Piloting an AC-130 Spectre

AOPA Online Instructor Reports - Pivotal Altitude Explained
....
Pivotal altitude depends on groundspeed. The faster
the groundspeed, ... To estimate pivotal altitude, square
the groundspeed and then divide by 15 if you ...
http://www.aopa.org/asf/publications...fm?article=226
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To estimate pivotal altitude, square the groundspeed
and then divide by 15 if you use mph, or 11.3 if you prefer
knots.
That will provide a starting altitude. For example,
100 mph times 100 equals 10,000, divided by 15 equals 666
feet approximate
pivotal altitude. A groundspeed of 95 mph results in a
pivotal altitude of 600 feet.
Hence, traveling at 100 mph on the fast side, pivotal
altitude is 666 feet. On the slower side-the side into the
wind-95 mph results in a
pivotal altitude that is 60 feet lower than the fast
side.


Using mph 200^2 is 40,000/15 equals 2666.66 and 300 needs
6,000 feet. A Cub is down around 500 feet. But 200 knots
gives 3539 feet and 300 knots needs 7965, high about small
arms, but still range of shoulder fired missiles.

Of course the C-130 can carry the Daisy Cutter and MOAB to
really clear the area.




"Bill Watson" wrote in message
...
| Jim Macklin wrote:
| The FAA commercial maneuver known as Turns On A Point.
It
| is done by using pivotal altitude.
|
| and using pitch to adjust for wind. A fun and rewarding
maneuver.
|
| So, what is pivotal altitude for AC-130 flying at what?
200+? knots
|
| The faster, the higher, the better, I would guess.
|
|
|
| "Montblack"
wrote
| in message ...
| | ("Jay Honeck" wrote)
| | The recent obliteration of the Somali chapter of Al
| Queda by an AC-130
| | gunship (See
| http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/ac-130.htm if you
| | don't know what one looks like) got me wondering
how,
| exactly, one
| | would pilot such a craft during an attack.
| |
| |
| | http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16576458/
| | Ooooh, so close.
| |
| | Would you like to take another shot at winning your
gal
| that big stuffed
| | Teddy Bear? All it takes to "win" is ONE BBBBILLION
| dollars. Who'll play.
| | Who's next? How 'bout you fella?
| |
| |
| | Montblack
| |
| |
|
|

Of course the C-130 can carry the Daisy Cutter and MOAB to
really clear the area.

The what?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Thu, 11 Jan 2007 12:29:52 -0600, "Montblack"
wrote in
:

Who'll play. Who's next? How 'bout you fella?


http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/...in609489.shtml

Army Recruits Video Gamers

America's Army has surpassed even the Pentagon's expectations. It's
now the number one online action game in the country. The Army hasn't
seen a recruiting tool this effective since "Be all that you can be."

But psychology professor Brad Bushman of the University of Michigan, a
critic of violent video games, complains "America's Army" isn't real
enough.

"War is not a game," he says.

"The video game does provide a sanitized view of violence," says
Bushman. "For example, when you shoot someone or when you are shot you
see a puff of blood; you don't see anyone suffering or writhing in
pain."

Larry Dighera wrote:
On Thu, 11 Jan 2007 12:29:52 -0600, "Montblack"
wrote in
:

Who'll play. Who's next? How 'bout you fella?


http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/...in609489.shtml

Army Recruits Video Gamers

America's Army has surpassed even the Pentagon's expectations. It's
now the number one online action game in the country. The Army hasn't
seen a recruiting tool this effective since "Be all that you can be."

But psychology professor Brad Bushman of the University of Michigan, a
critic of violent video games, complains "America's Army" isn't real
enough.

"War is not a game," he says.

"The video game does provide a sanitized view of violence," says
Bushman. "For example, when you shoot someone or when you are shot you
see a puff of blood; you don't see anyone suffering or writhing in
pain."


One interesting thing about this game was that no matter which side you
played on you were the "Good Guys" with the US uniform or weapons.

Les Matheson is frequently on rec.aviation.military. He was an EWO
(Electronic Warfare Officer) on AC-130s for awhile, I'm sure he could answer
your question about how the pilots fly the plane during the attack. Try
posting your question there.
Scott Wilson

Les Matheson is frequently on rec.aviation.military. He was an EWO
(Electronic Warfare Officer) on AC-130s for awhile, I'm sure he could answer
your question about how the pilots fly the plane during the attack. Try
posting your question there.

Done. Great idea!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:

The recent obliteration of the Somali chapter of Al Queda by an AC-130
gunship (See http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/ac-130.htm if you
don't know what one looks like) got me wondering how, exactly, one
would pilot such a craft during an attack.

Think about it. You've got a 155,000 pound, 4-engine transport
aircraft, making a continual left turn in order to keep your weapons on
the mark. It's pitch dark (darkness is your only defense, other than
ECM), and you've got 105 mm cannons firing right behind your ear.

I've watched C-130s turn, and they need a LOT of territory to turn
around. In order to keep their weapons on the target, I would think
the AC-130 would need to bank a lot more steeply than I've seen them do
in cargo-plane training. And, don't forget, you've got 14 guys and
gals seated behind you, working radar and weapons systems, most with no
view outside, so you can't yank and crank TOO hard or you'll have
barf-covered equipment from stem to stern.

In order to keep the weapons on target, I would think that you'd have
to hold altitude accurately, too, and your "track" would need to be
smooth enough so that the computers could figure deflection accurately.


In short, the pilot must have his hand's full during an attack run!
Even though you don't think of the C-130 as being a high-performance
aircraft, it's got to be a real trick keeping that pig over a
(relatively) small target.

Any former AC-130 pilots here? How'd you do it? Is there an autopilot
that holds you in a constant turn during an attack run, or is it all
hand-flown?

Actually, Jay, when you start your commercial certificate training you
will learn how to do this. It is called a "turn on a pylon" or "eights
on pylons" and is one of the performance maneuvers you learn for the
commercial. The objective is to keep the wing pointed at a reference
point on the ground, not to maintain a constant radius from the
reference point as with the private pilot maneuvers. This is tricky as
there is only one altitude for each ground speed that will allow this to
occur, the so-called pivotal altitude. Thus, rather than varying bank
as with turns around a point, you must constantly vary altitude to
adjust for the varying groundspeed as you go around the pylon. If you
had zero wind, then the pivotal altitude would remain constant.

I'm getting better flying this maneuver, but I still could not keep a
gun on a target!

I assume that the C-130 pilots have a little help with this maneuver,
but I don't know for sure how they do this.


Matt

Matt Whiting wrote:
I'm getting better flying this maneuver, but I still could not keep a
gun on a target!

I assume that the C-130 pilots have a little help with this maneuver,
but I don't know for sure how they do this.


I'd be willing to be the autopilot is tied to the fire control computer

"Matt Whiting" wrote

I assume that the C-130 pilots have a little help with this maneuver, but
I don't know for sure how they do this.

I read that the gooney bird pilots had a fighter plane gun sight aimed out
the left window. They used bank angle to move the strike point up and down,
and rudder to move the impacts left and right.

I'll bet they have "a little" more sophisticated method, now. g
--
Jim in NC

Jay Honeck wrote:
[...] And, don't forget, you've got 14 guys and
gals seated behind you, working radar and weapons systems, most with no
view outside, so you can't yank and crank TOO hard or you'll have
barf-covered equipment from stem to stern.

Heh, in my experience, military pilots aren't that concerned about us
people in back :-) If they need to yank and bank, that's what they'll
do.

The Spectres are scary to troops on the ground. I remember in the
desert one time, I could vaguely hear something above. No lights on
the plane, of course, and no moon that night either. We were hunkered
down, and I was on guard duty. Suddenly I saw a mesa nearby light up,
just like you see in Close Encounters, with a beam from nowhere. It
lasted maybe a second.

A minute or so later, our mesa got lit the same way. For one short
moment, you could read a newspaper. Your hair goes up on the back of
your neck, I can tell you.

Can't say if it's true or not, but the story goes that if they read
your name on your BDUs, then they call down and you get into trouble
for being too exposed :-)

Kev
(ex-SSGT,USASA)