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C-130 Hercules

Mission

The C-130 Hercules primarily performs the tactical portion of the airlift mission. The aircraft is capable of operating in rough, unimproved landing zones and is the prime transport for airdropping troops and equipment into hostile areas. Two variants of the C-130 are flown by air mobility forces, the C-130H and C-130J, fulfilling a wide range of operational missions in both peacetime and combat situations.  All of Air Mobility Command's C-130s have been converted to the C-130J variant, while the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve operate C-130Js and C-130Hs.  Basic and specialized versions of the aircraft airframe perform a diverse number of roles, including airlift, Antarctic resupply, aeromedical missions, weather reconnaissance, aerial spray missions, natural disaster relief missions, and aerial firefighting for the U.S. Forest Service.

Features

The C-130 is a straight-wing, four-engine-turboprop design, which allows low stall speeds and short takeoff and landing performance. The C-130's wing is also mounted high on the fuselage to allow better ground clearance and reduce foreign object damage to the engines.  Most importantly, the C-130's design includes a large loading ramp in the tail of the aircraft, which allows it to accommodate a wide variety of oversized cargo, including everything from helicopters and armored vehicles to standard palletized cargo and military personnel. The cargo ramp is also capable of being opened in flight, allowing the C-130 to perform airdrop operations. In this aerial delivery role, it can airdrop personnel and/or equipment loads up to 42,000 pounds.

Background

The Air Force issued its original design specification in 1951, yet the remarkable C-130 remains in production. The initial production model was the C-130A, with four Allison T56-A-1A or nine turboprop engines. A total of 219 were ordered, and deliveries began in December 1956. The C-130B introduced Allison T56-A-7 turboprop engines, and the first of 134 entered Air Force service in May 1959.

Introduced in August of 1962, 389 C-130Es were ordered using the same Allison T56-A-7 engine with the addition of two 1,290-gallon external fuel tanks, increasing maximum takeoff weight capability. June 1974 introduced the first of 308 C-130Hs with the more powerful Allison T56-A-15 turboprop engine. Originally, the C-130H appeared nearly identical to the C-130E externally, but the new engine brought major performance improvements to the aircraft.  However, in the last decade, the C-130H has undergone significant modifications to increase its performance, including the improved electronic propeller management system, the T-56 Block 3.5 engines, and the NP2000 8-bladed composite propeller. Many of today's H-models have been upgraded and look significantly different from when they originally were manufactured.

The latest C-130 to be produced, the C-130J, entered the Air National Guard inventory in February 1999. It was a notable first for the ANG to receive the latest aircraft model before the active-duty force. Noticeable differences of the C-130J include a six-bladed composite propeller coupled to a Rolls-Royce AE2100D3 turboprop engine, which brings substantial performance improvements over all previous models. The C-130J incorporates updated avionics, which reduces crew member requirements, lowers operating and support costs, and provides life-cycle cost savings over earlier C-130 models. 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. With the introduction of the J model, the USAF also began the acquisition of the C-130J-30, a stretch version with a 15-foot fuselage extension, which increases the cargo carrying by two pallet positions.

C-130J's major system improvements include an advanced two-pilot flight station with fully integrated digital avionics, color multifunctional displays, head-up displays, and state-of-the-art navigation that includes a dual inertial navigation system and GPS. The aircraft also features fully integrated defensive systems, low-power color radar, a digital moving map display, new turboprop engines with six-bladed all-composite propellers and a digital autopilot. The C-130J also includes an enhanced cargo-handling system, which significantly reduces workload using electronic cargo locks and computerized weight and balance calculations. The C-130J is currently undergoing the Block 8.1 avionics modernization program, which adds upgraded GPS navigation capabilities.

Active-duty locations for the C-130J are: Dyess Air Force Base, Texas; Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas; Ramstein Air Base, Germany; and Yokota Air Base, Japan.

Air Force Reserve locations for C-130H: Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia; Minneapolis-St. Paul Joint Air Reserve Station, Minnesota; and Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.  

Air Force Reserve C-130J Locations: Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi; Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas; and Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio.

Air National Guard locations for the C-130H: Bradley, Connecticut; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Great Falls, Montana; Little Rock AFB, Arkansas; Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota; New Castle County, Delaware; Peoria, Illinois; Reno, Nevada; Schenectady, New York; and St. Joseph, Missouri.

Air National Guard C-130J locations: Quonset Point, Rhode Island; Channel Islands, California; Louisville, Kentucky; Fort Worth, Texas; Savannah, Georgia; and Charlestown, West Virginia

Units scheduled for or currently undergoing conversion from C-130H to C-130J: Youngstown, Ohio; Peoria, Illinois; Bradley, Connecticut; Great Falls, Montana; Minneapolis-St Paul, Minnesota.

General Characteristics

Primary Function: Global tactical airlift

Manufacturer: Lockheed-Martin Aeronautics Company

Length:

C-130H/J: 97 feet, 9 inches (29.3 meters)

C-130J-30: 112 feet, 9 inches (34.69 meters)

Height: 39 feet, 5 inches (12.01 meters)

Wingspan: 132 feet, 7 inches (39.7 meters)

Cargo Compartment

C-130H/J: length, 41 feet (12.5 meters); width, 123 inches (meters); height, 9 feet (2.74 meters). Rear ramp: length, 119 inches (36.27 meters); width, 118.9 inches (3.02 meters)

C-130H/J-30: length, 56 feet (16.9 meters); width, 123 inches (3.12 meters); height, 9 feet (2.74 meters). Rear ramp: length, 119.9 inches (3.12 meters); width, 118.9 inches (36.24 meters)

Power Plant:

C-130H: Four Allison T56-A-15 turboprops; 5,325 prop shaft horsepower

C-130J: Four Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 turboprops; 4,700 horsepower

Speed:

C-130H: 366 miles per hour/318 Knots True Airspeed (Mach 0.52) at 20,000 feet (6,060 meters)

C-130J: 417 miles per hour /362 Knots True Airspeed (Mach 0.59) at 22,000 feet (6,706 meters)

Ceiling:

C-130H: 23,000 feet (7,077 meters) with 42,000 pounds (19,090 kilograms) payload.

C-130J: 28,000 feet (8,615 meters) with 42,000 pounds (19,090 kilograms) payload

Maximum Takeoff Weight:

C-130H: 155,000 pounds (69,750 kilograms)

C-130J: 175,000 pounds (74,393 kilograms)

Maximum Allowable Payload:

C-130H: 42,000 pounds (19,090 kilograms)

C-130J: 44,000 pounds (19,958 kilograms)

Range with 35,000 pounds of Payload:

C-130H: 1,496 miles (1,300 nautical miles)

C-130J: 1,841 miles (1,600 nautical miles)

Crew:

C-130H: Five (two pilots, navigator, flight engineer and loadmaster)

C-130J: Three (two pilots and loadmaster)

Aeromedical Evacuation Crew:

A basic crew of five (two flight nurses and three medical technicians) is added for aeromedical evacuation missions. Medical crew may be decreased or increased as required by the needs of patients.

Maximum Load:

C-130H/J: 6 pallets or 72 litters or 16 CDS bundles or 90 combat troops or 64 paratroopers, or a combination of any of these up to the cargo compartment capacity or maximum allowable weight.

C-130/J-30: 8 pallets or 97 litters or 24 CDS bundles or 128 combat troops or 92 paratroopers, or a combination of any of these up to the cargo compartment capacity or maximum allowable weight.

Unit Cost:

C-130H: $30.1, C-130J: $75.5 million (fiscal 2017 constant dollars)

Date Entered USAF Inventory:

C-130A: December 1956; C-130B: May 1959; C-130E: August 1962; C-130H: June 1974; C-130J: February 1999

Inventory: Active-Duty: 101; Air National Guard: 129; Air Force Reserves: 42

(Current as of April 2025)