What can you tell me about the MC-130P ?

Question

I know they do refueling but that's all I know :0) Does it have a nickname? I can't remember if it's the Combat Shadow or if I'm thinking of another plane.

Answer 1

Combat Shadow
Primary Function: Air refueling for special operation forces helicopters

Answer 2

globalsecurity.org

best all arond site for basic info on military systems

with regard to the ?C-130? variants,

The KC-130 is the Marine Corps variant that can refuel helicotpers or naval and USMC jets using two hose-and-drouge pods. The drouges are different for fixed wing and helicopters. It cannot take on fuel in flight.

With regard to the MC-130 series, be careful to make any inclusive statement about these SO aircraft, they change equipment and suffix designators (some are one-of-a-kind). Some variants have multiple capabilities, including ability to refuel helicopters, recovery, insertion, and command and control.

One variant can be refueled in flight, but they can only recieve by the Air Force boom system and is the only variant that can be receive fuel in flight. These can not then refuel helicopters..

Answer 3

I did a little cut and paste for you. This found on www.google.com

MC-130P COMBAT SHADOW

Mission -

The Combat Shadow flies clandestine or low visibility, single or multi-ship low-level missions intruding politically sensitive or hostile territory to provide air refueling for special operations helicopters. The MC-130P primarily flies missions at night to reduce probability of visual acquisition and intercept by airborne threats.

Secondary mission capabilities may include airdrop of leaflets, small special operations teams, bundles and combat rubber raiding craft, as well as night vision goggles, takeoff and landing procedures and in-flight refueling as a receiver.

Answer 4

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop cargo aircraft and the main tactical airlifter for military forces worldwide. Over 40 models and variants of the Hercules serve with more than 50 nations. By December 2006 the C-130 will become the third aircraft (after the English Electric Canberra in May 2001 and the B-52 Stratofortress in January 2005) to mark 50 years of continuous use with its original primary customer (in this case the United States Air Force).

Capable of short takeoffs and landings from unprepared runways, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation and cargo transport aircraft. The versatile airframe has found uses in a variety of other roles, including as a gunship, and for airborne assault, search and rescue, scientific research support, weather reconnaissance, aerial refuelling and aerial firefighting. The Hercules family has the longest continuous production run of any military aircraft in history. During more than 50 years of service the family has participated in military, civilian and humanitarian aid operations.

The first flight of the YC-130 prototype was made on August 23, 1954 from the Lockheed plant in Burbank, California. The aircraft, serial number 53-3397, was the second prototype but the first of the two to fly. The YC-130 was piloted by Stanley Beltz and Roy Wimmer on its 61-minute flight to Edwards Air Force Base; Jack Real and Dick Stanton served as flight engineers. Kelly Johnson flew chase in a P2V Neptune.

After the two prototypes were completed, production moved to Marietta, Georgia, where more than 2,000 C-130s have been built.

The initial production model, the C-130A, was powered by Allison T56 turboprops with three-blade propellers. Deliveries began in December of 1956, continuing until the introduction of the C-130B model in 1959. Some A models were re-designated C-130D after being equipped with skis and for jet-assisted takeoff. The newer C-130B had ailerons with more boost — 3,000 versus 2,050 lbf/in² (21 versus 14 MPa) — as well as uprated engines and four-bladed propellers that were standard until the late 1990s. The performance gains over the C-130A gave the C-130B the reputation of being the design's 'sports car' model.

The HC-130N & P are long range search and rescue variants used by the USAF Air Rescue Service. Equipped for deep deployment of pararescue men (PJ's), survival equipment, and aerial refueling of combat rescue helicopters (see KC-130H), they are usually the on-scene command aircraft for combat SAR missions. Early versions were equipped with the Fulton surface-to-air recovery system, designed to pull a person off the ground using a wire strung from a helium balloon. The John Wayne movie The Green Berets features its use. The Fulton system was later removed when aerial refueling of helicopters proved safer and more versatile. The movie The Perfect Storm depicts a real life SAR mission involving aerial refueling by an HC-130.

The C-130R and C-130T are US Navy and USMC models, both equipped with underwing external fuel tanks. The C-130T is similar, but has numerous avionics improvements over the R model and is fully night-vision system compatible. In both models, USMC aircraft are equipped with Allison T-56-A-16 engines. The USMC versions are designated KC-130R or KC-130T when equipped with underwing refueling pods and pylons.

Operators of the C-130 include Abu Dhabi, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Gabon, Greece, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Liberia, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, North Yemen, Zambia.

Hope this is of some help and that your head is not spinning too much.