The United States Navy

C-130 Hercules

Last updated: May 10, 1999

C-130 in flight Service: Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard

Description: The C-130 Hercules, a four-engine turboprop aircraft, is the workhorse of the military services. Capable of landing and taking off from short, rough dirt runways, it is a people and cargo hauler and is used in a wide variety of other roles, such as gunships, weather watchers, tankers, firefighters and aerial ambulances. There are more than 40 versions of the Hercules, and it is widely used by more than 50 nations.

Background: Deliveries of the C-130A to the U.S. military began in December 1956 and the first B models came on board in April 1959. The newest is the H model.

Point of Contact:
Naval Air Systems Command Public Affairs Department
47123 Buse Road, Unit IPT
Bldg. 2272, Suite 075
Patuxent River, MD 20670-5440
(301)757-1487

General Characteristics

Primary Function: Global airlift
Contractor: Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Company, Marietta, Ga.
Power Plant: Four Allison T56-A-15 turboprops, each 4,300 horsepower
Thrust: Horsepower each engine: AC-130A, 3,750 hp; AC-130H, 4,910 hp
Length: 97 feet 9 inches (29.3 meters)
Height: 38 feet 3 inches (11.4 meters)
Wingspan: 132 feet 7 inches (39.7 meters)
Speed: 374 mph (Mach 0.57, 604.4 kmh) at 20,000 feet
Ceiling: 33,000 feet with 100,000 pounds (45,000 kg) payload
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 155,000 pounds (69,750 kg)
Range: 2,350 miles (2,050 nautical miles, 3,770 km) with maximum payload; 2,500 miles (2,174 nautical miles, 4,000 km) with 25,000 pounds (11,250 kg) cargo; 5,200 miles (4,522 nautical miles, 8,320 km) with no cargo
Unit Cost: Average $44.1 million
Crew: Five: two pilots, navigator, flight engineer, loadmaster
Capacity: Up to 92 troops or 64 paratroops or 74 litter patients or five standard freight pallets

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