[MilCom] US Coast Guard "CG-1721" in US Navy colors

[AllanStern--- via MilCom]

Thanks so much for the interesting information, Tom.
i knew it had flown with the dome, but didn't realize it was testing the  
E-2D radar.
 
Al Stern  SATELLITE BEACH FL
 
 
From: Tom Clarke _w4okw at md.metrocast.net_ (mailto:w4okw at md.metrocast.net)   
:
>
Nice shot of the NC-130H as we called it when it was assigned to  VX-20 
at Pax River.

I  have many hours in it when we were  testing the new antenna and 
radar for the new E-2D  Hawkeye.  The  airplane came to us from Edwards 
AFB as 87-0157, having previously spent  time in the Coast Guard doing 
anti drug patrols.  When the Navy took  it, we gave it a BuNo of 870157, 
which doesn't fit into any recent BuNo  scheme. When the project was 
finished, the radar, the instrumentation, and  the antenna was removed 
and she went back to the Coast Guard and became 1721  again..

During the time we had it, the cargo compartment basically had  two 
pallet positions occupied with the consoles from an E-2C.  The  prototype 
radar and the data instrumentation filled up the rest of the  deck.  We 
basically flew (mostly at night due to less air traffic) up  and down the 
East coast, either over land (the I-95 route) or just offshore  
collecting radar data that was recorded on an immense RAID assembly of  
hard drives for analysis later.  We actually didn't have a real time  
radar display in the airplane, we just collected zeroes and ones!

The  dome installation imposed a 200 knot IAS limit, a 15 degree Beta 
limit, and  also created some unusual flying qualities.  Her callsign in 
those days  was "Waterbug 157", before they opted for the goofy "Score" 
moniker they use  now!  Test Pilot School used to be "Teakettle", but now 
they user  "Tester".  I guess they didn't sound "cool"enough!  VX-23 
(Strike)  seems to be happy with "Salty Dog"

Fun times!

Tom, old school  C-130 driver.
Pax River MD

On 10/28/2014 12:31 PM,  milair-request at mailman.qth.net wrote:
> Subject:
> [MilAir] Fwd:  [MilRadioComms] US Coast Guard "CG-1721" in US Navy colors.
>  From:
> AllanStern--- via MilAir <milair at mailman.qth.net>
>  Date:
> 10/26/2014 8:41 AM
>
> To:
>  Milcom2 at yahoogroups.com, milair at mailman.qth.net,  milcom at mailman.qth.net
>
>
> US Coast Guard HC-130 "CG 1721"  at Patrick AFB, 24 Oct  2014.
>     CG 1721 still  bears the colors of its US Navy service where,  on loan
> from the US  Coast Guard it performed with an AWACS-style radar on its  
back.
> CG  1721 was also lent to the US Air Force for service there.
>  https://www.flickr.com/photos/allanstern/15631596315/sizes/l
>    
>   
> AL STERN  Satellite Beach   FL