C-130J Super Hercules

Infobox Aircraft
name = C-130J "Super" Hercules
type = military transport aircraft
manufacturer = Lockheed Martin

---

caption = A C-130J from the Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing at Channel Island ANG Base, California flies along the coast of Santa Cruz Island, California.
designer =
first flight = 5 April 1996
introduction = 1999
retired =
status = In production
primary user = United States Air Force
more users = United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Royal Air Force Italian Air Force
produced =
unit cost = US$62 million in 2008 (C-130J flyaway cost) [http://www.saffm.hq.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-080204-081.pdf "FY 2009 Budget Estimates."] United States Air Force. February 2008, p. 81.]
developed from = C-130 Hercules
variants with their own articles = Lockheed Martin EC-130J Lockheed Martin WC-130J

The Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. The C-130J is a comprehensive update of the venerable Lockheed C-130 Hercules, with new engines, flight deck, and other systems. The Hercules family has the longest continuous production run of any military aircraft in history. During more than 50 years of service the family has participated in military, civilian and humanitarian aid operations. The Hercules has also outlived several planned successor designs, most notably the Advanced Medium STOL Transport contestants.

Design and development

The C-130J "Super" Hercules is the newest version of the Hercules and the only model still in production. Externally similar to the classic Hercules in general appearance, the J model is a very different aircraft. These differences include new Rolls-Royce AE 2100 turboprops with six-bladed composite scimitar propellers, digital avionics (including Head-Up Displays (HUDs) for each pilot), reduced crew requirements (2 pilots — no navigator or flight engineer), increased reliability and up to 27% lower operating costs.

The C-130J is available in a standard-length or stretched -30 variant. Lockheed Martin received the launch order for the J from the RAF, who ordered 25 aircraft, with first deliveries beginning in 1999 as Hercules C. Mk 4 (C-130J-30) and Hercules C. Mk 5 (C-130J).

The US Air Force awarded a $470 million contract to Lockheed Martin for six modified KC-130J aircraft for special forces use in mid-June 2008. The contract is expected to lead to C-130J variants to replace aging HC-130s and MC-130s. [Trimble, Stephen. [http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/06/18/224745/lockheed-martin-c-130j-selected-for-new-special-operations.html "Lockheed Martin C-130J selected for new special operations role"] , Flightglobal.com, 18 June 2008.]

Operational history

The largest operator of the new model will be the U.S. Air Force, which is ordering the aircraft in increasing numbers. Current operators of the C-130J are the USAF (to include the Air Force Reserve Command and the Air National Guard), U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Danish Air Force and the Italian Air Force. Total procurement of C-130J aircraft has reached 186 orders as of December 2006."News Breaks", "Aviation Week & Space Technology", 18 December 2006.]

Lockheed Martin has offered to lease four C-130Js to the "German Luftwaffe", which has been awaiting a Transall replacement set for 2010 (the Airbus A400M), but the deal was rejected.

The Indian Air Force purchased six C-130Js in early 2008 at a cost of US$ 1.059 billion. [ [http://www.dsca.osd.mil/pressreleases/36-b/2007/India_07-33.pdf Defence Security Cooperation Agency (News Release)] ] It is a package deal with the US government under its Foreign Military Sales Program (FMS), and India has retained options to buy six more of these aircraft for its special forces for combined army-air force operations. [cite web |url= http://www.idrw.org/2008/02/06/india_signs_agreement_for_hercules_aircraft.html |title= India signs agreement for Hercules aircraft |date= 6 February 2008 |publisher= Indian Defense Research Wing]

The Canadian Forces signed a US$1.4 billion contract with Lockheed Martin for 17 new C-130J-30s on 16 January 2008, as part of the procurement process to replace the existing CC-130E and H models. [cite web |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/01/16/220873/canada-signs-1.4bn-contract-for-17-lockheed-martin.html |title=Flight International - Canada signs $1.4bn contract for 17 Lockheed Martin C-130Js |accessdate=2008-01-17] The C-130J will be officially designated CC-130J Hercules in Canadian Forces service. [cite web |url=http://news.gc.ca/web/view/en/index.jsp?articleid=343689 |title=Public Works and Government Services Canada - PWGSC announces next step in procuring tactical airlift fleet |accessdate=2007-08-08]

The Royal Norwegian Air Force has decided to purchase four C-130Js to reinforce their transport capacity when it was discovered that their forty-year-old C-130s were unserviceable during a wing change. [ [http://www.mil.no/start/article.jhtml?articleID=142527 Contract for new transport planes signed] Norwegian Defence Force website]

The Government of Qatar has also placed an order for four C-130Js, spare parts and training for the Qatari Emiri Air Force for a total of US$393.6 million. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2011. [Washington Post, October 8, 2008, p. D4]

The Iraqi Air Force has requested six new C-130J-30s, [http://www.dsca.osd.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2008/Iraq_08-73.pdf] while the Israeli Air Force is seeking to purchase nine C-130J-30s. [ [http://www.asd-network.com/press_detail/17196/Israel_-_C-130J-30_Aircraft.htm Israel - C-130J-30 Aircraft] ]

Variants

;C-130J: Tactical airlifter;C-130J-30: Variant with 15ft longer fuselage.;KC-130J: United States Marine Corps aerial refueling tanker and tactical airlifter ;WC-130J: weather reconnaissance ("Hurricane Hunter") version for the Air Force Reserve Command ;EC-130J: Commando Solo variant for the Air Force Special Operations Command operated by the Pennsylvania Air National Guard;HC-130J: Long range patrol and air-sea rescue variant for the U.S. Coast Guard;CC-130J Hercules: Canadian Forces designation for the C-130J;Hercules C4: RAF designation for the C-130J-30;Hercules C5: RAF designation for the C-130J

Operators

;AUS
* Royal Australian Air Force - 12;CAN
* Canadian Forces Air Command - 17 to be delivered starting in 2010;DNK
* Danish Air Force - 4;IND
* Indian Air Force - 6 to be delivered starting in 2011;ITA
* Italian Air Force - 24 (6 KC-130J kit) [cite web|title=KC-130J at deagel.com|url=http://www.deagel.com/Tanker-Aircraft/KC-130J-Super-Hercules_a000526005.aspx] ;NOR
* Royal Norwegian Air Force - 6x C-130H replaced by 4x C-130J (fall 2008);UK
* Royal Air Force - 24 [cite web|title=Lockheed Martin Completes C-130J Deliveries for 2001 |url=http://www.lockheedmartin.co.uk/news/76.html|publisher=Lockheed Martin UK|accessdate=2008-06-06] ;USA
* United States Air Force - 65 (32 active duty, 22 Air National Guard, 11 Air Force Reserve) [Craig Hoyle, [http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/05/01/223434/lockheed-martin-delivers-100th-c-130j-for-us-customer.html Lockheed Martin delivers 100th C-130J for US customer] . 1 May 2008. Retrieved on 2 May 2008.]
* United States Coast Guard - 6
* United States Marine Corps - 29 KC-130J

pecifications (C-130J)

aircraft specifications
jet or prop?=prop
plane or copter?=plane
ref=USAF C-130 Hercules fact sheetcite web | url= http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=92 | title=USAF C-130 Hercules fact sheet | last= | first= | accessdate=2006-08-22 | year=2006] The International Directory of Military Aircraft, 2002-2003 cite book |last= Frawley|first= Gerard |title= The International Directory of Military Aircraft, 2002-2003 | year= 2002 |publisher= Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd |location= Fyshwick, ACT, Australia |isbn= 1-875671-55-2 |pages= 108 ]
crew= 3-6 (at least 2 pilots, crew chief, and 1 loadmaster; additional loadmaster and navigator are usually part of the crew)
capacity=

:* 92 passengers "or":* 64 airborne troops "or":* 74 litter patients with 2 medical personnel
payload main= 42,000 lb
payload alt= 19,090 kg
payload more= including 2-3 Humvees or an M113 Armored Personnel Carrier
length main= 97 ft 9 in
length alt= 29.79 m
span main= 132 ft 7 in
span alt= 40.41 m
height main= 38 ft 10 in
height alt= 11.84 m
area main= 1,745 ft²
area alt= 162.1 m²
empty weight main= 75,562 lb
empty weight alt= 34,274 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main= 72,000 lb
useful load alt= 33,000 kg
max takeoff weight main= up to 175,000 lb (79,378 kg), 155,000 lb recommended
max takeoff weight alt= 70,305 kg
engine (prop)= Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3
type of prop= turboprops
number of props= 4
power main= 4,637 shp
power alt= 3,458 kW
max speed main= 362 knots
max speed alt= 417 mph, 671 km/h
cruise speed main= 348 knots, 644 km/h
cruise speed alt= 400 mph, 643 km/h
range main= 2,835 nm
range alt= 3,262 mi, 5,250 km
ceiling main= 28,000 ft, 8,540 m
ceiling alt= 8,615 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=

ee also

aircontent
related=
* C-130 Hercules
* Lockheed AC-130
* Lockheed DC-130
* Lockheed EC-130
* Lockheed HC-130
* Lockheed LC-130
* Lockheed MC-130
* Lockheed WC-130

similar aircraft=
* Airbus A400M
* Antonov An-70
* Embraer C-390
* Shaanxi Y-9

lists=
* List of active United Kingdom military aircraft
* List of active United States military aircraft
* List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force
* List of C-130 Hercules crashes

References

External links

* [http://www.lockheedmartin.com/products/c130/ C-130 Hercules product page] and [http://www.lockheedmartin.com/data/assets/corporate/press-kit/C-130J-Brochure.pdf C-130J brochure on Lockheed Martin web site]
* [http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=92 USAF C-130 Hercules fact sheet]
* [http://www.c-130j.ca/document/Spec_Book.pdf C-130J Specification Book]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/c-130.htm C-130 page on GlobalSecurity.org]
* [http://www.HerkyBirds.com HerkyBirds.com 9000+ C-130 images]