Lockheed C-130 Hercules

The C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). First flown in 1954 and entering service in 1956, it was conceived for tactical airlift, able to operate from short, rough, unpaved strips while airdropping or landing troops and equipment in forward areas. Its rear loading ramp accommodates oversized cargo from helicopters and armored vehicles to palletized loads and personnel.

Successive models, from the original C-130A through the B, E, H and the modernized J, have served airlift, aeromedical, weather reconnaissance, aerial firefighting, Antarctic resupply and disaster-relief roles. The C-130J introduced new Rolls-Royce engines with six-bladed composite propellers, a two-pilot glass cockpit and substantial performance gains, with the stretched C-130J-30 adding 15 feet of fuselage. One of the longest-serving and most widely exported aircraft in history, the Hercules remains in production decades after its debut.