCTO 1 C-l 30-I 294 has beenissued by the U.S. Air Force to delete the radome anti-icing system on USAF C-l 30s.All C-l 30B and later aircraft are candidates for retrofit to the new, preferred-spareradome. For more information on this subject, FMS and U.S. military customersshould contact cognizant ALC or NARF personnel. Other customers may contact thefollowing:

Technical Information: Procurement Information:

Lockheed - LASCAirlift Derivative ProgramsDept. 93-20Marietta, GA 30063-0492Tel. 404-494-2793Fax 404-494-7784

Lockheed - LASCCust. Supply Bus. ManagementDept. 65-l 1Marietta, GA 30063-0577Tel 404-494-7529 (U.S. gov’t .)Tel 404-494-2 1 16 (other)

HOC 1994

Lockheed is very pleased to have hosted the 1994 Hercules Operators Conferencethis spring in Marietta. The meetings, which attracted the highest HOC attendanceever, brought together commercial and military operators of C-l 30 and L-l 00 aircraftfrom all over the world. The gathering took place between April 1 1 th and April 15that the Atlanta Marriott Northwest Hotel.

The conference included technical data interchange and discussions of mattersrelating to aircraft systems and the inspection, repair, and replacement of C-l 30 andL-l 00 airframe structural components. The following groups were represented at themeetings:

l 45 customer operators 10 service centersl 7 LASC affiliates

22 vendors and other agencies.

We continued the highly successful format that was established during previousconferences, which relied heavily upon operator input to define the subject matterand promote detailed discussions of operator concerns. The presentations weretherefore for the most part conceived, developed, and presented by customeroperator personnel. LASC technical specialists were present to take part in thediscussions and to provide updates of significant items. The direction of theconference was determined principally by the operators in attendance under theguidance of an experienced panel of co-chairmen. They were as follows:

Lockheed SERVICE NEWS V21 N2 1.5

The HOC Team: Archie Stanley, LASC Program Manager, Hercules International Programs (center),presents Major Jim Kightley with an award recognizing his contributions as HOC co-chairman. Alsopictured (left to right) Lockheed’s Dave Holcomb, Jack Grosko, and Darrell Eubanks.

Major Jim Kightley of the Canadian Forces completed another outstandingyear as the co-chairman representing the operators. This conferencerepresented Jim’s final year in his tenure as co-chairman. We are mostappreciative for Major Kightley’s contributions during his co-chairmanship andhe will be greatly missed in that capacity. Jim presented a timely challenge tothe group as a whole to participate more actively and more directly in all facetsof the HOC. He affirmed that the conference is totally dependent on eachparticipant’s contributions.

The USAF co-chairman, Mr. Ray Waldbusser, was unable to attend this year’sconference due to a schedule conflict. Ray was gracious enough to ask Mr.Britt Covington to assume his post. Britt was a great contributor to theconference and we are most appreciative for his efforts.

Jack Grosko, who represented LASC as host and catalyst for the technicalinterchange, added his technical expertise to the conference proceedings.

On Wednesday, 13 April 1994, a co-chairman election was held to replace JimKightley as the co-chairman representing the operators. Squadron Leader Tony Trew,technical liaison officer from the Royal Australian Air Force, was nominated andunanimously elected to the post. Tony has graciously agreed to fill the office in thetradition of his predecessor. We congratulate Tony on this new position and wish himthe best in his efforts.

There were 12 action items specifically assigned during the conference. Three werereferred to LASC and nine were assigned to operators. Some of these action itemswill be addressed in this section of future issues of Service News magazine; otherswill be discussed at the next HOC conference. The next international HerculesOperators Conference is tentatively scheduled for April of 1995 in Marietta. Moreinformation about next year’s meetings will be forwarded to Lockheed customers andprevious HOC participants when the schedules and other particulars are established.

Dave Holcomb may be reached at Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Support Company,P. 0. Box I2 1, Marietta, GA 3006 1. The voice telephone number is 404-43 l-6549.The fax number is 404-43 l-6556.


supports procedural training in the operation offeathering, pitchlock, prop governing and enginelimiting operation systems. Each system on the aircraftcan be taught not only to specialists, but also to othermaintenance personnel whose systems interface with it.These multiple uses make the VAST an affordable andeffective training device.

Fault recognition and fault isolation training canalso be performed using the VAST for both flight crewsand maintainers. The malfunctions can easily be insertedfrom the instructor’s control unit, and flight crewrecovery procedures or maintenance fault isolationprocedures can be practiced and evaluated.

The VAST consists of a Hercules instrument panel,overhead panel, center console, both side panels andcircuit breaker panels, a visual display unit, and aninstructor’s control unit. The overhead panel and thecenter console rotate out of their normal positions sothey can be made visible to an entire class. The instruc-tor can also move the side panels to increase visibility or

student access. The trainer is an accurate representationof a Hercules pilot/engineer cockpit station and usessimulated components to maintain reliability and af-fordability. Included with the VAST are a complementof spares and on-site training instruction.

An improved display, and updated computer andinstructional systems are among the most noticeableenhancements to the VAST. The graphics display hasbeen upgraded to a stand-alone unit consisting of a67-inch diagonal measure rear-projection televisionsystem. The display presents bright, full-color, animatedschematic diagrams of the aircraft’s mechanical andelectronic systems in normal room light. These diagramsdynamically illustrate system responses and interactionwith cockpit settings and control movements made by the


students, as well as those from the instructor’s controlunit. This interaction serves as a powerful reinforcementto the learning achieved in the classroom.

Control of the VAST is provided by a commercial,off-the-shelf Motorola 68030-based computer system.All peripherals are readily accessible in a dedicatedcabinet mounted behind the engine instrument panel.Complete operating software supporting the graphics,trainer hardware, training functions, and system controland management is included.

The instructor’s control unit is separate from thetrainer and can be moved about the room to the mostconvenient location. The removable control monitorfeatures a touch screen with programmed multi-functional buttons and switches that control the lesson,the trainer, graphics display, and malfunction insertion.A separate monitor that repeats the same information asthe main display is provided for the instructor’s use.

The VAST is configured to a single aircraft whichis chosen by the customer and is representative of theiraircraft. This way, the trainer can be kept up to date

with minimal effort as the aircraft changes through itslife span. The VAST has proven to be an effectivetraining tool in the Hercules Flight Training Center andin Lockheed’s Customer Training Systems Department.

For further information about the VAST, pleasecontact:

Lockheed-LASCCustomer Training Systems DepartmentDept. 66-14Marietta, GA 30063-0308Tel. 404-494-4625Fax 404-494-1017


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