C-130 simulates refueling a M-1 Abrams

[DA SWO]

C-130 Simulates Refueling M1 Abrams Tank During Exercise


I have no idea how much fuel a bladder bird can haul, but this could be useful in a pinch.

 

[SpongeBob*24]

I see a few small issues with this plan.

Unless I'm misreading The article Cause I can be dumb like that....

 

[AWP]

Really cool concept but about as sustainable as an 80 year old’s erection. Great for a focused short term “get out of jail” effort. I don’t see this as a Red Ball Express solution.

 

[Kraut783]

Like flying out two guys on the outside of an Apache, it can work, but let's not make a habit of it.

 

[Marauder06]

lol--I followed the link and the photo in the article makes a LOT more sense that the image I had in my head when I first read the OP.

"Oh--they LANDED the plane!" ;)

 

[Gunz]

Nothing the C130 can do surprises me...but yeah, I had a kind of kite-flying image for a minute

 

[Marauder06]

Nothing the C130 can do surprises me...but yeah, I had a kind of kite-flying image for a minute

<me imagining a giant refueling probe on the front of an M1> "HTF is THAT going to work?" ;)

 

[AWP]

lol--I followed the link and the photo in the article makes a LOT more sense that the image I had in my head when I first read the OP.

"Oh--they LANDED the plane!" ;)

<me imagining a giant refueling probe on the front of an M1> "HTF is THAT going to work?" ;)

You really need some NCOs back in your life...

 

[Marauder06]

You really need some NCOs back in your life...

...always

that said, a good NCO would have figured out how to make that work ;)

 

[Gunz]

I have no idea how much fuel a bladder bird can haul, but this could be useful in a pinch.

Our C-130Es BITD in the ANG could carry 3000 gallons of water+fire retardant in a MAFFs bladder. That's 28,000 lbs if memory serves. But I don't know the difference in weight between the slurry and the kind of fuel an Abrams tank takes. The C130J could probably hold a bigger bladder.

 

[Gunz]

I see a few small issues with this plan.

Somebody's always fucking around with Herkies, trying out weird shit on them. Like carrier landings...

And aerobatic flying teams...

I love the AC but I also love elephants...they can both do a lot of different stuff but some of it borders on stunts

 

[SpongeBob*24]

You are running a huge risk, if you put this thing down anywhere close to the fight, of it never taking off again. The momentum can swing drastically in the wrong direction if this is the case.

I respect the crap out of the 130 in all it's alphabet soup pronouns and especially the crew on them over the years....it just doesn't seem like its needed....but as always I am sure I'm on the crazy pillz.

 

[DA SWO]

Our C-130Es BITD in the ANG could carry 3000 gallons of water+fire retardant in a MAFFs bladder. That's 28,000 lbs if memory serves. But I don't know the difference in weight between the slurry--water, red coloring, ammonium sulfate--and the kind of fuel an Abrams tank takes. The C130J could probably hold a bigger bladder.

But I wouldn't want to be flying around with 28,000+ lbs of tank gas.

We use to do that with an internal tank. Bensen tanks.

 

[Gunz]

We use to do that with an internal tank. Bensen tanks.

Yes, sir. For refueling. We were one of only two ANG AWs that did MAFFs missions. I don’t think we did any IFR stuff, at least not while I was in.

 

[TLDR20]

Our C-130Es BITD in the ANG could carry 3000 gallons of water+fire retardant in a MAFFs bladder. That's 28,000 lbs if memory serves. But I don't know the difference in weight between the slurry--water, red coloring, ammonium sulfate--and the kind of fuel an Abrams tank takes. The C130J could probably hold a bigger bladder.

But I wouldn't want to be flying around with 28,000+ lbs of tank gas.

It is jet fuel right? They run a turbine.

 

[AWP]

(Desert One has entered the chat)
I want to believe the AF will perform this mission with the right ground assets (stomp, stomp, STS)

Trivia time: The pilot that landed the C-130 on Forrestal was James Flatley III who retired as a Read Admiral. His Father was a WWII ace, air wing commander, and skipper of the USS Lake Champlain (CV-39); he retired as a Vice Admiral.

James Flatley IV has over 3,000 hours in the F-14 and his brother Joseph was a Top Gun instructor and F-14 pilot. Naval Aviation "kind of" runs in that family.

 

[Gunz]

It is jet fuel right? They run a turbine.

I’ll ask a Marine tank expert…oh wait…

 

[DA SWO]

It is jet fuel right? They run a turbine.

Jet, gas,diesel.
M-1 is designed to run on everything.

 

[AWP]

I’ll ask a Marine tank expert…oh wait…

 

[Totentanz]

<me imagining a giant refueling probe on the front of an M1> "HTF is THAT going to work?" ;)

I gotta ask - are we going with wings on an M1 or inspector-gadget rotor blades from the turret?

Because Airwolf having a baby with an AC-130 would be awesome.