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Just was watching this video:

C-130J Shadow Formation Landing

You can see this stick-like thing on the glass of the aircraft.

enter image description here

What's it? a sensor?

Roh
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    It can be for window heating, but I am just guessing – Afe Apr 21 '21 at 14:37
  • Just watched the video. That's a bizarre camera angle - I thought he was crabbed against a massive crosswind, but it's actually the angle of the camera that makes it look that way. Either that, or there's a lot of curvature of glass on the nose of a Herc so that it just appears that we're looking out the side. – FreeMan Apr 21 '21 at 17:09
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    @FreeMan, the camera is obviously looking through the side window (it is behind captain's left shoulder), a little to the left, and is tilted to the right so the horizon does not appear level. Looks like just shoddy camera placement. – Jan Hudec Apr 21 '21 at 17:21

1 Answers1

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It's part of the windshield anti-icing system, and is the same as on the Navy's C-130T. From the NATOPS flight manual for the T model, page 2-150:

The three windshields, the two windows on each side of the windshields, and the two lower windows in front of the pilot are NESA-type. These panels are heated by applying unregulated ac power from the left-hand ac bus to a resistance material between the layers of glass. The ac power is applied by automatic dc control systems that cycle to maintain window temperature within specific limits. A center windshield system controls heating of the three center windshields, and a side and lower system controls heating of the side and lower windows. The two systems are identical except for the amount of total ac power provided.

Ron Beyer
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Juan Jimenez
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