UKMET/RAF WC-130 'Snoopy' Hercules HC 130K now retired from service. GAV 4022-383
During the 1950s the versatile Lockheed C-130 Hercules was originally designed as an assault transport but was adapted for a variety of missions, including: special operations (low-level and attack), close air support and air interdiction, mid-air space capsule recovery, search and rescue (SAR), aerial refueling of helicopters, weather mapping and reconnaissance, electronic surveillance, fire fighting, aerial spraying, Arctic/Antarctic ice resupply and natural disaster relief missions. Currently, the Hercules primarily performs the intratheater portion of the tactical airlift mission. This medium-range aircraft is capable of operating from rough, dirt strips and is the prime transport for paratroop and equipment drops into hostile areas. On 23 August 1954, the first of two YC-130A test aircraft (#53-3397) made its maiden flight. It was flown from Burbank, California, to Edwards Air Force Base by Stanley Beltz (pilot) and Roy Wimmer (co-pilot). Only the two YC-130 prototypes (#53-3396 was the first built) were assembled at Lockheed's "Skunk Works" plant in Burbank, while more than 2,000 subsequent aircraft have been built in Marietta, Georgia. The initial production model was the C-130A, with four three-bladed Allison T56-A-9 turboprops. A total of 219 were ordered. The first production C-130A (#53-3129*) flew on 7 April 1955 and deliveries began in December 1956. Two DC-130As (originally GC-130As) were built as drone launchers/directors, carrying up to four drones on underwing pylons. All special equipment was removable, permitting the aircraft to be used as freighters (accommodating five standard freight pallets), assault transports, or ambulances. Five decades have elapsed since the Air Force issued its original design specification, yet the remarkable C-130 Hercules remains in production. The venerable "Herk" is the most successful military transport since the Douglas C-47 and has accumulated over 20 million flight hours. More than 900 C-130s and derivatives
Size: 5400px × 3561px
Location: RAF Fairford, England. United Kingdom
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., 4, 1800, 1972, 2001., 2001, 28/03/01, 31th, aeroplane, airborne, aircraft, arctic, atmospheric, aviation, capeable, caps., cargo, carrier, climate, continents, de, defence, effect, engined, flew, flight, freight, global, government, governments, greatley, hercules, historic, ice, including, information, islands, janerio, joey, march, met, meteorology., meterological, ministry, missed!, mod, mrf, northern, norway., office, organisations, pack, passenger, polar, registration, research, reserch, retired, returning, rio, sampling, satellite, served, snoopy, solomon, sorties, successful, transport, trip, tromso, troop, uk, uniquevarient, weather, world, xv208
