To date, the Air Force has taken delivery of 121 C-130J aircraft from Lockheed-Martin Aeronautics Company.Īctive-duty locations for the C-130 and its variations are Dyess Air Force Base, Texas Little Rock AFB, Arkansas Ramstein Air Base, Germany and Yokota AB, Japan.Īir Force Reserve locations for assigned C-130 models are Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia Keesler AFB, Mississippi Maxwell AFB, Alabama Minnesota-St. The C-130J-30, a stretch version with a 15-foot fuselage extension, increases the capabilities even more. With the noticeable difference of a six-bladed composite propeller coupled to a Rolls-Royce AE2100D3 turboprop engine, the C-130J brings substantial performance improvements over all previous models.
The latest C-130 to be produced, the C-130J, entered the inventory in February 1999. Nearly identical to the C-130E externally, the new engine brought major performance improvements to the aircraft. June 1974 introduced the first of 308 C-130Hs with the more powerful Allison T56-A-15 turboprop engine. Introduced in August of 1962, the 389 C-130Es that were ordered using the same Allison T56-A-7 engine, but added two 1,290 gallon external fuel tanks and an increased maximum takeoff weight capability. The C-130B introduced Allison T56-A-7 turboprop engines and the first of 134 entered Air Force service in May 1959.
A total of 219 were ordered and deliveries began in December 1956. The initial production model was the C-130A, with four Allison T56-A-11 or -9 turboprop engines. The Air Force issued its original design specification in 1951, yet the remarkable C-130 remains in production. The C-130J/J-30 also includes improved fuel, environmental and ice-protection and an enhanced cargo-handling system. The aircraft also features fully integrated defensive systems, low-power color radar, digital moving map display, new turboprop engines with six-bladed all-composite propellers and a digital auto pilot. The C-130J-30 is a stretch version, adding 15 feet to the fuselage, increasing usable space in the cargo compartment.Ĭ-130J/J-30 major system improvements include advanced two-pilot flight station with fully integrated digital avionics, color multifunctional liquid crystal and head-up displays and state-of-the-art navigation that includes a dual inertial navigation system and GPS. Compared to older C-130s, the J model climbs faster and higher, flies farther at a higher cruise speed, and takes off and lands in a shorter distance. The C-130J incorporates state-of-the-art technology, which reduces manpower requirements, lowers operating and support costs, and provides life-cycle cost savings over earlier C-130 models. The C-130J is the latest addition to the C-130 fleet and has replaced aging C-130Es and some of the high time C-130Hs. Additionally, the C-130 can be rapidly reconfigured for the various types of cargo such as palletized equipment, floor-loaded material, airdrop platforms, container delivery system bundles, vehicles and personnel or aeromedical evacuation. Much of the special mission equipment added to the Hercules is removable, allowing the aircraft to return to its cargo delivery role if desired. The flexible design of the Hercules enables it to be configured for many different missions, allowing one aircraft to perform the role of many. In an aerial delivery role, it can airdrop loads up to 42,000 pounds or use its high-flotation landing gear to land and deliver cargo on rough, dirt strips. Using its aft loading ramp and door, the C-130 can accommodate a wide variety of oversized cargo, including everything from utility helicopters and six-wheeled armored vehicles to standard palletized cargo and military personnel. Forest Service and natural disaster relief missions. Basic and specialized versions of the aircraft airframe perform a diverse number of roles, including airlift support, Antarctic ice resupply, aeromedical missions, weather reconnaissance, aerial spray missions, firefighting duties for the U.S.
Air Forces in Europe, Pacific Air Forces, Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve Command, fulfilling a wide range of operational missions in both peace and war situations. Air Force, serving with Air Mobility Command, Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Combat Command, U.S. The aircraft is capable of operating from rough, dirt strips and is the prime transport for airdropping troops and equipment into hostile areas. The C-130 Hercules primarily performs the tactical portion of the airlift mission.
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