Help! Need rocket launcher STC or similar

[ConwayB]

Hi there,

I am the proud new owner of an O-2 and have imported it into Australia. It is currently undergoing its certificate of airworthiness and unfortunately I have run into a snag.

I have two replica LAU 68 rocket pods, made out of fiberglass with aluminum warheads. They were sold to me by Don Nieser to complete the whole fitout and to be placed on the weapons pylons.

Don flew the machine with the pods and has supplied pods to other O-2 owners.

The problem is that the regulator here wants to get info on the pods and their airworthiness before he'll sign them off. Don's looking for the appropriate info and I have the O-2 flight manual with the USAF flight limitations figures and have a weapons manual on the way.

Can anyone out there help me with extra information - especially any STC or engineering approval information - that I can give to the regulator so that I can get permission to fly these fiberglass replicas?
Thanks in advance..Conway B www.ipas.com.au. Email: conway@ipas.com.au

[hharney]

I am not 100% on this but with almost all O2's in the US deemed EXPERIMENTAL there would not have to be an STC for hanging stuff from the wings? There are some wanna be O2's but I would have to venture to guess that they don't have rocket launchers.

Aviation Enterprises has fuel cells on the MONSTER attached to the hard points but not sure if that STC is in place for any Skymaster or just that one.

I would think that the US Air Force would has some kind of paperwork for the various items they attached to the hard points but that might be a difficult task to obtain the information.

Larry, what about the guy that was trying to repair the O2 out west that had the wing mishap? Do you still have his contact info?

[WebMaster]

Do you mean Tony, the US Navy P-3 airframe tech? He was in El Salvador, and he was trying to help the El Salvador Air Force fix one of their 0-2's. They didn't have the books that they need, by Skymaster 02 does have them. I'll shoot him a note.

[ConwayB]

G'day mate,

Thanks for that. Unfortunately, my bird will be in Normal Category (the same as Standard Category in the US).

The last thing I want is for the machine to be placed in Experimental, LImited or Restricted category because it has to work for its living, as well as being a flying memorial to Vietnam Veterans from Australia and the US in general, and the FACs from Australia who flew with the USAF in particular.

The machine has a glass cockpit and coupled autopilot installed and will carry a cargo pod on non-airshow flights. So it will be used for IFR charter as well as VFR airwork operations. I am re-naming it as the M337/O-2A M-RAP: the multi-role aerial platform.

I'd like to be able to fly with fare-paying passengers and carry the rocket pods... but that is turning out to be a high hurdle to jump.

Wish me luck.

Conway

[hharney]

I knew you were going for normal category Conway but I was only mentioning that it may be difficult to find an STC or Approval because most of the O2's in US are Experimental.

Good Luck, see ya in October