C-130 carrier landings. No...really.

[Challenger]

I read someplace that they had to modifiy the landing system so that they could go to reverse on the outboard engines just before landing then basically drop the plane on the deck. As for take off they used the rocket assist to take off, like Fat Albert does in the Blue Angles shows.

 

HB280ZT

Retired NAVY

 

Well I dont think they would just drop but they would be able to adjust the prop pitch to in a way reverse thrust which slows them down prettttyyy quickly.

 

Im sure theyd have to bulk up the landing system because of the stresses involved in landing on a carrier and accelerating (negative) so quickly. The f14's and other Navy planes are litteraly dropped from like 10-15 ft. and are required to stay intact. Saw a video on discovery on it, pretty interesting.

[HB280ZT]

When I flew in P-3C's in and out of Iceland they basically dropped the plane on the runway to make sure it would stick. I say many, many commercial and military airplanes land in Iceland by slamming (or dropped) to make sure that they would stick to the icy runways. So dropping it on a moving carrier flight deck would not be a problem. As for the P-3C aircraft you needed to have weight on wheels before you could reverse engines, I do remember that much. Now could you disable that while in-flight I am not sure it has been almost 15 years since I flew. When I did I was not a Flight Engineer I was an in-flight technician. Also remember a lot of the engine parts on a P-3 and a C-130 are interchangeable but the C-130 has its engine mounted up side down.

 

HB280ZT