A Hercules "Black Cat"?

[Donivanp]

A rendering of an amphibious modification to an MC-130J Commando II. US Air Force Special Operations Command?

According to the article synopsis, the Air Force Special Operations Command is thinking about how to deploy such assets as Combat Talon in far flung reaches such as an amphibus C-130J.

 

[michaelmaltby]

... fantastic asset in today's climate.
Ideas have a habit of being re-born

World War II Cargo Seaplane - An C47 Cargo Plane on Floats

In the 1940s, the EDO corporation was awarded a contract to provide amphibious floats for the C47 cargo plane. The C47 on floats was successfully flown.

www.flytheshark.com

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

The Air Force is moving forward with an amphibious, pontoon-equipped version of the MC-130J Commando II used by its special operators -- and hopes to be able to fly a prototype of the aircraft in less than a year and a half.

A U.S. Special Operations Command official said at a conference in May that the military was considering developing an amphibious MC-130, but that concerns about feasibility meant that the Air Force would take a hard look at the idea before proceeding.

But in a Tuesday press release, Air Force Special Operations Command outlined plans to go ahead with the MC-130J Commando II Amphibious Capability, or MAC, program.

AFSOC said that adding removable pontoons to the Commando will be important as the military's focus shifts to areas near seashores or lakes -- and free its aircraft from having to land on physical runways.

The military in recent years has, for example, become concerned about China's increasing activity in the South China Sea, and its creation of man-made islands there on which it has built military installations.

Air Force Wants to Move Fast on Boat Plane for Special Operators

The Air Force is moving forward with an amphibious, pontoon-equipped version of the MC-130J Commando II.

www.military.com

 

[special ed]

Or the YC-134 from the 50s.

 

[swampyankee]

Why am I thinking Shin Meiwa US-1?

 

[GreenKnight121]

... fantastic asset in today's climate.
Ideas have a habit of being re-born

World War II Cargo Seaplane - An C47 Cargo Plane on Floats

In the 1940s, the EDO corporation was awarded a contract to provide amphibious floats for the C47 cargo plane. The C47 on floats was successfully flown.

www.flytheshark.com

 

[GreenKnight121]

bager1968:The idea has been around for a long time.

Here is the 1964-73 design effort, with a "false" outer boat-hull fitted over the pressurized fuselage, with skis etc:
C130-Seaplane-3.jpg Lockheed C-130 Hercules HOW flying model - Aviation Magazine International - No. 492 - 1 & 15 Juin 1968.......jpg C-130_amphibian_1.JPG
C-130_amphibian_2.JPG
C130-Seaplane-2.jpg
Then there was the late-1990s version, which sounds a LOT like the current zombie-idea:

C-130 floatplane

NEWS RELEASE
NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, MARYLAND 20670-5400
PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
TELEPHONE: (301) 342-7512 DSN 342-7512 FAX (301) 342-7509
RELEASE #97-131 Aug. 18, 1997​

Aircraft Division Officials Unveil Latest Version of C-130
NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, MD - - - Officials at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division recently announced the latest variant of the ubiquitous C-130 Hercules, the C-130 Floatplane. The C-130 Floatplane is proposed as a low-cost modification to existing aircraft which would add considerable flexibility to logistic, special forces, and other missions.
It would have field installable amphibian floats replacing the landing gear on C-130E/H/J models allowing open ocean, beaching, and hard surface operation without the need for a dedicated seaplane.
For the last two years, the warfare centerís aircraft division has contracted to Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems to perform a feasibility study and a technology risk reduction effort. These were done to identify and quantify the risk areas: hydrodynamic drag and impact loads, spray patterns, and aerodynamic stability.
To mitigate this risk, a subscale model with a radical split float design was built and tested. The split float eliminates inboard spray, deflects outboard spray clear of the props and wings, reduces water impact loads, retains full cargo ramp operation, and has excellent sea-keeping qualities. Tow tank tests showed that water impact loads were lower than expected allowing sea state three operation. Drag was acceptable and spray patterns were excellent. Computational Fluid Dynamic Analysis indicated that aerodynamic stability degradation is within acceptable limits. Payloads up to 27,000 pounds and ranges more than 2,200 nautical miles with 10,000 pounds of cargo are possible. The C-130 Floatplane opens vast new missions that were formerly not feasible.

---USN---​

C-130 floats 1.jpg
C-130 floats 2.jpg
1996 - 2626.PDF

Quoting myself from another forum.

The pics mentioned above are as follows:

1990s:

 

[SaparotRob]

Great stuff, GK! I knew I had seen something like that years ago.

 

[Capt. Vick]

U.S. Air Force Trains With Japan's US-2 Flying Boat As It Looks Forward To Its Own Amphibious Plane

 

[Wildcat]

I don't care what anyone says, the US-2 is a sweet looking machine

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

I don't care what anyone says, the US-2 is a sweet looking machine

"It'll slice! It'll dice! It'll sharpen your knives!"

 

[nuuumannn]

A rendering of an amphibious modification to an MC-130J Commando II. US Air Force Special Operations Command?

Based on the thread title, thought for a moment we were gonna be discussing PBYs powered by Bristol Hercules' for clandestine night ops...