Golden Age Weaponsmiths C-130 Hercules:

The C-130 is a cargo aircraft with an incredible career. It served the US Militaries for six decades before being retired outlasting many aircraft that were designed to replace the aircraft. Many of the C-130 were operate by civilian companies and were operated by many militaries until the coming of the rifts. Because of the huge numbers of the aircraft, the simple law of averages meant that many of the aircraft would survive. The aircraft had many advantages including the fact that the aircraft can operate under primitive conditions, the aircraft is easy to repair, and can operate from dirt runways. Because of the many advantages of this aircraft, Golden Age Weaponsmiths sells any C-130 that they refit almost as soon as they are finished. Most governments and many independent groups have purchased these. Some are operated by both the Coalition States and by Free Quebec. Golden Age Weaponsmiths has actually began refitting one of their automobile factories to manufacturing these aircraft and within six months they plan to start selling new versions of this aircraft much to the dislike of Paladin Steel due to their manufacture of a variant of the C-130 Hercules.

There are a great many variations on the C-130. There is the standard cargo versions that can carry troops or passengers as well. There is the MC-130 Combat Talon that is modified with much better sensors. There also is the AC-130 that is a gun ship version of the C-130. Finally, there is the KC-130 that is a tanker version of the C-130.

Golden Age Weaponsmiths has refitted many C-130 aircraft of various versions. The refits were relatively easy. The avionics were replaced by more advanced avionics, the aircrafts skin was replaced with MDC alloys, and weapon systems (if any) use special Wellington rounds.

This aircraft can carry up to 20 tons of cargo, ninety two passengers, or sixty four paratroopers. The aircraft has large ramp in the rear for cargo and has two doors for paratroopers on eiether side of the body behind the landing gear mounts. The aircraft does not have an ejection system for the crew so in case of emergency the crew must have a jet pack or a parachute to survive

Model Number: C-130
Vehicle Type: Quad Engine Tactical Transport Aircraft
Crew: Five
Troops/Passengers: 92 (In place of cargo) , 64 Paratroopers, or 74 patients on litters.

M.D.C. by Location:

	Cargo Door	200
	[1] Wings (2):	240 each
	[2] Elevators (2):	120 each
	[2] Rudders (2):	120 each
	Cockpit:	180
	[3] Engines (4):	160
	[3] Propellers (4):	25
	Landing Gear (5):	10 each
	[4] Main Body:	500

Notes:
[1] Destroying a Wing will cause the plane to crash.
[2] Destruction of rudders or one elevator will still allow the aircraft to be controlled by the varying of power levels of the engines but transport has a penalty of -10 to dodge, and a -30% penalty to all piloting rolls. Destruction of both of the elevators will leave the plane uncontrollable and aircraft crew must evacuate to survive
[3] The destruction of one engine and/or propeller will reduce the transports top speed by one quarter and give the pilot a -2 penalty to dodge as well as giving a 5% penalty to piloting. The destruction of additional engines and/or propellers will give cumulative penalties. Destruction of all four engines and/or propellers will cause the aircraft to crash. Pilot may attempt a emergency landing or transport crew can choose to eject.
[4] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will shut the Aircraft down completely, rendering it useless and causing it to crash if in flight

Speed:
Driving on Ground (Taxiing): Only possible for take offs and landings as well as for parking and storage. Speed is 40 mph (64 kph) when traveling and not on take off or landing. Aircraft can land and take off from primitive runways.
Flying: The Hercules can reach a top speed of 384 mph (618 kph / 333 knots). The aircraft is a turbo prop (not a jet) and the aircrafts normal cruise speed is 300 mph (482.8 kph / 260.7 knots) but varies on situation. The Hercules has a maximum altitude of 33,000 feet (10,060 meters)
Range: 3,000 miles (4,828 km / 2607 nautical miles) with maximum payload. Hercules has approximately 25% better range when the aircraft is non carrying any cargo. The Hercules can be refueled in the air

Statistical Data:
Height: 38 feet 3 inches (11.66 meters)
Wingspan: 132 feet 7 inches (40.41 meters)
Length: 97 feet 9 inches (29.79 meters)
Weight: 76,780 pounds (34,827 kg) empty and 175,000 pounds (79,379 kg) maximum takeoff weight
Power System: Conventional, Four 4,508 hp (3,362 kw) Allison T56-A-15 turboprops, uses aviation fuel.
Cargo: 20 tons (18.1 metric tons)
Black Market Cost: 3.5 million credits

Weapon Systems (Military Versions):

1. Anti-Missile Chaff/Flare Dispenser (1): This system was standard on all military versions of the C-130. Use the same effects as the TRIAX model. However, each time the system is engaged, the system fires off one chaff and 1D4 flares. Rifts Earth decoys systems are assumed to not operate against Phase World missiles due to technological difference. Reduce effects by 20% against smart missiles (Add +20% to rolls for smart missiles.)
   Effect:
   01-50 Enemy missile or missile volley detonates in chaff cloud - Missile are all destroyed
   51-75 Enemy missile or missile volley loses track of real target and veers away in wrong direction (May lock onto another target
   76-00 No effect, missile is still on target
   Also note that the chaff cloud will also blind flying monsters that fly through cloud. They will suffer the following penalties: reduce melee attacks/actions, combat bonuses, and speed by half. Duration: 1D4 melee rounds.
   Payload: 20 chaff, 40 flares. Each time the system is engaged, the system fires off one chaff and 1D4 flares.

Combat Bonuses:

+1 to Dodge
+2 to Dodge while traveling over 250 Mph

Variants:

AC-130 Specter:
Gun-ship variant of the C-130 with multiple weapons on the left side of the aircraft including two 7.62 mm mini-guns, two 20 mm Vulcan cannon, two 40 mm Bofors Cannons, and one 105 mm howitzer. All cannons but the mini-guns can be targeted on the same target and use a targeting computer. In most ways, the aircraft is identical to a standard C-130 but has the following differences:
Crew: 14 - five officers (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, fire control officer, electronic warfare officer); nine enlisted (flight engineer, loadmaster, low-light TV operator, infrared detection set operator, five aerial gunners)
Troops / Passengers: 10 Passengers or 6 Paratroopers maximum
Additional M.D.C. By Location:

	105 mm Howitzer	80
	40 mm Bofors Cannons (2)	40 each
	20 mm Vulcan cannons (2)	25 each
	7.62 mm Mini-Guns	10 each

Range: 1,500 miles (2414 km / 1,300 nautical miles). Like the standard C-130, The Spectre can be refueled in the air
Cargo: 1.5 Tons (1.36 metric tons)
Black Market Cost: 10.3 million credits
Weapon Systems:(Still carries Chaff and Flare Dispenser)
1. One (1) 105 mm Howitzer: Very powerful cannon but limited in rate of fire. Controlled by Gunner and are located on left side. Weapon is normally used at a fraction of possible range
   Effective Range: 8.7 miles (14 km) for non rocket assisted and 12.1 miles (19.5 km) for rocket assisted projectiles.
   Mega-Damage: By 105 mm artillery round type (See artillery table for details: Fragmentation 1D6x10, High Explosive 2D4x10, Armor Piercing 2D6x10, Plasma 3D4x10, and has a vast number of other type of rounds as well).
   Rate of Fire: 2 rounds per
   Payload: 100 rounds.
2. Two (2) 40 mm Bofors Cannons: Controlled by Gunner and are located on left side.
   Range: 3,000 feet (914 m)
   Mega-Damage: 4D6 for single shot of Fragmentation with a blast area of 12 ft, 1D4x10 for a single shot of Armor Piercing with a blast area of 3 ft, 2D6x10 for a burst of ten rounds of Fragmentation with a blast area of 40 ft, and 3D6x10 for a burst of ten rounds of Armor Piercing with a blast area of 8 ft.
   Rate of Fire: Equal to combined hand to hand attacks of gunner
   Payload: 250 Rounds each
3. Two (2) 20 mm Vulcan cannon: Controlled by Gunner and are located on left side.
   Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,220 m).
   Mega Damage: 1D6x10 for a burst of 30 round, 2D4 for each round.
   Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5).
   Payload: 3000 rounds (100 bursts) each
4. 7.62 Mini-Guns (2): Unlike other weapons, Mini-Guns are controlled separately.
   Mega Damage: One round does 1 M.D.C. to M.D.C. targets or 3D6x10 S.D.C. to soft targets. Twenty round bursts do 2D4 M.D.C.
   Rate of Fire: Equal to combined hand to hand attacks of gunner
   Effective Range: 2,000 feet (609.6 m)
   Payload: 4000 rounds (200 bursts) each
Special Equipment:
The equipment of the AC-130H Spectre has been upgraded but many of the original systems are still on the aircraft. Consider the aircraft to carry all standard equipment that robot vehicles carry (not including loudspeaker and microphone) plus the following extra systems:
• Internal Active Jamming Gear: Causes -25% to detection but when it is active, other vehicles/ bases can detect that it is jamming, and some missiles will home in on jamming signals. Jamming also causes a -4 penalty to all radar guided weapons.
• E.S.M.: Radar Detector, Passively detects other radars being operated.
• FLIR: Forward Looking Infrared. Allows pilot and weapons officer to get visuals on targets at night.

MC-130H Combat Talon:

Special Operations variant of the C-130 with additional sensors including night vision equipment. The aircraft also has a special "skyhook" recovery gear to pick up ground personnel and equipment. It should be considered identical to the standard C-130 with the exception of the following areas:
Crew: Seven
Black Market Cost: 5.2 million credits
Special Equipment:
The equipment of the MC-130H Spectre has been upgraded but many of the original systems are still on the aircraft. Consider the aircraft to carry all standard equipment that robot vehicles carry (not including loudspeaker and microphone) plus the following extra systems:
• Internal Active Jamming Gear: Causes -25% to detection but when it is active, other vehicles/ bases can detect that it is jamming, and some missiles will home in on jamming signals. Jamming also causes a -4 penalty to all radar guided weapons.
• E.S.M.: Radar Detector, Passively detects other radars being operated.
• FLIR: Forward Looking Infrared. Allows pilot and weapons officer to get visuals on targets at night.
• Skyhook Recovery System: Special equipment that consists of a V shaped yoke in the front of the aircraft and additional recovery equipment. The aircraft must fly as slow as possible to recover the person or equipment in question. A special balloon is used so that the pilot can make the recovery. Pilot needs to make a normal piloting roll to have grabbed the object. If the pilot fails the roll, normally they just miss the balloon and must try again. If the roll is missed by over 40% then it has been a critical failure which may indicate having dropped after being grabbed or being tangled in the aircraft's exposed equipment.

KC-130H Hercules:

Refueling variation of the aircraft. Unlike the AC-130 and MC-130, it does not carry any additional sensor systems and has the cargo bay converted into carrying extra fuel. This aircraft is very useful if operating a lrgae number of aircraft that require fuel. It should be considered identical to the standard C-130 with the exception of the following areas:
Crew: Five
Black Market Cost: 3.8 million credits
Range: 5,750 miles (5000 km / 5,000 nautical miles). Refueling aircraft will reduce the aircrafts range
Special Equipment:
• Refueling Tanks: The aircraft carries fuel to refuel other aircraft. Can refuel approximately 12 light fighters (Like the F-16), 6 medium fighters (Like the F-15), or 4 heavy fighters (Like the F-111). Does not carry enough fuel to refuel heavy bombers. The KC-130 may use all of its fuel for itself.

[Golden Age Weaponsmiths, Wellington Industries, and TRIAX are trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. ]
[ Rifts® is a registered trademark owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.]

By Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune ).

Copyright © 1998, Kitsune. All rights reserved.