Lockheed C-130 Hercules

The arrival of the Lockheed-produced C-130 Hercules series of transport lay down the foundation of transport design for decades since its inception. The series ushered in standards such as the high-mounted monoplane wing design, and integral rear-mounted folding ramp and an extra-large holding area in the fuselage. The system was built with speedy loading/unloading in mind and thusly was designed with low ramp access in mind - with the ramp at rear being about level to a typical truck bed. The system maintains STOL capabilities which make it ideal in the forward operating environment where transportation of supplies, personnel and vehicles is essential.

The C-130 series began as a 1951 requirement for a military transport with Short Take-Off and Landing capabilities. The series was born as the YC-130 and performed well in the latter part of 1954 with its Allison three-bladed turboprop engines. With successes encountered throughout the war in Vietnam and furthermore in peacetime, the C-130 Hercules spawned a plethora of variants that would include special forces insertion, arctic patrol, meteorological research, communications, close-support and modernized variants of the base transport.

The C-130 Hercules makes use of four powerful turboprop engines from a series of Allison-branded powerplants. The Engines are mounted on the high-monoplane design that features straightened wings. A large single rudder is mounted aft. The cockpit area is mounted high atop the highly identifiable nose cone. Entry to the fuselage is accomplished through a large door at rear bottom, just under the tail section assembly.

The most intriguing use of the Hercules airframe lies in the AC-130 Spectre gunship, mounting an array of cannon, howitzer and miniguns in support of ground troops. The concentrated firepower has made it a favorite among troops, airmen and military planners to have at disposal when needed in support of infantry and otherwise.

The C-130 as a whole, in one form or another, is fielded by a myriad of countries all subscribing to the effectiveness of the design. Modernization programs and advances in its turboprop design have kept the C-130 at the forefront of most armed forces, providing a capable and proven system for any mobile force.

The L-100 is a civil variant of the military C-130 Hercules with the L-100J being one of the latest in the long line of Hercules entries. The system is quite capable of mounting over 40,000lbs of payload with a range of over 2,000 miles.

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Last Revision: 9/14/2009