Global Aviation Magazine : 60 Years of the Hercules

[dragartist]

Billy,
I was at the HOUE doing some work on the J on AH last day flying. he was mighty upset at his last mission flying orbits for hours on end with some GPS tracking device which he intended to pass to the "customer" with a note.


I hope they gave him a good send off that night.


ExAscot- I feel certain the last male TCO from JADTEU made a highly detailed sectioned model of the inside of the K. He now operates from a depot down in Gosport. He was at the reunion earlier this year so the AO should be able to contact him.

[ancientaviator62]

This is the Airfix model I made for my grandson a long time ago. However in my absence his father decided to paint it in the colours you see!
Airfix took their measurements etc from a 'K' in the hangar at Fairford which was on jacks. So accurate was this that they even included the nose jacking pads in the early kits !

[ExAscoteer]

Don't let Smuj see those props!

[aeroid]

a Town like Alice

Sorry to break the thread but found this, sunbathing in Alice Springs ...thanks to Jim! with my Co-p, the future Stn Cdr Lyn, I.C. Where did I go wrong!

[ancientaviator62]

aeroid,
nice pic. I too went to Alice Springs but I cannot remember why.
Ah yes I.C known to the troops as 'junior' !

[smujsmith]

Never fear on the prop positions lads, I'm reliably informed that from an RAF perspective, it was down to OC Eng preference as much as anything else. A****r H****y is another matter. I enjoyed several routes with the man, and had the utmost respect for him. He gave up a free day in Hong Kong to show Smudge round the place, and not the bars. I've recently read a book on Hunter operations in Aden ? And, Lo and behold both in the text and in a photograph, a young A****r is present. Back soon hopefully gentlemen, keep the props straight ( we don't want to upset OC Eng) and the pictures coming.

Smudge

[Rocket2]

For info AH is very much alive & kicking - see him regularly - great guy

[CoffmanStarter]

AA62, ExAscoteer ... I hope you don't mind if I add to your scale model references above

Unfortunately my modelling ability plateaued very quickly ... but there is something about these miniature masterpieces that is quite captivating. Here are a couple of examples I came across today (I wish I was that talented) ... all 1/72 scale ... although I noticed someone was having a crack at a 1/48 scale subject

The first pic might also be of interest to our good friend Descend to What Height (aka DTWH)



Image Credit : See URL Below (More Pics)

Lockheed C-130K Hercules W.MK2 Britmodeller.com

And your favourite colour scheme AA62

Although I'm not quite sure about lugging Bloodhound Missiles around in the back of Albert



Image Credit : See URL Below (More Pics)

RAF C-130K Hercules Britmodeller.com

Best regards ...

Coff.

PS. Sadly I'm unable to give named credit to the skilled modellers who's work appears above so, in the circumstances, I have done my best to credit their work with the references given.

[DCThumb]

I was at Cambridge the other day - Poor old Snoopy was looking very forelorn and lonely, with the 'Red nose Day' radome fitted in place of its meteorological protuberance

[ancientaviator62]

Coffman,
the 'missiles round the back' are an authentic touch. They were included with the first Airfix RAF Hercules model. It is of course a Bloodhound on the transit trailer. Carried several of these (one at a time !) out Butterworth and back and also to Germany.

[Fugazi1000]

The first entry in my Father's logbook shows Bloodhounds from West Raynham to Laarbruch in 1972. He was UKMAMS.

Fascinating thread chaps - keep it up....

[billynospares]

. . Keep finding them. XV202 again and the 10 was about to give us gas so Albert related

[OmegaV6]

One almost identical to Billy's ..

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640.../03vc10nl0.jpg

and from another perspective ...

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640.../22vc10dr2.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...7basketzo1.jpg

[OmegaV6]

3 from the Arnhem 2003 commemoration airdrops, amazing how many folks there were on the ground to watch the para drop

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...913/S7Lc0n.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...540/xW4Ick.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...673/eHsWFF.jpg

[OmegaV6]

Made a "little" work for smudge and his associates in my time .. although I don't think he was actually involved in either of these .. both are birdstrikes in the Falklands on separate detachments ....

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...913/NWXhwc.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...673/nXv1ZG.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...537/StvO6s.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...540/pt9ntg.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...661/HhlYrT.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...540/PPWgEj.jpg

[OmegaV6]

AA might recognise some of these motley lot ... Laikipia (Kenya) 2001

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...905/j7z1RA.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...538/zZVEmi.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...540/aXKZZe.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...538/mCeR88.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...913/7klbg8.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...537/ACsuEO.jpg

I should have more of here, and a very bent Albert, but can't find them yet ...

[OmegaV6]

and lastly for today .. if you think that Oman is always hot and sunny .... Thumrait May 2002 ...

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...633/vg27AK.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...913/soltvk.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...538/w7aZOd.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...540/VAnBG7.jpg

This last one is the "remains" of the tented washing/showering area after the storm .. I don't have a before to show ......

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...673/RlFlwW.jpg

As an aside, all the Hercs were "flown out" before the storm came, if memory serves most went down to Diego Garcia, in order to avoid damage. good decision !!! It was NOT nice at all ...

[CoffmanStarter]

Many thanks OmegaV6 ... Outstanding pics

One thing very clear from the pics at #2295 ... Albert was/is a tough old bird who could take a fair degree of punishment but still deliver

[CoffmanStarter]

Billy ... Great pics also ... Please keep them coming

[ancientaviator62]

Did several Arnhem drops and as Omega points out there was always a large crowd watching. I remember one year dropping the TA in winds that were to say the least marginal. However everyone was so keen the drop went ahead anyway.
Doing para drops in a Skyvan in the Oman we landed on the DZ to emplane the next lift. As we waited a 'ginormous 'storm appeared from out of the sea. So we sat there with engines running being battered by the strong wind and torrential rain. Interesting experience !