The Global Reach gallery of the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio includes Spare 617, a Lockheed C-130E Hercules.
According to the Museum:
Introduced in August 1962, the C-130E conducted critical USAF military missions during the Southeast Asia War through Afghanistan and Iraq. It has also supported countless USAF humanitarian efforts around the globe and in all climates.
Originally designed by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin) as an assault transport able to operate from unpaved airstrips, the C-130 Hercules made its first flight in August 1954. Over the next half century, the US Air Force used various versions of this versatile aircraft for aeromedical evacuation, mid-air refueling of helicopters, mid-air space capsule recovery, search and rescue, reconnaissance, as a gunship, and for many other missions.
This C-130E aircraft (serial number 62-1787) participated in one of the greatest feats of airmanship during the Southeast Asia War on April 15, 1972. Operating under the call sign Spare 617, the aircrew consisting of Capt. William Caldwell, pilot; Lt. John Hering, copilot; Lt. Richard A. Lenz, navigator; Tech. Sgt. Jon Sanders, flight engineer; and loadmasters Tech. Sgt. Charlie Shaub and Airman 1st Class Dave McAleece attempted to airdrop ammunition to surrounded South Vietnamese troops at An Loc.
While approaching the drop zone, Spare 617 received heavy enemy ground fire that killed Sanders and wounded Hering and Lenz, damaged two engines, ruptured a bleed air duct in the cargo compartment, and set the ammunition on fire. Shaub jettisoned the cargo pallets, which exploded in midair. Despite receiving severe burns from the hot air escaping the damaged air bleed duct, Shaub extinguished a fire in the cargo compartment. Meanwhile, Caldwell decided to head for Tan Son Nhut Air Base, which had the best medical facilities. Even though his engineer was dead and his co-pilot wounded, Caldwell closed the damaged bleed air duct, and he shut down the two damaged engines.
As Caldwell prepared to land with just two engines, the landing gear would not come down, and the wounded and badly burned Shaub directed McAleece as he hand-cranked the landing gear down using the emergency extension system. Even though a third engine lost power, Caldwell managed to land Spare 617 safely. For their efforts, Caldwell and Shaub received the Air Force Cross, the U.S. Air Force’s second highest award for valor. Shaub also received the William H. Pitsenbarger award for heroism from the Air Force Sergeants Association.
This aircraft can carry six pallets or 74 litters or 16 container delivery system bundles or 92 combat troops or 64 paratroopers, or any combination of these up to 42,000 lbs.
Transport Isolation System (TIS)
This is an airworthy medical isolation unit to allow in-flight medical care of infectious disease patients while preventing the spread of disease.
According to the display:
“The TIS contained up to three separate compartments built on aircraft pallets for easy loading onto C-17 or C-130H and J model aircraft. A thick puncture-resistant plastic wrapped around the entire unit, containing High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtered oxygen.”
More airplanes
Air Force Museum: Fairchild C-82 Packet (photo diary)
Air Force Museum: Douglas C-124 Globemaster (photo diary)
Air Force Museum: Cold War Boeing airplanes (photo diary)
Air Force Museum: Southeast Asia cargo aircraft (photo diary)
Air Force Museum: Air Park (photo diary)
Air Force Museum: Southeast Asia air support aircraft (photo diary)
Air Force Museum: Cold War bombers (photo diary)
Air Force Museum: The Memphis Belle (photo diary)