The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop cargo aircraft and the main tactical airlifter for military forces worldwide. Over 40 models and variants of the Hercules serve with more than 50 nations. By December 2006, the C-130 will become the third aircraft (after the B-52 Stratofortress in January, 2005 and the English Electric Canberra in May, 2001) to mark 50 years of continuous use with its original primary customer (in this case, the United States Air Force).

Capable of short takeoffs and landings from unprepared runways, the C-130 was designed as a troop transport and cargo aircraft. The versatile airframe has found uses in a variety of other roles, including airborne assault, as a gunship, search and rescue, weather reconnaissance, aerial refuelling, aerial firefighting and MEDEVAC. The Hercules family has the longest continuous production run of any military aircraft in history. During more than 50 years of service, the family has participated in military, civilian and humanitarian aid operations.

Development

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The Korean War, which began in June, 1950, showed that World War II-era transports — C-119 Flying Boxcars, C-47 Skytrains and C-46 Commandos — were inadequate for modern warfare. Thus, on February 2, 1951, the United States Air Force issued a General Operating Requirement (GOR) for a new transport to Boeing, Douglas, Fairchild, and Lockheed. The new transport would have a capacity for 92 passengers or 64 paratroopers, a range of 1,100 nautical miles, takeoff capability from short and unprepared strips, and the ability to fly with one engine stopped.

The Lockheed design team was led by Willis Hawkins starting with a 130 page proposal for the Lockheed 82.Rhodes, Jeff, “Willis Hawkins and the Genesis of the Hercules” , Code One Magazine, Hall Hibbard, Lockheed vice president and chief engineer, saw the proposal and directed it to Kelly Johnson, who remarked when he saw the proposal, "If you sign that letter, you will destroy the Lockheed Company." Both Hibbard and Johnson signed the proposal and the company got the contract on July 2, 1951.Boyne, Walter J., Beyond the Horizons: The Lockheed Story. St. Martin's Press: New York, 1998.

First flight

The first flight of the YC-130 prototype was made on August 23, 1954 from the Lockheed plant in Burbank, California. The aircraft, serial number 53-3397, was the second prototype but the first of the two to fly. The YC-130 was piloted by Stanley Beltz and Roy Wimmer on its 61-minute flight to Edwards Air Force Base; Jack Real and Dick Stanton served as flight engineers. Kelly Johnson flew chase in a P2V Neptune.Dabney, Joseph E., “A Mating of the Jeep, the Truck, and the Airplane,” excerpted from HERK: Hero of the Skies in Lockheed Martin Service News, vol. 29, no. 2.

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Production

After the two prototypes were completed, production moved to Marietta, Georgia, where more than 2,000 C-130s have been built.“The Immortal Hercules” article from the Air Force Magazine

The initial production model, the C-130A, was powered by Allison T56 turboprops with 3-blade propellers. Deliveries began in December of 1956, continuing until the introduction of the C-130B model in 1959. Some A models were redesignated C-130D after being equipped with skis and for jet-assisted takeoff. The newer C-130B had ailerons with more boost — 3,000 versus 2,050 lbf/in² (21 versus 14 MPa) — as well as uprated engines and four-bladed propellers that were standard until the late 1990s. The performance gains over the C-130A gave the C-130B the reputation of being the design's 'sports car' model.

The extended range C-130E model entered service in 1962. The increased range was achieved by underwing 5,150 litre (1,360 US gallon) fuel tanks and more powerful Allison T-56-A-7A turboprops. The E model also featured structural improvements, avionics upgrades and a higher gross weight.

The KC-130 tankers, originally C-130Fs procured for the US Marine Corps (USMC) in 1958 (under the designation GV-1), are equipped with a removable 13,626 litre (3600 US gallon) stainless steel fuel tank carried inside the cargo compartment. The two wing-mounted hose and drogue aerial refueling pods each transfer up to 19 litres per second (equivalent to 300 US gallons per minute) to two aircraft simultaneously, allowing for rapid cycle times of multiple-receiver aircraft formations, (a typical tanker formation of four aircraft in less than 30 minutes). The US Navy's C-130G has increased structural strength allowing higher gross weight operation.

The C-130H model has updated Allison T56-A-15 turboprops, a redesigned outer wing, updated avionics and other minor improvements. The H model remains in widespread use with the US Air Force (USAF) and many foreign air forces. Initial deliveries began in 1964, remaining in production until 1996. An improved C-130H was introduced in 1974. The equivalent model for export to the UK is the C-130K, known by the Royal Air Force (RAF) as the Hercules C.1. The C-130H-30 (Hercules C.3 in RAF service) is a stretched version of the original Hercules, achieved by inserting a 2.54 m plug aft of the cockpit and a 2.03 m plug at the rear of the fuselage.

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The HC-130N & P are long range search and rescue variants used by the USAF Air Rescue Service. Equipped for deep deployment of pararescue men (PJ's), survival equipment, and aerial refueling of combat rescue helicopters (see KC-130H), they are usually the on-scene command aircraft for combat SAR missions. Early versions were equipped with the Fulton surface-to-air recovery system, designed to pull a person off the ground using a wire strung from a helium balloon. The John Wayne movie The Green Berets features its use. The Fulton system was later removed when aerial refueling of helicopters proved safer and more versatile. The movie The Perfect Storm depicts a real life SAR mission involving areial refueling by an HC-130.

The C-130R and C-130T are US Navy and USMC models, both equipped with underwing external fuel tanks. The C-130T is similar, but has numerous avionics improvements over the R model and is fully night-vision system compatible. In both models, USMC aircraft are equipped with Allison T-56-A-16 engines. The USMC versions are designated KC-130R or KC-130T when equipped with underwing refueling pods and pylons.

Civilian use

The Lockheed L-100 is a civilian variant, equivalent to a C-130E model without pylon tanks or military equipment. The L-100 also has 2 stretched versions: the L-100-20 has an 8.3 ft (2.5 m) fuselage stretch and the L-100-30 is stretched by 15 ft (4.6 m). The L-100 has not seen widespread use in the civilian market.

Next generation

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In the 1970s Lockheed constructed one C-130 with turbofan engines rather than turboprops, but the US Air Force preferred the takeoff performance of the existing aircraft. In the 1980s the C-130 was intended to be replaced by the Advanced Medium STOL Transport project. However, the project was cancelled and the C-130 has remained in production.

The C-130J is the newest version of the Hercules and the only model still produced. Externally similar to the classic Hercules, the J model is in fact a radically different aircraft. These differences include new Rolls-Royce Allison AE2100 turboprops with six-bladed composite scimitar propellers, digital avionics (including head-up displays for each pilot), reduced crew requirements (2 pilots—no navigator or flight engineer), increased reliability and up to 27% lower operating costs. The C-130J is also available in a standard-length or stretched C-130J-30 version. Lockheed received the launch order for J model from the RAF, who ordered 25 aircraft, with first deliveries beginning in 1999. The RAF calls the C-130J the Hercules Mk 5 and the stretched C-130J-30 the Hercules Mk 4.

The largest operator of the new model will be the USAF, who are ordering the aircraft in increasing numbers, although as of 2005 the US Congress announced that C-130J acquisition would be dramatically cut back. Current operators of the C-130J are the USAF, United States Marine Corps (KC-130J tanker), US Air National Guard, US Coast Guard, Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Danish Air Force and the Italian Air Force.

Lockheed has leased four C-130J's to the German Luftwaffe, which has been awaiting a Transall replacement set for 2010 (i.e. the Airbus A400M).

Indian Air Force is planning to buy 12-13 C-130J for its special operations. A tender was issued July 5, 2006 to replace the Canadian Forces CC-130E and H models with 17 new airlifters Airlift Capability Project - Tactical MERX website - Government of Canada. The C-130J and A400M are expected to be competing for the Canadian order.

Operational use

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While the C-130 is involved in cargo and resupply operations daily, it has been a part of some notable operations such as the 1976 Entebbe raid in which Israeli commando forces carried a surprise assault to rescue 103 passengers of an airliner Hijacked by Palestinian and German terrorists at Entebbe Airport, Uganda. The rescue force — 200 soldiers, jeeps, and a black Mercedes-Benz (intended to resemble Ugandan Dictator Idi Amin's vehicle of state) — was flown 4,000 km from Israel to Entebbe by five Israeli Air Force (IAF) Hercules aircraft without mid-air refueling (on the way back, the planes refueled in Nairobi, Kenya). In the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War, the Pakistan Air Force modified/improvised several aircraft for use as heavy bombers, and attacks were made on enemy bridges and troop concentrations with some notable successes. No aircraft were lost in the opertions, though one was slightly damaged.http://www.pakdef.info/pakmilitary/airforce/index.html . Pakistan Airforce has also used the C-130 at the highest operational airbase in the world, PAF Skardu, in support of operations in Siachen http://www.spectrumwd.com/c130/new-pics/aug.htm .

The Hercules also holds the record for the largest and heaviest aircraft to land on an aircraft carrier. In November 1963, a C-130 landed without using the ship's arresting gear on the USS Forrestal (CVA-59). The pilot, Lt. James Flatley III, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his participation. The tests were highly successful, but the idea was considered too risky for routine "Carrier On-board Delivery" (COD) operations. Instead, the C-2 Greyhound was developed as a dedicated COD aircraft. The Hercules used in the test, most recently in service with VMGR-352 until 2005, is now part of the collection at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola, Florida.

The MC-130 variant carries and deploys what are currently the world's largest conventional bombs, the BLU-82 "daisy cutter" and GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb. Daisy cutters were used during the Vietnam War to clear landing zones for helicopters and to eliminate minefields and have recently even been proposed for anti-personnel use. The weight and size of the weapons make existing bomber aircraft impossible or impractical for operational use.

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A prominent C-130T aircraft is Fat Albert, the support aircraft for the US Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration team. Although Fat Albert supports a Navy squadron, its crew consists solely of USMC personnel. At some air shows featuring the flight team, Fat Albert takes part, performing flyovers and sometimes demonstrating its jet-assisted take off (JATO) capabilities.

The C-130 is generally a highly reliable aircraft. The Royal Air Force recorded an accident rate of about one aircraft loss per 250,000 flying hours over the last forty years, making it one of the safest aircraft they operate (alongside Vickers VC10s and Lockheed Tristars with no flying loses).Aircraft Air Accidents and Damage Rates - Defence Analytical Services Agency .
However, more than 10% of production has been lost, mainly by the USAFhttp://aviation-safety.net/database/type/type.php?type=335-C.

Notable crashes

* September 2, 1958, C-130A-II, 56-0528, c.n. 3136, of the 7406th CCS was shot down by Soviet fighters when it flew into Russian airspace over Yerevan, Armenia while on a sigint mission, with all 17 crew killed. A look-alike C-130A is displayed in Vigilance Park at the National Security Agency headquarters at Fort George Meade, Maryland. This was the first operational C-130 hull loss.
* During an engine run-up test at Forbes Field, Kansas on January 11, 1965, C-130B 58-0719, c.n. 3514, of the 313th Troop Carrier Wing, jumped the wheel chocks and pivoted into C-130B 58-0730, c.n. 3525, of the same squadron. Both airframes were destroyed in the ensuing fire.
* On May 23, 1969, a drunken U.S. Air Force crew chief started up a C-130E, 63-7789, c.n. 3856, of the 36th Tactical Airlift Squadron at RAF Lakenheath and took off in it. He crashed into the English Channel off Alderney shortly thereafter. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19690523-2
* On October 29, 1980, an extensively modified YMC-130H, 74-1683, c.n. 4658, crashed at Duke Field, Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field 3, Florida, during a demonstration for a planned Iranian hostage rescue attempt named Operation Credible Sport. Arresting rockets failed to fire, resulting in an extremely heavy landing that tore off the starboard wing and set the aircraft on fire. Despite this, the entire crew survived. The wrecked hull was buried at Duke Field.
* Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, President of Pakistan from 1978, was killed August 17 1988 when the C-130B he was on (PAF 23494, ex-USAF 62-3494, c.n. 3708) crashed shortly after take off from Bahawalpur. All on board were killed, including the US ambassador to Pakistan and a US general.
* On October 30, 1991 an AIRCOM CC-130 Hercules transport aircraft, CAF 130322, c.n. 4192, flying to Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert from Edmonton, Alberta via Thule, Greenland, was on final approach to the airstrip. The pilot apparently was flying by sight rather than relying on instruments. The aircraft crashed on Ellesmere Island approximately 18 miles short of the runway, killing 5 of the 18 passengers and crew. Subsequent rescue efforts by personnel from CFS Alert, USAF personnel from Thule, and CF personnel from CFB Trenton, Ontario, were hampered by a blizzard and local terrain. The crash investigation recommended all CC-130s be retrofitted with ground proximity detectors and beefed-up Artic Survival Equipment. The crash and rescue efforts were the basis of a film called "Ordeal in the Arctic."
* On February 6 1992, a C-130B, 58-0732, c.n. 3527, of the 165th Tactical Airlift Squadron, Kentucky Air National Guard, with five crew aboard (3 pilots, 1 flight engineer and 1 loadmaster), stalled on take-off and crashed one mile south of Evansville Regional Airport, Evansville, Indiana, United States, on U.S. Highway 41. Sixteen people were killed in the crash and fifteen others were injured.
* On July 15 1996, a C-130H, CH-06, c.n. 4473, of the Belgian Air Force, crashed at Eindhoven AB in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The aircraft was carrying 37 members of the Dutch Army Fanfare Band, 2 pilots, 1 engineer and 1 loadmaster (41 total). The aircraft had departed from Villafranca in Italy. It is believed that the co-pilot initiated a go-around after noticing a flock of birds on the runway. Some were ingested resulting in loss of power on three engines. The aircraft hit the runway and caught fire. Thirty two people died in the crash and resulting fire. Nine heavily burned survivors were rescued, 2 of whom later died in the hospital.
* On June 17, 2002, while fighting a fire in northern California, a wing of a civilian-operated C-130A Hercules, N130HP, formerly USAF 56-0538, c.n. 3146, came off as the spar failed during a pull-out from a drop near Walker, California. It rolled inverted and crashed into the forest, killing all crew.
* On January 30 2005, an RAF C-130K Hercules C.1, XV179. c.n. 4195, with 10 crew on board was hit by insurgent fire while taking off from Baghdad airport for Balad. A fire triggered by the hit induced an explosion in the right hand wing fuel tank.Ripley, Tim, “The Doomed Hercules”, investigation into loss of RAF XV179, Air Forces Monthly, Key Publications, Stamford, Lincs., March 2006, pp. 28-30.
* On December 6 2005, an Iranian Air Force C-130E military transport aircraft, IIAF 5-8519, c.n. 4399, crashed into a ten-floor apartment building, home to a number of air force personnel, in a residential area of Tehran, the capital city of Iran. The aircraft was carrying 84 passengers (68 of whom were journalists due to watch military exercises off the country's south coast) and 10 crew members. In all, 116 people died.

Variants

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Significant variants of the C-130 include:
* AC-130 gunship
* DC-130 and GC-130 drone control
* EC-130 Commando Solo command and control, and electronic warfare
* EC-130H Compass Call, electronic warfare and electronic spoofing
* EC-130E Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center (ABCCC)
* HC-130P/N special operations refueling, long-range surveillance, search and rescue
* JC-130 and NC-130 space and missile operations
* KC-130 tactical refueling tanker
* LC-130 Arctic & Antarctic support
* MC-130E/H Combat Talon I/II (special operations)
* MC-130P Combat Shadow (special operations)
* MC-130W http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123022607
* YMC-130H three modified for planned Iran hostage crisis rescue attempt under project Credible Sport
* PC-130 maritime patrol
* RC-130 reconnaissance
* SC-130 search and rescue
* VC-130 VIP transport
* WC-130 weather reconnaissance
* CC-130 Hercules designation for Canadian Forces Hercules aircraft

Units using the Hercules

:Main article: List of units using the C-130 Hercules

Operators of the C-130 include Abu Dhabi, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Dubai, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Gabon, Greece, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Liberia, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, North Yemen, Zaire, Zambia.

Specifications (C-130H)

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References

External links

* C-130
* Fatal Coast Guard Crashes
* Navy.mil - Standard Aircraft Characteristics: C-130G
* Information regarding C-130
* The US Navy Factfile Entry
* Aircraft.co.za - The Complete Aviation Reference
* C-130J Specification Book

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