How to Identify a C-130 Hercules

Many say Lockheed's C-130 rivals the legendary DC-3 as the prototypical aviation workhorse. The first of the turboprops was delivered to the US Air Force in 1955. More than 600 of the hard-working Hercules transports remain in service with the USAF, the Air National Guard, and the Air Force Reserve.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

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1. Look for a relatively large, four-engine airplane.

2. Note that the engines are mounted with square-tipped, four-blade propellers, and two engines are attached to each wing.

3. Note that the wings are mounted at the top of the fuselage and the wingtips terminate in small bullet-shaped fuel tanks.

4. Note the C-130's body is boxy in appearance, with a bulbous nose cone and the underside at the stern tapering sharply upward toward the vertical stabilizer.

5. Look at the vertical stabilizer. It reaches nearly four stories in height, with the horizontal stabilizers attached near its base.

6. Look at the aircraft from the rear. Note the clamshell doors, which can open in flight to permit air-dropping cargo.

7. Check the fuselage at bottom midpoint. Each side bears an extension that houses the main landing gear. The low-slung main gear and the high-wing configuration allow the Hercules to operate from dirt and grass airstrips and other unimproved areas.

Tips & Warnings

• Air crews refer to the C-130 as "Herk."
• The USAF terms the C-130 an "intratheatre airlifter." The planes are slightly less than 100 feet long, have a wing span of 132 feet and can lift a 100,000-pound payload to 33,000 feet and carry it more than 2,300 miles.
• The Hercules has a top speed of 374 mph (Mach .057) and is powered by four Allison turboprop engines developing 4300 horsepower each.
• C-130s fly with a crew of five: pilot, copilot, navigator, flight engineer, and loadmaster.
• Remember, you'll see C-130s nearly everywhere. Air National Guard and USAF Reserve units often operate from civilian airports.
• Consider yourself among the lucky few if you see an L-100, the civilian passenger/cargo version of the C-130. The military configures the versatile Hercules for combat, for airlift, for search and rescue, for air-to-air refueling, for electronic warfare, for weather reconnaissance, and for many other purposes. Relatively few civilian models are in service, however.
• Be careful while on airport property. Pay attention to security regulations, especially around Air Guard and Reserve hangers.

on 8/8/2006 The aircraft itself weighs less than 100,000 pounds when empty. The newest variant (with the greatest lifting capacity) can airlift 44,000 lbs.

on 8/8/2006 The wingtips do not terminate in bullet shaped wing tanks. However, often times the aircraft is configured with a single external tank that hangs beneath the wing between the two engines. Secondly, the aircraft does not have clamshell type doors (as the C-141 does). It has a single cargo door that opens inward and a cargo loading ramp that drops downward.

on 3/13/2006 C-130A models produced between 1956-1959 had 3 bladed Aeroproducts propellers. Four bladed props started on the B model in 1959 and were Hamilton Standard Props. The tanks under the wings on the A Model, were outboard of the engines, vice between them as the later models. I was a propeller mechanic at Lockbourne AFB Columbus OH., and we had at least 54 A Models of this type in 1966-1970.

on 11/22/2005 There is at least one C 130 with tip tanks. N131EC owned by Earl Cherry. It is a surplus C-130A formerly with the RAAF (Australia).

on 11/22/2005 The Hercules doesn't have clam shell doors or tip tanks. Some models have under wing pylon tanks.