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

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Lockheed C-130 HerculesBy Michael Henry2-11-00
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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.
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C-130 Planform
Source www.TheAviationZone/facts/c130.html

• Cantilever high-wing monoplane
• Unswept tapered wings
• Blunt nose - excellent visibility

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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

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• Propulsion
• 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

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Roles for the C-130
Fire-Fighting
Paratroop Operations
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Aerial Cargo Delivery
Unimproved Airstrip Landing
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Interesting Facts
Vertical T/O ???
COD??
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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.
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References

• Neely, Mike http//www.TheAviationZone.com/facts
  .htm.
• Gager, Scott http//www.spectrumwd.com/c130/inde
  x.sht
• Janes All the Worlds Aircraft, 1985
• Pike, John http//www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac
  /c-130.htm
• http//hometown.aol.com/mkonvalin/fave/herk.htm