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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 1340.PDF
492 FLIGHT LOCKHEED C-130A HERCULES . . . At the outset of every new design, the designer makes con-siderable effort to provide a high degree of interchangeability of parts, and, if he can, to make all the equipment as accessible viapanels and doors or hatches) as possible. As conflicting demands accumulate, only stern refusal to compromise these features willavoid their sacrifices to the insistent demands of space and mech- anical expediency. The C-130A has been fortunate in this respect.The powerplant nacelles, elevators, main landing gear and para- troop door assemblies, pylons and many access doors are all inter-changeable. Furthermore, a large number of access panels have been provided to allow for the maintenance, repair and inspectionof various components with the minimum interference from crew members or cargo loaders.Fuselage. Designed to accommodate a useful cargo volume of 4,300 cu ft including the space over the cargo door? the fuselagecontains a cargo compartment 41.5ft long, over 9ft high and 10.3ft wide at floor level. A measure of this capacity is the volume of3,680 cu ft available when loading to a height of lOOin with 18in aisles on each side of the cargo space. Some 3,850 cu ft of volumeare available where stowed equipment is to be air-dropped. Access to the cargo compartment is via a hydraulically-operated forwardcargo door 7ft 3in wide and 6ft high, and by two very large doors beneath the rear fuselage. These doors, which are operated by multiple hydraulic jacks, can be controlled either from the flightdeck or from a valve beside the door. In the fully extended posi- tion, the lower half of the door functions as an integral rampfrom the cargo compartment to the ground, and, by means of de- tachable bridge plates, loading can be accomplished from truck-beds of varying height. The rear half of the door hinges upwards into the rear fuselage, the contour of which is such that accessto the 10ft by 9ft stowage area is not restricted by the door sills or operating mechanism. Cargo loading has been the subject ofconsiderable research by Lockheed, who have studied the size, weight and loading methods of typical packages used in particularapplications. The conclusions they draw are that military pay- loads—which are usually of a fairly dense nature—could generallybe accommodated in a fairly small cargo section, although in fact the Hercules operates efficiently when carrying bulky cargoes.The ramp cargo loading door is also a great help where mechanized or fork-lift loading from dock or ground level is required. Once the load is inside the fuselage, the ground time is reducedby the numerous tethering fittings. On the fuselage floor a high- density (20in) grid pattern is formed by 10,000-lb fittings, whilemany additional 5 3000-lb tethers are provided on the fuselage wallsand on the loading ramp. Additionally, a lesser number of 25,000-lb fittings are provided for unusually heavy cargoes, andsnatch blocks (one fixed and one demountable) aid the loading of wheeled vehicles or other large items at weights up to 25,000 lb.An additional advantage bestowed by the configuration of the aircraft is that, thanks to the high wing and tail, ground trucks andloaders can move around the cargo bay unhindered. Conversion for carrying troops can be made quickly; the troopseats are normally stowed in the aircraft. Much thought has been devoted to efficient paratroop operations. Large counter-balanced doors on each side of the fuselage near the aft end of the cargo compartment open inwards and upwards to provide anopening spacious enough for a paratrooper to jump with com- plete combat gear. A more stable jumping platform than that (Continued on page 494)
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