Hercules Boys
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Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Where the heart belongs
Age: 55
Posts: 413
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Thread Starter
Some of you may be wondering what has happened to 'Hercules Boys'. After waiting six months for MoD RAF Media to make a decision, they have refused to permit access to those serving personnel who wished to contribute, citing a lack of "likely PR benefit to the service via a niche publisher". Having discussed this with Grub Street, we are minded to continue with the book with contributions from retired personnel. Recognising that this will not tell the whole story, the book will explain the reasons as stated above. Publication is currently aimed for spring 2024.
A huge amount of the noise came from those rattling springs in the pointless, never used, stretcher-bearing things. During an extremely long trip, I once wandered around with bits of blue roll jamming them up. Bliss - relatively.. Equally, on delivery trips to the thieves at Marshall's, the things were removed. Much quieter without them.
BTW: Many folks thought the wall cladding was sound-proofing. It wasn't. It was thermal insulation to prevent walking freight from getting frozen onto the metelwork.
BTW: Many folks thought the wall cladding was sound-proofing. It wasn't. It was thermal insulation to prevent walking freight from getting frozen onto the metelwork.
Some of the girlies/wives used to love sitting on the front rails of that meat para seats.
Slightly tipsy after the morale-boosting trips to Roebucks( DF store on Jersey) a lot of giggling could be heard!
Slightly tipsy after the morale-boosting trips to Roebucks( DF store on Jersey) a lot of giggling could be heard!
EGD
I spent 30 years on the C130K and many suggestions were made to try to mitigate the sound levels 'down the back'. I was the liaison officer for a university team that was commissioned to conduct noise level trials. Removing the litter brackets and finding a stowage for them on the a/c and other measures had long been suggested by us . All of these suggestions were ignored probably by those senior enough not to have to travel in the cargo compartment. You are correct that the green covering on the walls is a protective blanket and has no sound attenuating properties at all. However if heated to around 800 degrees C it gives off Phosgene gas and this was a major factor in the loss of life in the Belgian AF crash at Eindhoven.
I spent 30 years on the C130K and many suggestions were made to try to mitigate the sound levels 'down the back'. I was the liaison officer for a university team that was commissioned to conduct noise level trials. Removing the litter brackets and finding a stowage for them on the a/c and other measures had long been suggested by us . All of these suggestions were ignored probably by those senior enough not to have to travel in the cargo compartment. You are correct that the green covering on the walls is a protective blanket and has no sound attenuating properties at all. However if heated to around 800 degrees C it gives off Phosgene gas and this was a major factor in the loss of life in the Belgian AF crash at Eindhoven.
In the late 1960's there was a cartoon in the Lyneham station mag; Caption: Have you heard - they've solved the noise problem on the Hercules. They've put it all on the inside'.
Thread Starter
So far, not a single female Hercules crew member or engineer has come forward to offer their stories. If any read this please get in touch, it is vital to tell your side of the story too!
I expect this post to be deleted as have all others of a related theme.
Chief Bottle Washer
And as for being ‘offended’ that is your choice: the squeaky wheel does not get the oil here, no matter how much noise you may choose to make.
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I stand corrected.
Humbly.
Humbly.
Thread Starter
All I have left to say is that the ladies of the Fleet Air Arm accepted the title for that "boys" series of books and readily contributed. Given that MoD RAF Media have refused permission for me to talk to serving personnel (of either gender) citing a lack of "PR value from a niche publisher", the end result may well be that this book project has to be abandoned for lack of support. Such a pity if that happens as there are so many great Herc stories to tell. I will not trouble PPruners anymore.