Job of the Week

So I'm looking through the Iraq job listings and I come across one for a LOX technician for a C-130 aircraft, which doesn't make any sense to me. Why would you be using LOX (Liquid Oxygen) on a propeller driven airplane? The only place I have ever heard of LOX being used is in rocketships and in the lab.

Senior Airman Sherman Roberts loads liquid oxygen into a C-130 Hercules at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, on July 25, 2006.

It seems that the Hercules C-130 uses LOX to supply breathing oxygen for the crew during high altitude flights. The aircraft can be pressurized, but for air drops of personnel (paratroops) or equipment, you need to open the door, which means no pressurization. The pressurization load on the rear cargo door must be tremendous.

From Section1.doc:

OXYGEN SYSTEM

The liquid oxygen (LOX) system provides a 25-liter oxygen supply for aircrew/personnel usage for a minimum of 96 man-hours. The system converts LOX to gaseous oxygen, and delivers that gas to the regulators at 300 psi. The regulators in turn dilute the oxygen as required according to cabin altitude in NORMAL, or 100% oxygen if selected.

LOX CONVERTER

The LOX converter is located inside the nose wheel well on the right side; it is the device that converts LOX to gaseous oxygen. A LOX filler valve located on right side of fuselage nose, providing means to service the system. There is also a LOX vent located to the right and above the nose wheel well that relieves the pressure accumulated in the converter. This vent is not labeled on many aircraft and since the LOX could be vented at any time, never enter the nose wheel well from the right side.

I like that warning in the last sentence: LOX can be vented at any time. Yeah, I don't think you want to be there when that happens. You're liable to get a case of frostbite you'll never forget.

This airplane was developed in the early 50's, and maybe LOX made some kind of sense back then. A replacement system has been developed, but it may be a while before it replaces this cold war relic.

While I'm poking around digging up all this wonderful info, I come across this, and it makes it all worthwhile:



Update December 2016 replaced missing picture.