So this weekend we got an unusual visitor to Charlotte-Douglas airport (CLT).  An Antonov 124 paid us a visit.   It's not unheard of for them to appear, as a local charity that operates globally frequently use them around Christmas, but I hadn't seen one in a while.   Turns out it was a charter for American Airlines bringing in an engine for a 777.  My workplace at American is right beside out heavy base maintenance hangar and it's not uncommon to see flatbed truck coming and going with what is obviously a jet engine under cover on the bed, usually a CFM or IAE for an A320. 

Got me to thinking...instead of using a truck to move engines around the country, what if we had a couple of C-130s for such a purpose.  Feels like forever since I managed any bench time and have a GB project awaiting completion, but I may put an AA Herky Bird on my 'to-do' list...

Delta is the only passenger airline that I am aware of that used the Hercules (L100 civilian variant), but they used them for scheduled cargo flights in the 70s and 80s. 

Depending how you define 'airline', Saturn had a contract from Lockheed, or Rolls Royce, to move production RB211s from East Midlands to Palmdale for the Tri-Stars. In the mid-70s there were always 2-3 of Saturn's L-100s on the ramp at EMA .

I like it. Nowt cooler than a Hercules. I can only imagine one in natural metal, with those AA colours. Especially an early bird bellowing smoke all around !

Quote from: Captain Canada on August 15, 2023, 02:53:20 PMI like it. Nowt cooler than a Hercules. I can only imagine one in natural metal, with those AA colours. Especially an early bird bellowing smoke all around !

Shiny Roman-nose C-130A in AA colours.

Quote from: jcf on August 15, 2023, 06:17:25 PM

Quote from: Captain Canada on August 15, 2023, 02:53:20 PMI like it. Nowt cooler than a Hercules. I can only imagine one in natural metal, with those AA colours. Especially an early bird bellowing smoke all around !

Shiny Roman-nose C-130A in AA colours.

That I would like to see!

Quote from: PR19_Kit on August 15, 2023, 02:06:18 PMDepending how you define 'airline', Saturn had a contract from Lockheed, or Rolls Royce, to move production RB211s from East Midlands to Palmdale for the Tri-Stars. In the mid-70s there were always 2-3 of Saturn's L-100s on the ramp at EMA .

As above..."Passenger Airline"...

I kinda want one in the current AA colors...I want one in my legacy airline, USAir(ways) (3 good options there) and I want one in classic AA colors with bare metal....dammit.  Can of worms opened.   

The bare metal would be classic.

1/144 will give you the schemes you want, without the acreage required for anything larger... or 1/200, if you can find them...

1/144 is a good size for a Charlie 130 ..1/72 is nice for its size but space becomes a problem..for 148th you'll have to live outside cause there won't any room left inside 😉

My plan is definitely 1/144.  Only real option for airline markings.  I have a 1/144 C-130J bought for the Re-Engine GB that is now missing two engines.  Turns out a twin engine C-130 was a real project...for shorter ranges and smaller payloads....the L400...Hmmm....

I remember sometime in the 80's or it may have been the early 90's in Australia there was a mass pilot strike or something, I don't exactly remember what the cause was but airlines were not flying (at least not to Tasmania, but I think it was Australia wide) so the RAAF stepped in using C-130's to fly passengers, I vividly remember going past the Hobart airport and seeing three camouflaged C-130H's parked at the gates where mostly white airliners normally park.

Quote from: Flyer on August 15, 2023, 11:44:45 PMI remember sometime in the 80's or it may have been the early 90's in Australia there was a mass pilot strike or something, I don't exactly remember what the cause was but airlines were not flying (at least not to Tasmania, but I think it was Australia wide) so the RAAF stepped in using C-130's to fly passengers, I vividly remember going past the Hobart airport and seeing three camouflaged C-130H's parked at the gates where mostly white airliners normally park.

1989 Australian pilots' dispute

Quote from: AeroplaneDriver on August 15, 2023, 11:32:40 PMMy plan is definitely 1/144.  Only real option for airline markings.  I have a 1/144 C-130J bought for the Re-Engine GB that is now missing two engines.  Turns out a twin engine C-130 was a real project...for shorter ranges and smaller payloads....the L400...Hmmm....

Thought about something similar a while back, too, with shortened fuselage and wings, though, to make it more compact and suitable for only two engines.

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on August 16, 2023, 03:12:37 AM

Quote from: AeroplaneDriver on August 15, 2023, 11:32:40 PMMy plan is definitely 1/144.  Only real option for airline markings.  I have a 1/144 C-130J bought for the Re-Engine GB that is now missing two engines.  Turns out a twin engine C-130 was a real project...for shorter ranges and smaller payloads....the L400...Hmmm....

Thought about something similar a while back, too, with shortened fuselage and wings, though, to make it more compact and suitable for only two engines.

That would resemble a fat C-27 Spartan!

Hercules  had Allison T-56  engines  at about 4,500 shp each.    Replace with a couple of RR Tynes at 6500 shp each,   perhaps?