Jump to content

HerkPerfMan

Registered User
  • Posts

    119
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by HerkPerfMan

  1. It's all true. I saw design reports on the earlier flying boat, and I remember seeing photos of wind tunnel testing with the later float plane model. It always seemed to me like a natural extension of the C-130 design, especially the flying boat design. Trust me, anything you can possibly imagine bolting on a Herc has already been thought up...and thoroughly analyzed.

    Edit: actual sentences

  2. Never heard of a customer "owning the rights" to a particular aircraft configuration. Is this another LockMart way to extort more $$$ from protect their customers?

    It all depends on who paid to develop the configuration and the associated source data...and how the data rights were negotiated between LM and the customer. If LM developed the aircraft independently using it's own funds (like the C-130J) then they can claim full ownership of the source data and control how it is shared/used by other parties.

  3. The SBA veterans small business loans are quite the deal if you don't want to work for the man.

    For those in (or returning to) the Chicago area, the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) offers a short entrepreneurship program specifically for veterans called Veterans2Ventures. They just started it last year and are preparing for another class in the fall. It's a great way to help identify (or further develop) business ideas and gives you the tools to make it happen. I was a presenter in one of the courses and still keep in touch with a group of graduates. The best part is it's free for veterans. Think of it as a mini-MBA with all the practical tools necessary start your own business and be successful.

    http://business.uic.edu/home-uic-business/faculty-departments-research/institute-for-entrepreneurial-studies/veterans2ventures

  4. Some good news to report: We have entered into a formal partnership with Lockheed Martin to develop C-130J preTOLD. Development is underway and we'll have an iPad prototype by the end of the month. Stay tuned...

    Check out our updated website for all the details, screenshots, and downloads.

    Later this month, I will be exhibiting at the Hercules Operators Council (HOC) in Atlanta, and the C-130 Technical Coordination Group (TCG) International Technical Program Review in Orlando. Stop by the Elite Electronic Engineering booth for a hands-on demonstration of the C-130H and C-130J apps.

    I'm happy to answer any general questions here, or PM me for more detailed info.

  5. The C-130J preTOLD app has remained a prototype since October (same as the screenshots on our website). Without getting into too many details, I met with LM last year and they seemed receptive to partnering, but things have fizzled. It takes a lot to get them moving on anything (shock!). The major stumbling block (as noted on this forum) is getting the proper permissions to use the LM-owned C-130J performance data (-1-1). No one seems willing to share/license it and I haven't found the right people at AMC, SPO, etc., to talk to about it. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

    In the meantime, I started seeing more demand for C-130H. We have a complete PC app for C-130H (all USAF variants), which you can see here. The iPad functionality is being finalized, which implements the same database and model from the PC app. Once it is ready for prime-time (end of April), I'm planning an online demo of the PC and iPad apps. Please sign up here to receive an invitation (please provide name and email and select "webinars and online demonstrations" in the last question).

  6. Well, gearpig, your dream has come true and I've completed the first edition of C-130H preTOLD for PC and iPad. So far, the PC version is up and running for most C-130H variants and I have some screenshots on our website. The iPad version, which completes and displays a TOLD Card, will be finished over the weekend. I'll also be attending the AATTC Symposium in St. Joseph, MO, next week to display and demo the apps.

    Please check it out and send in your first impressions, questions, comments, suggestions, and/or complaints about our eTOLD solution. If you want more specific info, please send in a request or PM me. My direct email address is also available on the website. Thanks again and I look forward to hearing feedback from everyone!

  7. I've been hard at work on a C-130H version of preTOLD and making some updates to our website, including a downloadable brochure with screenshots and other information. The initial C-130H version is based on USAF data and procedures (TO 1C-130H-1-1) and will include the familiar TOLD Card format as an output/export option. Plan to have the demo app ready in January/February 2014.

    To help with the remaining development effort, I have created a short survey (4 easy questions) that I hope some of you will take the time to complete. I'm interested in finding out the no-kidding, most important requirements for eTOLD from the crew perspective, so please provide any comments or suggestions on features, functionality, displays, etc. Thanks in advance for your time and feedback!

  8. Hell, even within the same community we (McGuire vs. Travis) don't have the same strategy for adopting EFBs.

    Supposedly an eTOLD app is in the works for the KC-10. However, they just recently released (or are about to release) the latest and greatest eTOLD for the mission laptops. The handout I saw in Dhafra addressing it had nearly three pages of exceptions that invalidated the eTOLD, requiring the FE to do manual TOLD... what's the point of an eTOLD calculator that has a larger number of invalid data scenarios than valid data scenarios?

    You're exactly right...eTOLD is pretty much useless if you have to verify all the results by hand or mitigate software errors. That approach doesn't reduce workload or increase the accuracy of the results, it actually creates more confusion and distances the pilot and/or FE from the actual planning process.

    I think a lack of TOLD technical expertise in the organizations/companies that develop eTOLD is to blame for a lot of the discrepancies. They are software engineers working to a set of requirements without a real understanding of how it is supposed to work or how it will be used. That's the differentiator I'm bringing to the table along with being cheaper, faster, and more responsive.

  9. After attending the C-130 Hercules Operators Council (HOC) last week and conducting some more market research, I'm planning to start work on a version of preTOLD for the C-130H. The big problem I see is that there are so many variants with different pubs (C-130H, MC-130H, C-130T, KC-130T, KC-130T-30, etc.)

    Anyone know where a civilian can request a copy of the USAF H tech pubs (T.O. 1C-130H-1-1)?

    Have any pilots or flight engineers used any other eTOLD system for the H?

×
×
  • Create New...