Lockheed C-130 Hercules
 Lockheed C-130 Hercules. Photo: United States Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Lockheed |
|---|---|
| Model | Lockheed C-130 Hercules |
| Type | Tactical airlifter |
| Country |  United States
|
| First flight | 1954-08-23 |
| Built | 1954–present |
| Status | In service |
| Number built | 2,700+ (as of June 2024) |
| Registered in the US | 50 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | 5 (2 pilots, CSO/navigator, flight engineer and loadmaster), 42000 lb payload |
| Engine | 4 × Allison T56-A-15, 4590 shp |
| Cruise speed | 292 kn (C-130H) |
| Range | 2,050 nmi (C-130H) |
| Service ceiling | 33,000 ft (C-130H) |
| Max weight | 155,000 lb (C-130H)
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The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Able to take off and land on unprepared runways, it was designed to carry troops, cargo and the wounded, and its airframe has also become a gunship (AC-130), a search-and-rescue, weather-reconnaissance, refueling, maritime-patrol and firefighting airplane. More than 40 versions, including the civilian Lockheed L-100, fly in more than 60 nations.[1] In the U.S. there are 50 civil-registered Hercules and L-100s.[2]
History
The Korean War showed that World War II piston transports such as the C-119, C-47 and C-46 were no longer good enough. On February 2, 1951, the U.S. Air Force asked nine companies for a new transport able to carry 92 passengers, 72 combat troops or 64 paratroopers.[1] Lockheed won, and the C-130 entered U.S. service in 1956.[1]
In 2007 it became the fifth aircraft to mark 50 years of continuous service with its original customer, the U.S. Air Force, and in 2024 it reached 70 years in production, the longest continuously produced military aircraft.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 50 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| C-130H | 15 |
| C-130A | 9 |
| 382G-44K-30 | 8 |
| 382G | 5 |
| 382J | 5 |
| EC130Q | 3 |
| 382 44C (C130K) | 1 |
| 382-44C-05 (C-130-K) | 1 |
| L-382G-44K-30 | 1 |
| L-382G | 1 |
| HC130H | 1 |
Specifications (C-130H)
| Item | C-130H |
|---|---|
| Crew | 5 (2 pilots, CSO/navigator, flight engineer and loadmaster) |
| Passengers / capacity | 42000 lb payload; C-130E/H/J cargo hold: length, 40 ft; width, 9 ft; height, 9 ft. Rear ramp: length, 123 in; width, 119 in; C-130J-30 cargo hold: length, 55 ft; width, 9 ft; height, 9 ft. Rear ramp: length, 123 in; width, 119 in; 92 passengers or; 64 airborne troops or; 74 litter patients with 5 medical crew or; 6 pallets or; 2–3 Humvees or; 2 M113 armored personnel carriers; 1 CAESAR self-propelled howitzer |
| Length | 97 ft 9 in |
| Wingspan | 132 ft 7 in |
| Height | 38 ft 3 in |
| Wing area | 1745 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 75,800 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 155,000 lb |
| Engine | 4 × Allison T56-A-15, 4590 shp (turboprop engines) |
| Propeller | Hamilton Standard 54H60 constant-speed fully feathering reversible propellers |
| Maximum speed | 320 kn |
| Cruise speed | 292 kn |
| Range | 2,050 nmi |
| Service ceiling | 33,000 ft |
| Rate of climb | 1,830 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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Lockheed C-130 Hercules. Photo: Master Sergeant Munnaf Joarder, Public domain -
C-130 Angel Flares, this came from my father it's one of his pictures. Photo: see the file page on Commons, Public domain -
Lockheed C-130 Hercules. Photo: see the file page on Commons, Public domain -
Lockheed C-130 Hercules. Photo: Hannes Grobe, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, , CC BY-SA 2.5 -
Lockheed C-130 Hercules. Photo: USAF / Tech. Sgt. Brian E. Christiansen, Public domain -
Lockheed C-130 Hercules. Photo: SSGT ALEX KOENIG, USAF, Public domain -
Lockheed C-130 Hercules. Photo: Technical Sergeant Adrian Cadiz, Public domain -
Lockheed C-130 Hercules. Photo: The photograph belonged to the sourced material Uploaded by Canpark at, Public domain
All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Lockheed C-130 Hercules
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Wikipedia, "Lockheed C-130 Hercules", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.