Lockheed C-130 Hercules By Michael Henry 2-11-00

C-130 Development Development of the C-130 was a direct result of the Korean War, it was at this time that the U.S. realized that they did not have a military transport capable of short take off and landing. The project was awarded to Lockheed Martin, and began as the YC-130. When the design was complete its appearance was nothing spectacular, in fact it was viewed by many as a step backwards in aircraft design. At this time aircraft design was moving in the direction of sleek more aerodynamic designs with swept wings. The blunt nose and unswept wings of the YC-130 were anything but innovative. The simplicity of the aircraft avoided major alterations, relying primarily on the strength of the new turboprop propulsion, and the high lift capabilities of the Lockheed-Fowler type wing flaps. The first flight of the C-130 was nearly 42 years ago, and since then it has been delivered to over 60 different countries. One of the most incredible characteristics of the C-130 is its versatility. With stalling speeds as low as 115 mph and a range of 2356 miles (at max payload), it is capable of performing numerous low speed missions. A few examples are displayed in the following slides.

C-130 Planform Cantilever high-wing monoplane Unswept tapered wings Source: www.TheAviationZone/facts/c130.html Cantilever high-wing monoplane Unswept tapered wings Blunt nose - excellent visibility

Configuration Wingspan = 132’ 7” Wing Area = 1745 ft2 Aspect Ratio = 10.09 Taper Ratio = 0.8568 Twist Angle = 3o Dihedral Ang. = 2o -30’ Unswept Wings! W/S)max 89 lb/ft2 Airfoils tip: NACA 64A318 root: NACA 64A412 High lift flaps Lockheed-Fowler type

Propulsion Weight Range Speed Four Allison T56-A-15 turboprops Thrust - 4910 hp each Weight Empty - 80,000 lbs Max T/O - 175,000 lbs Range 2,356 mi (w/ max payload) Speed Cruise - 374 mph

Roles for the C-130 Fire-Fighting Paratroop Operations

Aerial Cargo Delivery Unimproved Airstrip Landing

Interesting Facts Vertical T/O ??? COD??

Carrier Onboard Delivery Vertical Take-off During the 1980 Iran hostage crisis the United States were desperate for a vehicle that could rescue 53 American hostages inside a stadium. An attempt was made to alter the C-130 Hercules for vertical take off and landing. Two prototypes were developed which were equipped with lift-rockets slanting downward, slowdown rockets pointing forward, missile motors facing backward, and still more rockets for stability. The design was “ugly” but amusing. The first prototype attempt failed when rockets discharged prematurely, and the second was never tested before the release of the hostages. Carrier Onboard Delivery In 1963 the U.S. Navy decided to try to land the C-130H on an aircraft carrier. At this time the Grumman C-1 was used COD purposes, but it had a limited payload and only a 300 mile range. To perform the stunt the Navy used a YC-130 refueler with some minor alterations: addition of an anti-skid brake system, removal of the refueling pods, and the installation of a smaller nose gear orifice. The C-130 successfully landed at multiple gross weights from 85,000 to 121,000 pounds.

References Neely, Mike: http://www.TheAviationZone.com/facts.htm. Gager, Scott: http://www.spectrumwd.com/c130/index.sht Jane’s: All the World’s Aircraft, 1985 Pike, John: http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/c-130.htm http://hometown.aol.com/mkonvalin/fave/herk.htm