Capy, Xavier - The Lockheed C-130 Hercules - Vol. I Europe (ebook)

Although the Douglas DC-3 - alias C-47 in its mili-
tary version - holds the absolute record for the num-
ber of aircraft produced in the transport category, it 
remains an airliner designed primarily to carry passen-
gers, modified by the addition of a double cargo door 
to facilitate freight loading. The Lockheed C-130 Her-
cules, on the other hand, was the first aircraft specifical-
ly designed for tactical transport to achieve worldwide 
success: more than 2,500 of these aircraft are now or 
have been used by 75 air forces on five continents. 
And that's not counting civilian companies and go-
vernment agencies. And, remarkably, it is still in pro-
duction more than 70 years after its first flight... Even 
more remarkable is its astonishing longevity. Some 
aircraft delivered over 50 years ago are still in active 
service. 
And yet, shortly after the launch of the Hercules pro-
gramme, Lockheed officials declared that they would 
be satisfied if production reached 300 aircraft! No 
other military transport aircraft has been able to steal 
this record, and it is unlikely that it will ever be beaten.
This book is the first in a series that will run for 
several years and cover all users of the Hercules, both 
military and civilian. Each volume will review the air 
forces of one or more continents: after the European 
air forces will come, in two volumes, those of Africa, 

Australasia, the Middle East, Central and South Ame-
rica. Then an entire volume will be devoted to the US 
Air Force, by far the largest user, which has developed 
an impressive number of sub-versions adapted to spe-
cific missions. Another volume will bring together the 
other American users (US Navy, US Marine Corps, 
Nasa, etc.) and the series will close with a very last 
volume entirely dedicated to civilian users.
In this first volume, the first part presents the air-
craft, its origins, characteristics and main versions. A 
great many books, mainly American and English, have 
already dealt with the Hercules, so we don't claim to 
give the most comprehensive technical description of 
the C-130; our aim is rather to provide in this chapter 
the elements needed to better understand the evolu-
tion of the aircraft over the years and the reasons for 
its great success. On the other hand, in this collection 
we endeavor to retrace the career of the Hercules with 
each of its users, with a complete list of aircraft, their 
current fate, their careers and the units that have ope-
rated them. 
Of course, fleet situations are constantly evolving, 
with downtime, withdrawals, accidents, new aircraft 
deliveries and so on. For this reason, the data we pro-
vide reflects the situation at the time each volume goes 
to press.

192 pages - in English

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