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Started by ♠SARKID♠, February 16, 2009, 02:14:33 AM

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♠SARKID♠

I was at work today running my route in southeast WI when I made a stop by the Racine, WI airfield.  I had seen these two planes before but never got a chance to really look at them.  The Kenosha Military Museum has a couple of neat aircraft on display that I thought I'd share with you.

The first is a NASA C-130


And the other is an OV-1 Mohawk


I'm curious what NASA used the C-130s for (if more than just transport).  I couldn't really find an info on their NASA use.

RogueLeader

I've never seen an OV-1 before.  Seen plenty of mohawks before. . . .  ;)

The cockpit looks a little werid though.
WYWG DP

GRW 3340

Smithsonia

#2
NASA uses C-130s for standard logistics, and for years space capsules used to fit in that big cargo box, and like NOAA, NASA does weather work -- from an airborne science package in a C-130, you can load up a bunch of scientists and a bunch of weather gear, high bird communications, or telescopes and go find hurricanes, check for sunspots, see an eclipse, all from 30 to 30,000 ft., for instance.

With regards;
ED OBRIEN

♠SARKID♠

Quote from: RogueLeader on February 16, 2009, 02:27:17 AM
I've never seen an OV-1 before.  Seen plenty of mohawks before. . . .  ;)

The cockpit looks a little werid though.

Heh, agreed.  I thought it was a little weird the first time I saw it too.  I know NIN used to fly them.

Quote from: Smithsonia on February 16, 2009, 02:19:23 PM
NASA uses C-130s for standard logistics, and for years space capsules used to fit in that big cargo box, and like NOAA, NASA does weather work -- from an airborne science package in a C-130, you can load up a bunch of scientists and a bunch of weather gear or telescopes and go find hurricanes, check for sunspots, see an eclipse, all from 30 to 30,000 ft., for instance.

Good to know!  I had a feeling there would be a weather observation aspect, thanks.

drcomm

I don't know if this was the same NASA C-130 or not but during the late '70's and early '80's NASA had a C-130 based at Ellington Field in Houston, TX.  It was part of the "Earth Resources" program they had there.  That program also had a U-2 and a couple of WB-57's (and an RB-57 at one point) based there.  The 130 had an sensor antenna array mounted on the aft cargo door. 
David Romere, Maj, CAP
Starbase Composite Squadron, SWR-OK-151
Oil Well 767
Mitchell Award #2536 (May 1981)
Amateur Radio Call Sign: KA5OWI

♠SARKID♠

Nope.  What little info I did find was a couple of sentences saying that it was originally stationed at the Goddard Flight Center in Virginia.

Smithsonia

Here's a NASA C-130 used in Project Boreas which studied the climate change/deforestation from the '80's and 90's.
http://daac.ornl.gov/BOREAS/bhs/pictures/General/C-130.jpg
With regards;
ED OBRIEN

bosshawk

That is a good shot of a Mohawk(OV-1).  I know the guy at the Kenosha Museum who owns that Mohawk and I have seen the actual aircraft at Oshkosh: tail number 906.

If you are curious, I can shed a little light on the Mohawk: I flew them in Korea and have flown one or two that are at the American Wings Air Museum in Anoka, Minnesota.  I also spent 5.5 yrs as the President of the OV-1 Mohawk Association.
Paul M. Reed
Col, USA(ret)
Former CAP Lt Col
Wilson #2777

bosshawk

I just took a look at the photo of the Mohawk that SARKID posted: that is one of the birds at Anoka: 262.  Haven't flown that one, but know the guy who does fly it most of the time.  Look for it at Oshkosh, he usually takes it every year.
Paul M. Reed
Col, USA(ret)
Former CAP Lt Col
Wilson #2777

MikeD

Quote from: drcomm on February 16, 2009, 09:40:18 PM
I don't know if this was the same NASA C-130 or not but during the late '70's and early '80's NASA had a C-130 based at Ellington Field in Houston, TX.  It was part of the "Earth Resources" program they had there.  That program also had a U-2 and a couple of WB-57's (and an RB-57 at one point) based there.  The 130 had an sensor antenna array mounted on the aft cargo door. 

NASA has used various aircraft for airborne science over the years.  The current manned ones are the DC-8 and SOFIA telescope 747 out of Palmdale, under Dryden, ER-2 (U-2) and G-III  based at Dryden, P-3 based at Wallops (under Goddard), and a couple of WB-57s at Johnson Space Center (Houston).

Source: http://airbornescience.nasa.gov/platforms/platforms.html

I saw a poster once that showed the different manned and UAV airborne science assests, I'll see if I can dig up a digital copy and if it's cleared for public release.