Lockheed C-130 Hercules
A turboprop transport whose ability to use unprepared strips also made it a tool of disaster relief.
Overview
The C-130 has been in production since the 1950s. The decisive choice in its design is the ability to operate from short, unprepared strips: a high wing, rugged landing gear and turboprop engines all serve that end.
A rear ramp lets cargo walk or roll in and out. That arrangement makes the aircraft less a carrier than a mobile doorway, which is exactly what matters where no loading equipment exists.
The same qualities made it common in disaster relief. Few aircraft can land in a region whose infrastructure has collapsed, and this is an example of how a platform designed for military use finds a civilian answer.
Details
- Brand
- Lockheed Martin
- Category
- Transport Aircraft
- Body
- Transport aircraft
- Propulsion
- turboprop
- Produced
- 1956–