February 11, 2002
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A Visit to the Hangar
February 11, 2002 |
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Alerted by our neighbor that two brand-spanking new C-130J's were in town out at the
Alaska Air National Guard hangar, we were able to arrange an impromptu visit...initially to
measure their propeller diameters for Joe's Propeller Pi
project, but with the gracious accommodation of the Guard personnel, it turned into a full-blown tour of the way-cool all-glass cockpit!!
Do notice the new, unusual and striking 6-bladed propellers that were our initial objective to study. |
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| An alert Joe gets his flight deck briefing from the Guard pilot in the left-hand seat. Four CRTs show all the engine and flight instruments, in rotating displays, and provide quadruple backup. Computers control just about everything in this airplane! |
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| Joe checks out the "Heads Up Display" (HUD) on which instrument information can be projected so the pilot can keep looking ahead. The blue-colored attitude indicator (behind the yoke) looks remarkably similar to the one on the Cessna 150 that Joe flew! There were a few controls that had analogs to the Cessna 150, (trim, flaps, master switches), but a lot of new stuff!! |
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| Neal joins Joe in the left-hand seat. Always nice to have a buddy to share moments like this with! |
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| Back in the cargo bay to see the "business end" of the C-130, with its big tail ramp through which a tank can drive. This plane can hold THREE HumVees!!! |
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| Back inside the hangar, the boys also had a chance to check out the Guard's
UH60 Blackhawk. What a day!!
Thank you Harry!
Oh yes...those new-fangled propellers have a diameter of 13 feet 6 inches,
and travel at 1,020.7 RPM (constant speed propellers). ...Joe calculates that the propeller tips turn at 602 MPH! |
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Contact: Fritz Funk (fritzf@alaska.net)