View allAll Photos Tagged Realizations
Towards the end of the Korean War, the USAF came to the realization that their transport fleet was becoming obsolete. The C-46 Commandos and C-47 Skytrains in service were no longer adequate, while the C-119 Flying Boxcar was having difficulties. In 1951, the USAF issued a requirement for a new tactical transport, an aircraft that would need to carry at least 72 passengers, be capable of dropping paratroopers, and have a ramp for loading vehicles directly into the cargo compartment. Moreover, it must be a “clean sheet” design, not a conversion from an existing airliner, and the USAF preferred it be a turboprop design. Five companies submitted designs, and six months later the USAF chose Lockheed’s L-402 design—over the misgivings of Lockheed’s chief designer, Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, who warned that the L-402 would destroy the company. Little was Johnson to know that, fifty years later, the L-402—designated C-130 Hercules by the USAF—would still be in production, and one out of only five aircraft to have over 50 years of service with the original purchaser.
The C-130 was designed to give mostly unfettered access to a large cargo compartment—the ramp forms an integral part of the rear fuselage, the wing is mounted above the fuselage, and the landing gear is carried in sponsons attached to the fuselage itself, while the fuselage has a circular design to maximize loading potential. The high wing also gives the C-130 good lift, especially in “high and hot” situations. The Allison T56 turboprop was designed specifically for the Hercules, and has gone on to become one of the most successful turboprop designs in history.
After two YC-130 prototypes, the Hercules went into production as the C-130A in 1956, to be superseded by the improved C-130B in 1959. The latter became the baseline Hercules variant: C-130As had three-blade propellers and a rounded “Roman” nose, while the B introduced the more familiar, longer radar nose and four-blade propellers. (Virtually all A models were later retrofitted to the long nose, though they kept the three-blade propellers.) In the 50 years hence, the basic C-130 design has not changed much: the C-130E introduced underwing external fuel tanks, while the C-130H has a slightly different wing. Even the new C-130J variant only introduced new engines with more fuel efficient six-bladed propellers: the basic design remains the same. Lockheed also offers stretched versions of the Hercules, initially as a civilian-only option (the L-100-30); the British Royal Air Force bought this version as the C-130K and it was later adopted by other nations, including the United States.
The basic C-130 is strictly a transport aircraft, but the versatility of the aircraft has meant it has been modified into a dizzying number of variants. These include the AC-130 Spectre gunship, the HC-130 rescue aircraft and WC-130 weather reconnaissance version. Other versions include several dozen EC-130 electronic warfare/Elint variants, KC-130 tankers, and DC-130 drone aircraft controllers. The USAF, the US Navy, and the US Marine Corps are all C-130 operators as well. Besides the United States, there are 67 other operators of C-130s, making it one of the world’s most prolific aircraft, with its only rivals the Bell UH-1 Iroquois family and the Antonov An-2 Colt biplane transport. C-130s are also used extensively by civilian operators as well as the L-100 series.
The “Herky Bird,” as it is often nicknamed, has participated in every military campaign fought by the United States since 1960 in one variation or the other. During Vietnam, it was used in almost every role imaginable, from standard transport to emergency bomber: as the latter, it dropped M121 10,000 pound mass-focus bombs to clear jungle away for helicopter landing zones, and it was even attempted to use C-130s with these bombs against the infamous Thanh Hoa Bridge in North Vietnam. (Later this capability was added as standard to MC-130 Combat Talon special forces support aircraft; the MC-130 is the only aircraft cleared to carry the GBU-43 MOAB.) It was also instrumental in resupplying the Khe Sanh garrison during its three-month siege. Hercules crews paid the price as well: nearly 70 C-130s were lost during the Vietnam War. In foreign service, C-130s have also been used heavily, the most famous instance of which was likely the Israeli Entebbe Raid of 1976, one of the longest-ranged C-130 missions in history. C-130s are often in the forefront of humanitarian missions to trouble spots around the world, most recently in the 2011 Sendai earthquake disaster in Japan.
As of this writing, over 2300 C-130s have been built, and most are still in service. It remains the backbone of the USAF’s tactical transport service; attempts to replace it with the Advanced Tactical Transport Program (ATTP) in the 1980s and to supplement it with the C-27J Spartan in the 2000s both failed, as the USAF realized that the only real replacement for a C-130 is another C-130.
63-7874 is depicted at a Ramstein deployment sometime in the early 1970s. Delivered to the USAF in 1964, it was serving with the 316th Tactical Airlift Wing at Langley AFB, Virginia (at the time, the "LN" tailcode stood for Langley; it was later transferred to RAF Lakenheath). It is almost certainly painted in standard USAF Southeast Asia camouflage at the time, with a TAC badge on the tail.
63-7874 was to have an active life. After its service at Langley, it served with the 62nd MAW at Yokota, Japan before finishing its career with the 19th AW at Little Rock AFB. During these assignments, it may have flown combat operations at both Grenada (1983) and Panama (1989). It was retired in 2007.
(Disclaimer: I found this picture and other black and white photos in one of Dad's old photo boxes. I thought he had taken them at Ramstein in 1977, but these actually date much earlier than that, possibly as early as 1972. As such, I am not sure who took these pictures. I originally took them down from Flickr, but then decided these are historical artifacts and should be seen. If you know who may have taken these pictures, please let me know.)
Towards the end of the Korean War, the USAF came to the realization that their transport fleet was becoming obsolete. The C-46 Commandos and C-47 Skytrains in service were no longer adequate, while the C-119 Flying Boxcar was having difficulties. In 1951, the USAF issued a requirement for a new tactical transport, an aircraft that would need to carry at least 72 passengers, be capable of dropping paratroopers, and have a ramp for loading vehicles directly into the cargo compartment. Moreover, it must be a “clean sheet” design, not a conversion from an existing airliner, and the USAF preferred it be a turboprop design. Five companies submitted designs, and six months later the USAF chose Lockheed’s L-402 design—over the misgivings of Lockheed’s chief designer, Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, who warned that the L-402 would destroy the company. Little was Johnson to know that, fifty years later, the L-402—designated C-130 Hercules by the USAF—would still be in production, and one out of only five aircraft to have over 50 years of service with the original purchaser.
The C-130 was designed to give mostly unfettered access to a large cargo compartment—the ramp forms an integral part of the rear fuselage, the wing is mounted above the fuselage, and the landing gear is carried in sponsons attached to the fuselage itself, while the fuselage has a circular design to maximize loading potential. The high wing also gives the C-130 good lift, especially in “high and hot” situations. The Allison T56 turboprop was designed specifically for the Hercules, and has gone on to become one of the most successful turboprop designs in history.
After two YC-130 prototypes, the Hercules went into production as the C-130A in 1956, to be superseded by the improved C-130B in 1959. The latter became the baseline Hercules variant: C-130As had three-blade propellers and a rounded “Roman” nose, while the B introduced the more familiar, longer radar nose and four-blade propellers. In the 50 years hence, the basic C-130 design has not changed much: the C-130E introduced underwing external fuel tanks, while the C-130H has a slightly different wing. Even the new C-130J variant only introduced new engines with more fuel efficient six-bladed propellers: the basic design remains the same. Lockheed also offers stretched versions of the Hercules, initially as a civilian-only option (the L-100-30); the British Royal Air Force bought this version as the C-130K and it was later adopted by other nations, including the United States.
The basic C-130 is strictly a transport aircraft, but the versatility of the aircraft has meant it has been modified into a dizzying number of variants. These include the AC-130 Spectre gunship, the HC-130 rescue aircraft and WC-130 weather reconnaissance version. Other versions include several dozen EC-130 electronic warfare/Elint variants, KC-130 tankers, and DC-130 drone aircraft controllers. The USAF, the US Navy, and the US Marine Corps are all C-130 operators as well. Besides the United States, there are 67 other operators of C-130s, making it one of the world’s most prolific aircraft. C-130s are also used extensively by civilian operators as well as the L-100 series.
The “Herky Bird,” as it is often nicknamed, has participated in every military campaign fought by the United States since 1960 in one variation or the other. During Vietnam, it was used in almost every role imaginable, from standard transport to emergency bomber. It was also instrumental in resupplying the Khe Sanh garrison during its three-month siege. Hercules crews paid the price as well: nearly 70 C-130s were lost during the Vietnam War. In foreign service, C-130s have also been used heavily, the most famous instance of which was likely the Israeli Entebbe Raid of 1976, one of the longest-ranged C-130 missions in history. C-130s are often in the forefront of humanitarian missions to trouble spots around the world.
As of this writing, over 2300 C-130s have been built, and most are still in service. It remains the backbone of the USAF’s tactical transport service; attempts to replace it with the Advanced Tactical Transport Program (ATTP) in the 1980s and to supplement it with the C-27J Spartan in the 2000s both failed, as the USAF realized that the only real replacement for a C-130 is another C-130.
The 120th Fighter Wing (Montana Air National Guard) briefly operated a "hack" general purpose transport C-130H when they reequipped with the F-16 in 1987. This was to replace the old "Big Sky One" Convair C-131 Samaritan the unit had on strength. As such, this C-130 carried the standard USAF transport camouflage at the time, a variant of the Europe Two scheme with wraparound two shades of green and gunship gray. Since the 120th did not operate the C-130 long--it was really unnecessary for the unit's operations--it never received a tail logo or motif. Note the 120th's F-106As in the background.
Ironically, when this picture was taken in 1987, no one could have predicted that, almost 30 years later, the 120th would convert from fighters to C-130Hs!
Part of my renewed appreciation for India includes the realization that I have many friends and colleagues. All are fine people and have enriched my life by knowing them. Whenever I visit, they keep me out of too much trouble. Or so it seems. They guide, help, discuss, and share life in and around South Asia.
This trip was filled with World Cup Cricket, Dosa, Masala Tea, temples, monkeys, mongoose, and a great many birds that I have never seen before.
My continued thanks and appreciation to Prakash Murthy, Venkat Narayanan, Anurag, Venkatraj, Tejasvi, Padma, TK Ramkumar, Sudeep, Chidananda, and a new colleague, Hari Krishna from NVT, as well as many many others.
Hummingbird Rocks the Structures of the MASP
Special thanks to CARUTAPERA from Flickr, for letting our organization make use of his wonderful B&W Slide Show.
Monday, 29th September, in the theatre of the MASP (Art Museum of São Paulo), was the realization of the 10th. Prize-giving ceremony for the ten selected projects of the 132 inscribed by Universities from all over Brazil, participating in the Real University Solidarity Programme (UNISOL).
The ceremony was honoured with the presence of Dra. Ruth Cardoso, wife of Brazil’s former President and Founder of the Programme UNISOL and President in COMUNITAS. Also present were Maria Luiz Pinto, Executive Director of Education and Development for the BANCO REAL and Elisabeth Vargas, Executive Superintendent of the UNISOL Programme, along with representatives of the different Universities, Students and Communities involved.
The ceremony also marked the 10 years of partnership between UNISOL and the BANCO REAL.
UNISOL is internationally renowned by UNESCO through their Comenius Award – a distinction granted by the Czechoslovakian Government for programmes and personalities who develop innovative solutions in the area of education. – The Civil Society Association University Solidarity – UNISOL, was created in 1955 by the Advice Councel of the COMMUNITY SOLIDARITY (also created by Ruth Cardoso), and has since mobilized Universities together with the different sectors of civil society and the State, for community participation in the entire country.
During the event the importance of youth participation was emphasized, also after the realization of such projects, which often resulted in the establishment of long-term relationships with the communities involved. “Not one single student will ever be the same person after having participated in a project for social development.”
Mentioned as good examples of the results obtained by the winning projects for 2004, were the hand-crafted sweets produced by the Comunidade de Cabo de Santo Agostinho, in Pernambuco, in partnership with the Federal University of Pernambuco, which could even be tasted during the cocktail after the prize-giving ceremony. Also the trophies made from Bamboo by the team of Cefet Paraná, in partnership with the Comunidade de Fazenda Grande. Both projects have helped to change the perspectives of these communities, bettering the quality and standard of life for their inhabitants.
Then of course there was Hummingbird, making their noise and shaking the audience...
During a cultural presentation lasting approx. 20 minutes, the Grupo Cultural Beija-Flor delivered their special combination of joy and social criticism to the event; with the frenetic dance of AfroBreak and the Capoeira of the slaves from past and present, the melodious sound of our Experimental Band with the vibrations of the Banda Beija-Flor, the MASP was turned into a cooking pot of willpower and talent by the children and youth of the Hummingbird Cultural Activity Centre.
A marvellous show, the happy result of a lot of dedication, which lifted the public from their seats and closed the ceremonial event with a Key of Gold.
Without doubt, joy was the dominating tone of this festive celebration.
In Portuguese:
O Beija-Flor abala as estruturas do Masp
Foi realizado segunda-feira (29) no auditório do Masp, em São Paulo, a entrega do 10º Prêmio Real Universidade Solidária aos dez projetos selecionados entre os 132 inscritos por universidades de todo o País. A cerimônia contou com a presença de Dra. Ruth Cardoso, presidente da Comunitas e sócia-fundadora da UNISOL; de Maria Luiz Pinto, diretora executiva de Educação e Desenvolvimento do Banco Real; de Elisabeth Vargas, superintendente executiva da Universidade Solidária, além de representantes de universidades, estudantes e comunidades.
A festa marcou os dez anos da parceria entre a UniSol e o Banco Real.
A Unisol é Reconhecida internacionalmente pela Unesco com a medalha Comenius – distinção concedida pelo governo da República Tcheca a programas e personalidades que desenvolvem trabalhos inovadores na área da educação - a Associação Civil Universidade Solidária - UniSol foi criada em 1995 pelo Conselho da Comunidade Solidária e, vem ao longo dos anos mobilizando universitários, setores da sociedade civil e do Estado para o trabalho comunitário em todo o País
No Evento, frisou-se a importância do engajamento dos jovens, que após participar dos projetos estabelecem relações com as comunidades que se tornarão presentes ao longo de toda a vida: “Nenhum estudante volta o mesmo depois de participar de projetos de ação social.” Como exemplo de alguns resultados obtidos nos projetos vencedores em 2004, foram citados os doces produzidos pela comunidade de Cabo de Santo Agostinho, em Pernambuco, em parceria com a Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, que puderam ser degustados durante o coquetel servido após a entrega dos prêmios, e o troféu confeccionado em bambu pela equipe do Cefet Paraná, em parceria com a comunidade de Fazenda Grande. Ambos projetos ajudaram a mudar as perspectivas das comunidades, melhorando a renda dos moradores.
E o Beija-Flor chegou fazendo barulho e sacudindo a platéia...
Numa apresentação de durou aproximadamente 20 minutos, o Grupo Cultural Beija-Flor levou alegria e critica social ao evento; a dança frenética do Afro Break e a Capoeira dos escravos dos tempos passados, o som melódico da Banda Experimental e a vibração a Banda Beija-Flor, fizeram do Masp um caldeirão fervilhante de garra e talento das crianças e jovens do ECBF (Espaço Cultural Beija-Flor). Um show maravilhoso, um feliz resultado de muita dedicação, que levantou o público e encerrou a festa com chave de ouro.
Sem dúvida a alegria foi o tom dominante da festa.
Photos taken and published with permission of the Self-Realization Fellowship, www.yogananda-srf.org
215 West K Street
Encinitas, CA 92024
(760) 753-2888
Built in 1909 (opened in January 1910) by real estate developer Robert Marsh (who saw Mount Washington as a real estate possibility). His goal was to subdivide the more level land at the top of the hill and create large, exclusive, expensive lots with spectacular views of the ocean, Catalina and the San Gabriel Mountains. He wanted his development to rival the mansions in Westlake, West Adams and South Broadway. And he would lure people to the area by first constructing a resort hotel.
Even though the hotel was initially modest the whole project was enormous. Aside from constructing a hotel Marsh had to buy the land, design tracts and install public utilities. Furthermore, there was no practical access to the top of the mountain. Marsh was inspired by the “Angels Flight” incline rail (in downtown Los Angeles) which ran at 33% grade. He took a silent partner (Arthur St. Clair Perry) and built his own incline* rail called the "Los Angeles and Mount Washington Railway Company." The cable system had a length of 3000 feet (with a grade as high as 42%) and cost $42,000. Marsh was convinced that people would ride the Los Angeles Railway from downtown, get off at (what would become) Avenue 43 and Marmion Way and then ride his incline rail cars up to the hotel to experience its breathtaking views. He ran an ad in the May 21, 1909 Los Angeles Times which read:
“Mt Washington is just 20 minutes from Broadway and the center of downtown Los Angeles. It is no longer a dream of future achievement. It is a splendid, vivid reality of today. The stately mountain, whose beauties and scenic advantages have been admired for years, is now within 20 minutes of the heart of the business district. The sound of builders is heard from every side. Beautiful costly homes are about to spring up all over the mountain. A magnificent system of streets and boulevards is being projected. A trip to the incline and the summit of Mt. Washington will inspire and thrill you. Just take the Garvanza car, get off at Marmion Way and Avenue 43, and for 5 cents, just a nickel, you will have the ride of a lifetime. Service begins Sunday- May 23rd. Robert Marsh & Company 140 West 5th Street-Los Angeles.”
Marsh had wanted service to start on George Washington’s birthday (Feb 22) but the weather did not cooperate with construction. Furthermore the city inspector insisted that wood planking be added to the cable route as a safety measure. But in the end the plan worked, people flocked (the incline cars ran 11 hours a day, 18 hours on weekends) and the area eventually blossomed as an exclusive hilltop residential site.
Interestingly enough Mount Washington Hotel had only 18 rooms. With the majority of visitors coming and going for merely an afternoon or an evening there was little profit to be made. However, there were several silent film studios nearby (particularly in Sycamore Grove Park). And motion picture stars were taking up long term residence in the hotel. But in 1913, the studios ran out of room to expand their facilities and started moving to the Edendale section of Los Angeles, leaving The Mount Washington Hotel without customers. It closed in the summer of 1921. Briefly it became the location of the Goodrich-Mount Washington Emphysema Hospital before being purchased (in 1925) by Parmahansa Yogananda, a monk of the ancient Swami Order in India and founder of the Self-Realization Fellowship. The hotel was restored when Yogananda purchased it (it was occupied by vagrants and had been vandalized). The hotel building, today, remains the international headquarters of the Self-Realization Fellowship.
* The incline rail was what is known as a funicular railway. It consisted of two cars connected to each other by a cable. They counterbalanced each other so as one ascended the other descended. The railway ceased functioning in 1919 (due to a battle with the L.A. Board of Public Utilities who viewed the rail line as an elevator and wanted Marsh to make required upgrades). Although Marsh was granted a license to operate it as a railroad the California State Supreme Court determined that it was a vertical elevator. So Marsh ended the service and abandoned the railway. The City of Los Angeles had to purchase Mt. Washington Dr. (a private road), assume its maintenance, as well as construct other roads to serve the area. Suffice to say that the city spent far more money than if they had simply taken over and run the incline railway themselves.
3880 San Rafael Ave., Los Angeles, California
A “non-F” photo
Home... a collection of memories. Travels, events up and down, realizations, things learned.
Quan Yin... the Goddess of Compassion and Mercy
Quan Yin is one of the most universally beloved of deities in the Buddhist tradition. Also known as Kuan Yin, Quan'Am (Vietnam), Kannon (Japan), and Kanin (Bali), She is the embodiment of compassionate loving kindness. As the Bodhisattva of Compassion, She hears the cries of all beings. Quan Yin enjoys a strong resonance with the Christian Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and the Tibetan goddess Tara.
In many images she is shown carrying the pearls of illumination. Often Quan Yin is shown pouring a stream of healing water, the "Water of Life," from a small vase. With this water devotees and all living things are blessed with physical and spiritual peace. She holds a sheaf of ripe rice or a bowl of rice seed as a metaphor for fertility and sustenance. The dragon, an ancient symbol for high spirituality, wisdom, strength, and divine powers of transformation, is a common motif found in combination with the Goddess of Mercy.
Sometimes Kuan Yin is represented as a many armed figure, with each hand either containing a different cosmic symbol or expressing a specific ritual position, or mudra. This characterizes the Goddess as the source and sustenance of all things. Her cupped hands often form the Yoni Mudra, symbolizing the womb as the door for entry to this world through the universal female principle.
Quan Yin, as a true Enlightened One, or Bodhisattva, vowed to remain in the earthly realms and not enter the heavenly worlds until all other living things have completed their own enlightenment and thus become liberated from the pain-filled cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.
There are numerous legends that recount the miracles which Quan Yin performs to help those who call on Her. Like Artemis, She is a virgin Goddess who protects women, offers them a religious life as an alternative to marriage, and grants children to those who desire them.
The Goddess of Mercy is unique among the heavenly hierarchy in that She is so utterly free from pride or vengefulness that She remains reluctant to punish even those to whom a severe lesson might be appropriate. Individuals who could be sentenced to dreadful penance in other systems can attain rebirth and renewal by simply calling upon Her graces with utter and absolute sincerity. It is said that, even for one kneeling beneath the executioner's sword already raised to strike, a single heartfelt cry to Bodhisattva Quan Yin will cause the blade to fall shattered to the ground.
The many stories and anecdotes featuring this Goddess serve to convey the idea of an enlightened being who embodies the attributes of an all pervasive, all consuming, unwavering loving compassion and who is accessible to everyone. Quan Yin counsels us by Her actions to cultivate within ourselves those particular refined qualities that all beings are said to naturally possess in some vestigial form.
Contemplating the Goddess of Mercy involves little dogma or ritual. The simplicity of this gentle being and Her standards tends to lead Her devotees towards becoming more compassionate and loving themselves. A deep sense of service to all fellow beings naturally follows any devotion to the Goddess.
Guanyin (Chinese: 觀音; pinyin: Guānyīn; Wade-Giles: kuan-yin, Japanese: Kannon, Korean: Gwan-eum, Vietnamese: Quan Âm) is the bodhisattva associated with compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists, usually as a female. The name Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin (觀世音, pinyin: Guānshìyīn, Wade-Giles: kuan-shih yin) which means (hola estudiantes de la oxford)buddha god of mercy (not the game) "Observing the Sounds (or Cries) of the World". Source: Bethleen Cole
It is generally accepted (in the Chinese community) that Guanyin originated as the Sanskrit Avalokiteśvara (अवलोकितेश्वर), which is her male form. Commonly known in English as the Goddess of Mercy. Guanyin is also revered by Chinese Daoists (Taoists) as an Immortal.
More in my sets... Buddhas and Gods and Living in a Jungle.
Meat, alcohol - drugs and free sex should not to be taken up to maintain the Self-Realization attained. Pre-marital sex is wrong and if ever it has happened one can do pratikraman to wash the karma bound and be determined not to indulge in it again. One must find a partner, get married and remain sincere to that person.
To know more about dangers of free sex, please click on:
English: www.dadabhagwan.org/path-to-happiness/self-help/how-to-pr...
Gujarati: www.dadabhagwan.in/path-to-happiness/self-help/how-to-pra...
Hindi: hindi.dadabhagwan.org/path-to-happiness/self-help/how-to-...
To know more about dangers of meat eating, please click on:
English: www.dadabhagwan.org/path-to-happiness/spiritual-science/n...
Gujarati: www.dadabhagwan.in/path-to-happiness/spiritual-science/no...
Hindi: hindi.dadabhagwan.org/path-to-happiness/spiritual-science...
Sonder - the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.
Towards the end of the Korean War, the USAF came to the realization that their transport fleet was becoming obsolete. The C-46 Commandos and C-47 Skytrains in service were no longer adequate, while the C-119 Flying Boxcar was having difficulties. In 1951, the USAF issued a requirement for a new tactical transport, an aircraft that would need to carry at least 72 passengers, be capable of dropping paratroopers, and have a ramp for loading vehicles directly into the cargo compartment. Moreover, it must be a “clean sheet” design, not a conversion from an existing airliner, and the USAF preferred it be a turboprop design. Five companies submitted designs, and six months later the USAF chose Lockheed’s L-402 design—over the misgivings of Lockheed’s chief designer, Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, who warned that the L-402 would destroy the company. Little was Johnson to know that, fifty years later, the L-402—designated C-130 Hercules by the USAF—would still be in production, and one out of only five aircraft to have over 50 years of service with the original purchaser.
The C-130 was designed to give mostly unfettered access to a large cargo compartment—the ramp forms an integral part of the rear fuselage, the wing is mounted above the fuselage, and the landing gear is carried in sponsons attached to the fuselage itself, while the fuselage has a circular design to maximize loading potential. The high wing also gives the C-130 good lift, especially in “high and hot” situations. The Allison T56 turboprop was designed specifically for the Hercules, and has gone on to become one of the most successful turboprop designs in history.
After two YC-130 prototypes, the Hercules went into production as the C-130A in 1956, to be superseded by the improved C-130B in 1959. The latter became the baseline Hercules variant: C-130As had three-blade propellers and a rounded “Roman” nose, while the B introduced the more familiar, longer radar nose and four-blade propellers. In the 50 years hence, the basic C-130 design has not changed much: the C-130E introduced underwing external fuel tanks, while the C-130H has a slightly different wing. Even the new C-130J variant only introduced new engines with more fuel efficient six-bladed propellers: the basic design remains the same. Lockheed also offers stretched versions of the Hercules, initially as a civilian-only option (the L-100-30); the British Royal Air Force bought this version as the C-130K and it was later adopted by other nations, including the United States.
The basic C-130 is strictly a transport aircraft, but the versatility of the aircraft has meant it has been modified into a dizzying number of variants. These include the AC-130 Spectre gunship, the HC-130 rescue aircraft and WC-130 weather reconnaissance version. Other versions include several dozen EC-130 electronic warfare/Elint variants, KC-130 tankers, and DC-130 drone aircraft controllers. The USAF, the US Navy, and the US Marine Corps are all C-130 operators as well. Besides the United States, there are 67 other operators of C-130s, making it one of the world’s most prolific aircraft. C-130s are also used extensively by civilian operators as well as the L-100 series.
The “Herky Bird,” as it is often nicknamed, has participated in every military campaign fought by the United States since 1960 in one variation or the other. During Vietnam, it was used in almost every role imaginable, from standard transport to emergency bomber. It was also instrumental in resupplying the Khe Sanh garrison during its three-month siege. Hercules crews paid the price as well: nearly 70 C-130s were lost during the Vietnam War. In foreign service, C-130s have also been used heavily, the most famous instance of which was likely the Israeli Entebbe Raid of 1976, one of the longest-ranged C-130 missions in history. C-130s are often in the forefront of humanitarian missions to trouble spots around the world.
As of this writing, over 2300 C-130s have been built, and most are still in service. It remains the backbone of the USAF’s tactical transport service; attempts to replace it with the Advanced Tactical Transport Program (ATTP) in the 1980s and to supplement it with the C-27J Spartan in the 2000s both failed, as the USAF realized that the only real replacement for a C-130 is another C-130.
Dad snapped this picture of a somewhat anonymous C-130E taxiing at Sembach airbase in 1979. It carries the older Southeast Asia camouflage scheme of green and tan over white, with the particular scalloped pattern used by C-130 units. Other than the MAC (Military Airlift Command) legend on the tail, this could be one of any dozen C-130s, though it likely belonged to the 37th Airlift Squadron, then based at Rhein-Main airbase, West Germany.
An architectural research, study and realization in bricks. This is my new office in the brick city, which is a design studio. It is not just a modular building, but truly a piece of architecture with its own concept and design. It is just a landmark but a milestone. It does not merely stand there, because its unique form and presence will inspire the people of the city to see more and move forward. It is a change of the urbanscape, and a change in the culture.
Towards the end of the Korean War, the USAF came to the realization that their transport fleet was becoming obsolete. The C-46 Commandos and C-47 Skytrains in service were no longer adequate, while the C-119 Flying Boxcar was having difficulties. In 1951, the USAF issued a requirement for a new tactical transport, an aircraft that would need to carry at least 72 passengers, be capable of dropping paratroopers, and have a ramp for loading vehicles directly into the cargo compartment. Moreover, it must be a “clean sheet” design, not a conversion from an existing airliner, and the USAF preferred it be a turboprop design. Five companies submitted designs, and six months later the USAF chose Lockheed’s L-402 design—over the misgivings of Lockheed’s chief designer, Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, who warned that the L-402 would destroy the company. Little was Johnson to know that, fifty years later, the L-402—designated C-130 Hercules by the USAF—would still be in production, and one out of only five aircraft to have over 50 years of service with the original purchaser.
The C-130 was designed to give mostly unfettered access to a large cargo compartment—the ramp forms an integral part of the rear fuselage, the wing is mounted above the fuselage, and the landing gear is carried in sponsons attached to the fuselage itself, while the fuselage has a circular design to maximize loading potential. The high wing also gives the C-130 good lift, especially in “high and hot” situations. The Allison T56 turboprop was designed specifically for the Hercules, and has gone on to become one of the most successful turboprop designs in history.
After two YC-130 prototypes, the Hercules went into production as the C-130A in 1956, to be superseded by the improved C-130B in 1959. The latter became the baseline Hercules variant: C-130As had three-blade propellers and a rounded “Roman” nose, while the B introduced the more familiar, longer radar nose and four-blade propellers. (Virtually all A models were later retrofitted to the long nose, though they kept the three-blade propellers.) In the 50 years hence, the basic C-130 design has not changed much: the C-130E introduced underwing external fuel tanks, while the C-130H has a slightly different wing. Even the new C-130J variant only introduced new engines with more fuel efficient six-bladed propellers: the basic design remains the same. Lockheed also offers stretched versions of the Hercules, initially as a civilian-only option (the L-100-30); the British Royal Air Force bought this version as the C-130K and it was later adopted by other nations, including the United States.
The basic C-130 is strictly a transport aircraft, but the versatility of the aircraft has meant it has been modified into a dizzying number of variants. These include the AC-130 Spectre gunship, the HC-130 rescue aircraft and WC-130 weather reconnaissance version. Other versions include several dozen EC-130 electronic warfare/Elint variants, KC-130 tankers, and DC-130 drone aircraft controllers. The USAF, the US Navy, and the US Marine Corps are all C-130 operators as well. Besides the United States, there are 67 other operators of C-130s, making it one of the world’s most prolific aircraft, with its only rivals the Bell UH-1 Iroquois family and the Antonov An-2 Colt biplane transport. C-130s are also used extensively by civilian operators as well as the L-100 series.
The “Herky Bird,” as it is often nicknamed, has participated in every military campaign fought by the United States since 1960 in one variation or the other. During Vietnam, it was used in almost every role imaginable, from standard transport to emergency bomber: as the latter, it dropped M121 10,000 pound mass-focus bombs to clear jungle away for helicopter landing zones, and it was even attempted to use C-130s with these bombs against the infamous Thanh Hoa Bridge in North Vietnam. (Later this capability was added as standard to MC-130 Combat Talon special forces support aircraft; the MC-130 is the only aircraft cleared to carry the GBU-43 MOAB.) It was also instrumental in resupplying the Khe Sanh garrison during its three-month siege. Hercules crews paid the price as well: nearly 70 C-130s were lost during the Vietnam War. In foreign service, C-130s have also been used heavily, the most famous instance of which was likely the Israeli Entebbe Raid of 1976, one of the longest-ranged C-130 missions in history. C-130s are often in the forefront of humanitarian missions to trouble spots around the world, most recently in the 2011 Sendai earthquake disaster in Japan.
As of this writing, over 2300 C-130s have been built, and most are still in service. It remains the backbone of the USAF’s tactical transport service; attempts to replace it with the Advanced Tactical Transport Program (ATTP) in the 1980s and to supplement it with the C-27J Spartan in the 2000s both failed, as the USAF realized that the only real replacement for a C-130 is another C-130.
Though perhaps not the most clear picture ever taken, I included this one in my gallery because it's not every day you see a full paratrooper drop at an airshow. Here two C-130Hs of the 120th Airlift Wing (Montana ANG) drop about a platoon of paratroopers from the 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) of the Utah Army National Guard. Despite high winds that day, the platoon made good landings between the runways in front of the crowd. I found this more impressive than the Army Black Knights that made a drop earlier in the day--the Black Knights were superb, but this is as close to a combat jump as civilians will get to see in the United States.
Towards the end of the Korean War, the USAF came to the realization that their transport fleet was becoming obsolete. The C-46 Commandos and C-47 Skytrains in service were no longer adequate, while the C-119 Flying Boxcar was having difficulties. In 1951, the USAF issued a requirement for a new tactical transport, an aircraft that would need to carry at least 72 passengers, be capable of dropping paratroopers, and have a ramp for loading vehicles directly into the cargo compartment. Moreover, it must be a “clean sheet” design, not a conversion from an existing airliner, and the USAF preferred it be a turboprop design. Five companies submitted designs, and six months later the USAF chose Lockheed’s L-402 design—over the misgivings of Lockheed’s chief designer, Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, who warned that the L-402 would destroy the company. Little was Johnson to know that, fifty years later, the L-402—designated C-130 Hercules by the USAF—would still be in production, and one out of only five aircraft to have over 50 years of service with the original purchaser.
The C-130 was designed to give mostly unfettered access to a large cargo compartment—the ramp forms an integral part of the rear fuselage, the wing is mounted above the fuselage, and the landing gear is carried in sponsons attached to the fuselage itself, while the fuselage has a circular design to maximize loading potential. The high wing also gives the C-130 good lift, especially in “high and hot” situations. The Allison T56 turboprop was designed specifically for the Hercules, and has gone on to become one of the most successful turboprop designs in history.
After two YC-130 prototypes, the Hercules went into production as the C-130A in 1956, to be superseded by the improved C-130B in 1959. The latter became the baseline Hercules variant: C-130As had three-blade propellers and a rounded “Roman” nose, while the B introduced the more familiar, longer radar nose and four-blade propellers. (Virtually all A models were later retrofitted to the long nose, though they kept the three-blade propellers.) In the 50 years hence, the basic C-130 design has not changed much: the C-130E introduced underwing external fuel tanks, while the C-130H has a slightly different wing. Even the new C-130J variant only introduced new engines with more fuel efficient six-bladed propellers: the basic design remains the same. Lockheed also offers stretched versions of the Hercules, initially as a civilian-only option (the L-100-30); the British Royal Air Force bought this version as the C-130K and it was later adopted by other nations, including the United States.
The basic C-130 is strictly a transport aircraft, but the versatility of the aircraft has meant it has been modified into a dizzying number of variants. These include the AC-130 Spectre gunship, the HC-130 rescue aircraft and WC-130 weather reconnaissance version. Other versions include several dozen EC-130 electronic warfare/Elint variants, KC-130 tankers, and DC-130 drone aircraft controllers. The USAF, the US Navy, and the US Marine Corps are all C-130 operators as well. Besides the United States, there are 67 other operators of C-130s, making it one of the world’s most prolific aircraft, with its only rivals the Bell UH-1 Iroquois family and the Antonov An-2 Colt biplane transport. C-130s are also used extensively by civilian operators as well as the L-100 series.
The “Herky Bird,” as it is often nicknamed, has participated in every military campaign fought by the United States since 1960 in one variation or the other. During Vietnam, it was used in almost every role imaginable, from standard transport to emergency bomber: as the latter, it dropped M121 10,000 pound mass-focus bombs to clear jungle away for helicopter landing zones, and it was even attempted to use C-130s with these bombs against the infamous Thanh Hoa Bridge in North Vietnam. (Later this capability was added as standard to MC-130 Combat Talon special forces support aircraft; the MC-130 is the only aircraft cleared to carry the GBU-43 MOAB.) It was also instrumental in resupplying the Khe Sanh garrison during its three-month siege. Hercules crews paid the price as well: nearly 70 C-130s were lost during the Vietnam War. In foreign service, C-130s have also been used heavily, the most famous instance of which was likely the Israeli Entebbe Raid of 1976, one of the longest-ranged C-130 missions in history. C-130s are often in the forefront of humanitarian missions to trouble spots around the world, most recently in the 2011 Sendai earthquake disaster in Japan.
As of this writing, over 2300 C-130s have been built, and most are still in service. It remains the backbone of the USAF’s tactical transport service; attempts to replace it with the Advanced Tactical Transport Program (ATTP) in the 1980s and to supplement it with the C-27J Spartan in the 2000s both failed, as the USAF realized that the only real replacement for a C-130 is another C-130.
57-0526 was only the second C-130B ever built, and would serve as a testbed all of its career. Delivered in 1959, it would test rocket-assisted takeoff (RATO) for the 6515th Test Squadron at Edwards AFB, California; it would test the midair retrieval of satellite film capsules for the 6594th Test Group at Hickam AFB, Hawaii; it would finish testing electronics with the 6514th Test Squadron at Hill AFB, Utah. With 11,000 flight hours under its belt, 57-0526 was retired in 1994 and moved across the runway to the Hill Aerospace Museum.
57-0526 may have been recently refinished, as it is in superb shape; it carries Europe One tactical camouflage. To reflect its first assignment testing RATO flights, RATO bottles are attached to the fuselage just forward of the rear crew door.
Built in 1909 (opened in January 1910) by real estate developer Robert Marsh (who saw Mount Washington as a real estate possibility). His goal was to subdivide the more level land at the top of the hill and create large, exclusive, expensive lots with spectacular views of the ocean, Catalina and the San Gabriel Mountains. He wanted his development to rival the mansions in Westlake, West Adams and South Broadway. And he would lure people to the area by first constructing a resort hotel.
Even though the hotel was initially modest the whole project was enormous. Aside from constructing a hotel Marsh had to buy the land, design tracts and install public utilities. Furthermore, there was no practical access to the top of the mountain. Marsh was inspired by the “Angels Flight” incline rail (in downtown Los Angeles) which ran at 33% grade. He took a silent partner (Arthur St. Clair Perry) and built his own incline* rail called the "Los Angeles and Mount Washington Railway Company." The cable system had a length of 3000 feet (with a grade as high as 42%) and cost $42,000. Marsh was convinced that people would ride the Los Angeles Railway from downtown, get off at (what would become) Avenue 43 and Marmion Way and then ride his incline rail cars up to the hotel to experience its breathtaking views. He ran an ad in the May 21, 1909 Los Angeles Times which read:
“Mt Washington is just 20 minutes from Broadway and the center of downtown Los Angeles. It is no longer a dream of future achievement. It is a splendid, vivid reality of today. The stately mountain, whose beauties and scenic advantages have been admired for years, is now within 20 minutes of the heart of the business district. The sound of builders is heard from every side. Beautiful costly homes are about to spring up all over the mountain. A magnificent system of streets and boulevards is being projected. A trip to the incline and the summit of Mt. Washington will inspire and thrill you. Just take the Garvanza car, get off at Marmion Way and Avenue 43, and for 5 cents, just a nickel, you will have the ride of a lifetime. Service begins Sunday- May 23rd. Robert Marsh & Company 140 West 5th Street-Los Angeles.”
Marsh had wanted service to start on George Washington’s birthday (Feb 22) but the weather did not cooperate with construction. Furthermore the city inspector insisted that wood planking be added to the cable route as a safety measure. But in the end the plan worked, people flocked (the incline cars ran 11 hours a day, 18 hours on weekends) and the area eventually blossomed as an exclusive hilltop residential site.
Interestingly enough Mount Washington Hotel had only 18 rooms. With the majority of visitors coming and going for merely an afternoon or an evening there was little profit to be made. However, there were several silent film studios nearby (particularly in Sycamore Grove Park). And motion picture stars were taking up long term residence in the hotel. But in 1913, the studios ran out of room to expand their facilities and started moving to the Edendale section of Los Angeles, leaving The Mount Washington Hotel without customers. It closed in the summer of 1921. Briefly it became the location of the Goodrich-Mount Washington Emphysema Hospital before being purchased (in 1925) by Parmahansa Yogananda, a monk of the ancient Swami Order in India and founder of the Self-Realization Fellowship. The hotel was restored when Yogananda purchased it (it was occupied by vagrants and had been vandalized). The hotel building, today, remains the international headquarters of the Self-Realization Fellowship.
* The incline rail was what is known as a funicular railway. It consisted of two cars connected to each other by a cable. They counterbalanced each other so as one ascended the other descended. The railway ceased functioning in 1919 (due to a battle with the L.A. Board of Public Utilities who viewed the rail line as an elevator and wanted Marsh to make required upgrades). Although Marsh was granted a license to operate it as a railroad the California State Supreme Court determined that it was a vertical elevator. So Marsh ended the service and abandoned the railway. The City of Los Angeles had to purchase Mt. Washington Dr. (a private road), assume its maintenance, as well as construct other roads to serve the area. Suffice to say that the city spent far more money than if they had simply taken over and run the incline railway themselves.
3880 San Rafael Ave., Los Angeles, California
A “non-F” photo
Photos taken and published with permission of the Self-Realization Fellowship, www.yogananda-srf.org
215 West K Street
Encinitas, CA 92024
(760) 753-2888
In 1960, the US Army came to the realization that it had no real scout helicopter: the OH-13 Sioux could operate effectively in the role, but it was aging and its slow speed made it vulnerable to ground fire. The O-1/L-19 Birddog was a good scout aircraft, but it did not have the mobility of a helicopter. With this in mind, the Army issued a requirement for a Light Observation Helicopter (LOH). The new helicopter needed reasonably high speed, good visibility from the cockpit, and be not too expensive. Bell, Hiller and Hughes all developed prototypes; in 1965, the Army chose Hughes' Model 369 as the OH-6A Cayuse, and placed an order for 1300 helicopters.
The Army was then presented with a problem. Hughes did not have a large factory, and was run by the mercurial and unpredictable Howard Hughes: there was a real concern that Hughes could not deliver the order. Moreover, the Army learned that Hughes had deliberately undercut Bell's and Hiller's bids to win the contract, and as such was taking massive losses on the OH-6. The Army then reopened the competition, and Bell's OH-58A Kiowa won this time: the Army would use both helicopters. As for Hughes, the company would later make up the losses by marketing the OH-6 as the Model 369 and later the Model 500.
The OH-6A entered service in 1966, and was sent to Vietnam soon thereafter. Though given the name Cayuse (as part of the US Army's tradition of naming helicopters after native tribes), this name never stuck: instead, the helicopter was nicknamed Loach, after the LOH project name and its buglike appearance. Loaches were quickly armed with field modification kits to carry machine guns, and were usually paired with the also newly-arrived AH-1 Cobra as a "Pink Team." The job of the Pink Team was to scout ahead of the UH-1 "slicks" carrying troops: the OH-6 would come over at low level to see if it drew ground fire. If it did, it would then call in the AH-1s to attack the enemy position and clear the landing zone. This hunter-killer team proved very effective, if dangerous to the OH-6 crews: of 1420 OH-6s built, 842 were shot down over Vietnam.
Because of the heavy losses over Vietnam, the scout role after the war was gradually taken over by the OH-58A, which was cheaper to buy and easier to maintain. OH-6s began to be passed on to Reserve and National Guard units, but got a new lease on life after 1980: the Army still needed a small helicopter that could land in places the OH-58 or UH-1 could not. The OH-6 was the only aircraft that fit the bill, and several dozen were seconded to Task Force 158 in preparation for an operation to free the American hostages in Tehran, Iran. The hostages were freed by the Iranians themselves in 1980, but the Army recognized the need for an elite force trained in night operations, and renamed the unit Task Force 160--known to its crews as the "Nightstalkers."
TF 160 proved its worth during Operation Prime Chance, the United States' undeclared naval and air war against Iran in 1988, and the OH-6s were redesignated MH-6 (for transport OH-6s) and AH-6 (for armed versions). Nicknamed "Little Birds" by their crews, TF 160 worked closely with the elite and secretive Delta Force, most notably in the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993, where they were the only gunships available to the beleaguered Army forces in the Somalian city. The standard OH-6 has been retired from Army units, but the MH-6 and AH-6 remain in service. The Cayuse also remains operational with Spain and Japan, though in both cases it is being replaced.
This OH-6A, 67-6017, entered Army service in 1968 and probably saw action in Vietnam. After the war ended and the Loach force was gradually withdrawn, 67-6017 was relegated to the aviation companies of the 45th Infantry Division (New York National Guard), and served there until 1995, when it was retired. It was acquired by the Russell Military Museum and remains there today.
67-6017 has had two of its rotors removed for easier storage and is missing its interior, but otherwise it is in good shape, and retains the markings of its last unit, the New York National Guard. The US Army sigils and olive drab camouflage were retained by the OH-6 force throughout its career, including during Vietnam.
this was Mr. (Kenneth) Canody's science classroom in the late 1960's when the school was known as Sandusky Jr. High School.
One the most memorable events in this class was the day Mr. Canody greeted everyone at the door with his finger on his lips gesturing silence, as a girl in the prior class had fallen asleep at her desk during a film, and was still sleeping. Everyone seated themselves quietly, and Mr. Canody turned off the lights and started the film again for our class. About five minutes or so into the film, the girl awoke. At first, she merely began watching the film again, but soon, she glanced at the person next to her, then at another student. Suddenly, realization of what had happened set in, and she grabbed her belongings and stormed out of the room as the class erupted in laughter. Classic.
Towards the end of the Korean War, the USAF came to the realization that their transport fleet was becoming obsolete. The C-46 Commandos and C-47 Skytrains in service were no longer adequate, while the C-119 Flying Boxcar was having difficulties. In 1951, the USAF issued a requirement for a new tactical transport, an aircraft that would need to carry at least 72 passengers, be capable of dropping paratroopers, and have a ramp for loading vehicles directly into the cargo compartment. Moreover, it must be a “clean sheet” design, not a conversion from an existing airliner, and the USAF preferred it be a turboprop design. Five companies submitted designs, and six months later the USAF chose Lockheed’s L-402 design—over the misgivings of Lockheed’s chief designer, Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, who warned that the L-402 would destroy the company. Little was Johnson to know that, fifty years later, the L-402—designated C-130 Hercules by the USAF—would still be in production, and one out of only five aircraft to have over 50 years of service with the original purchaser.
The C-130 was designed to give mostly unfettered access to a large cargo compartment—the ramp forms an integral part of the rear fuselage, the wing is mounted above the fuselage, and the landing gear is carried in sponsons attached to the fuselage itself, while the fuselage has a circular design to maximize loading potential. The high wing also gives the C-130 good lift, especially in “high and hot” situations. The Allison T56 turboprop was designed specifically for the Hercules, and has gone on to become one of the most successful turboprop designs in history.
After two YC-130 prototypes, the Hercules went into production as the C-130A in 1956, to be superseded by the improved C-130B in 1959. The latter became the baseline Hercules variant: C-130As had three-blade propellers and a rounded “Roman” nose, while the B introduced the more familiar, longer radar nose and four-blade propellers. (Virtually all A models were later retrofitted to the long nose, though they kept the three-blade propellers.) In the 50 years hence, the basic C-130 design has not changed much: the C-130E introduced underwing external fuel tanks, while the C-130H has a slightly different wing. Even the new C-130J variant only introduced new engines with more fuel efficient six-bladed propellers: the basic design remains the same. Lockheed also offers stretched versions of the Hercules, initially as a civilian-only option (the L-100-30); the British Royal Air Force bought this version as the C-130K and it was later adopted by other nations, including the United States.
The basic C-130 is strictly a transport aircraft, but the versatility of the aircraft has meant it has been modified into a dizzying number of variants. These include the AC-130 Spectre gunship, the HC-130 rescue aircraft and WC-130 weather reconnaissance version. Other versions include several dozen EC-130 electronic warfare/Elint variants, KC-130 tankers, and DC-130 drone aircraft controllers. The USAF, the US Navy, and the US Marine Corps are all C-130 operators as well. Besides the United States, there are 67 other operators of C-130s, making it one of the world’s most prolific aircraft, with its only rivals the Bell UH-1 Iroquois family and the Antonov An-2 Colt biplane transport. C-130s are also used extensively by civilian operators as well as the L-100 series.
The “Herky Bird,” as it is often nicknamed, has participated in every military campaign fought by the United States since 1960 in one variation or the other. During Vietnam, it was used in almost every role imaginable, from standard transport to emergency bomber: as the latter, it dropped M121 10,000 pound mass-focus bombs to clear jungle away for helicopter landing zones, and it was even attempted to use C-130s with these bombs against the infamous Thanh Hoa Bridge in North Vietnam. (Later this capability was added as standard to MC-130 Combat Talon special forces support aircraft; the MC-130 is the only aircraft cleared to carry the GBU-43 MOAB.) It was also instrumental in resupplying the Khe Sanh garrison during its three-month siege. Hercules crews paid the price as well: nearly 70 C-130s were lost during the Vietnam War. In foreign service, C-130s have also been used heavily, the most famous instance of which was likely the Israeli Entebbe Raid of 1976, one of the longest-ranged C-130 missions in history. C-130s are often in the forefront of humanitarian missions to trouble spots around the world, most recently in the 2011 Sendai earthquake disaster in Japan.
As of this writing, over 2300 C-130s have been built, and most are still in service. It remains the backbone of the USAF’s tactical transport service; attempts to replace it with the Advanced Tactical Transport Program (ATTP) in the 1980s and to supplement it with the C-27J Spartan in the 2000s both failed, as the USAF realized that the only real replacement for a C-130 is another C-130.
This rather anonymous C-130H is a prepainted kit; my intention at some point is to repaint it and give it some character. For now, it sits on my shelf as a proud representation of arguably the greatest transport ever produced. It wears the present overall AMC Gray camouflage used by USAF C-130 units.
- One-off
- Fantastic design, dramatic look
- An accessible dream
This exceptional body is the realization of the dream of a truly passionate collector. It was triggered off by the discovery of the photos of a convertible Bucciali TAV 30, exhibited in the 1931 and the 1932 editions of the Paris Motor Show, at the Grand Palais. He completely fell in love with this exceptional car. These rare photos were published in the excellent book by Christian Huet on Bucciali cars, published in 2004.
Before going any further, a little history is in order. This enigmatic brand bears the name of Paul-Albert Bucciali, who often managed to realize his wildest of dreams. In 1930, he designed a body that had all the elements of drama and seduction: long hood, lowered chassis, low-profile windows and very large wheels, like those of the Bugatti Royale. The original curve of the front fender hugged the wheel to extend horizontally back to the height of the chassis. The sides of the long hood were visually cleaned up to receive a large "arrow-like stork", like the one he had used on his fighter plane, a Spa 26, one of the six squadrons of these Storks from World War I. After preparing the drawings in the Bucciali workshop at Courbevoie, the "project" was entrusted to the famous coachbuilder Saoutchik. The body was built on the old chassis TAV 2 of 1928, which was stripped of all its mechanicals. This was a car specifically for the motor show, designed to find a buyer, who would then be able to finance the production of the new S chassis and the gearbox of the TAV 3. A buyer actually came through in 1931, but he wanted a sedan body and not a convertible! For this beautiful convertible, there was no buyer at all, so it was destroyed in 1934.
Realizing his dream became an obsession for the collector, who decided in 2010, to buy a complete Cord L29 FWD chassis. It was powered by an 4.9-liter in-line eight from Lycoming. The Bucciali brand still existed, so he got the authorization in 2012 to carry out a reproduction of the convertible TAV 30 of 1931, under certain conditions of maintaining quality, and the right to make just one example. The original document is part of the file that comes with the car.
The making of this ambitious project was entrusted to the Bonnefoy workshop, in Cher, which fabricated the frame members by extending and modifying the Cord chassis, by developing the suspension system and the steering linkages to fit the larger wheels that were specially made for this prototype. Though based on a wooden frame, the body is made of sheet steel, while the hood, doors and trunk lid are in aluminum. The owner, with the Bonnefoy workshop, customized the achievement, by changing the color of the bodywork and of the storks and adding a rear boot. Completed in 2013, the result was most impressive and car was specially exhibited at the Retromobile Salon of 2014, where the car starred. This outstanding achievement was the subject of a compliance certificate issued by the Bucciali brand and this certificate will be given to the buyer too.
Once a dream has been fulfilled, it usually fades away with time, giving way to another. This is the reason the current owner is putting his dream Bucciali-Cord on sale. Just four authentic Buccialis remain in the world today; therefore, this spectacular car is a very unique opportunity to acquire the only official copy which is both impressive and unrivaled.
Sale Retromobile 2016 by Artcurial Motorcars
5 Février 2016
Estimation € 500.000 - 700.000
Sold for € 596.000
Salon Retromobile 2016
Paris Expo - Porte de Versailles
Paris - France
Februari 2016
In 1960, the US Army came to the realization that it had no real scout helicopter: the OH-13 Sioux could operate effectively in the role, but it was aging and its slow speed made it vulnerable to ground fire. The O-1/L-19 Birddog was a good scout aircraft, but it did not have the mobility of a helicopter. With this in mind, the Army issued a requirement for a Light Observation Helicopter (LOH). The new helicopter needed reasonably high speed, good visibility from the cockpit, and be not too expensive. Bell, Hiller and Hughes all developed prototypes; in 1965, the Army chose Hughes' Model 369 as the OH-6A Cayuse, and placed an order for 1300 helicopters.
The Army was then presented with a problem. Hughes did not have a large factory, and was run by the mercurial and unpredictable Howard Hughes: there was a real concern that Hughes could not deliver the order. Moreover, the Army learned that Hughes had deliberately undercut Bell's and Hiller's bids to win the contract, and as such was taking massive losses on the OH-6. The Army then reopened the competition, and Bell's OH-58A Kiowa won this time: the Army would use both helicopters. As for Hughes, the company would later make up the losses by marketing the OH-6 as the Model 369 and later the Model 500.
The OH-6A entered service in 1966, and was sent to Vietnam soon thereafter. Though given the name Cayuse (as part of the US Army's tradition of naming helicopters after native tribes), this name never stuck: instead, the helicopter was nicknamed Loach, after the LOH project name and its buglike appearance. Loaches were quickly armed with field modification kits to carry machine guns, and were usually paired with the also newly-arrived AH-1 Cobra as a "Pink Team." The job of the Pink Team was to scout ahead of the UH-1 "slicks" carrying troops: the OH-6 would come over at low level to see if it drew ground fire. If it did, it would then call in the AH-1s to attack the enemy position and clear the landing zone. This hunter-killer team proved very effective, if dangerous to the OH-6 crews: of 1420 OH-6s built, 842 were shot down over Vietnam.
Because of the heavy losses over Vietnam, the scout role after the war was gradually taken over by the OH-58A, which was cheaper to buy and easier to maintain. OH-6s began to be passed on to Reserve and National Guard units, but got a new lease on life after 1980: the Army still needed a small helicopter that could land in places the OH-58 or UH-1 could not. The OH-6 was the only aircraft that fit the bill, and several dozen were seconded to Task Force 158 in preparation for an operation to free the American hostages in Tehran, Iran. The hostages were freed by the Iranians themselves in 1980, but the Army recognized the need for an elite force trained in night operations, and renamed the unit Task Force 160--known to its crews as the "Nightstalkers."
TF 160 proved its worth during Operation Prime Chance, the United States' undeclared naval and air war against Iran in 1988, and the OH-6s were redesignated MH-6 (for transport OH-6s) and AH-6 (for armed versions). Nicknamed "Little Birds" by their crews, TF 160 worked closely with the elite and secretive Delta Force, most notably in the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993, where they were the only gunships available to the beleaguered Army forces in the Somalian city. The standard OH-6 has been retired from Army units, but the MH-6 and AH-6 remain in service. The Cayuse also remains operational with Spain and Japan, though in both cases it is being replaced.
Built as 67-6381 in 1968, this OH-6A was sent directly to South Vietnam, where it served from 1969 to 1971, mainly with the 17th Cavalry Regiment at Di An. After the regiment was withdrawn from Southeast Asia, 67-6381 was relegated to an unknown Army National Guard unit, along with most of the Loach fleet. It was retired in the 1980s and donated to the English Field Air and Space Museum in Texas, but when that museum closed in 2007, 67-6381 was moved to the Pima Air and Space Museum.
67-6381 is displayed hanging from the ceiling in Pima's main hangar, appearing as it would have in 1970; the white triangle on the fuselage is a tactical marking, while the red tailfins identified an aircraft of the 17th Cavalry.