C-5 and P-3 Throttle Quadrant Layout
 

Why do the C-5, P-3 and C-141 have a dual throttle quadrant layout? What was special about the C-130 that it did not have that same configuration?

I looked a photo of the C-141 cockpit and looked like the throttle lever positions were not symmetric...so not mechanically linked. Did this ever cause and issue? Were they designed so that only one set of throttles was engaged at any given time?

Presumably the dual-throttles were needed so both pilots could reach them. I suppose the C-130 pilots were nearer to each other?

Convairs have dual throttles too. Just too far to reach.

C-141/C-5: the throttles were linked. The center consoles are too wide to comfortably accomodate one set.

I can't speak for the other airplanes.

Another set of throttles
 

Some of the large recip aircraft had a separate set of throttles and mixture controls at the flight engineer's station. Here's the B-29 panel:

Flight Engineer's Position

That way the FE could keep things synched up and mixtures adjusted. Kind of like a FADEC...

Flew in C-141s. Distance between pilot & co-pilot required 2 sets of throttles.

Cool, thanks for the info folks...learn something new every day!

FATEC - Full Authority Teenaged Engine Controller.