Skipper, Ben Lockheed C-130 Hercules

Volume 34 of the Flight Craft series. Lockheed's ubiquitous C-130 Hercules, also known as Fat Albert, was born out of combat experience during the Korean War, a conflict that highlighted the need for a robust transport aircraft designed with a do anything, go anywhere ethos. First flown in August 1954, the C-130 was powered by four turboprop engines mounted under a high wing that allowed for easy loading via a rear ramp, and it soon proved to be an extremely versatile aircraft. The easily configurable cargo compartment set the C-130 apart from other aircraft, and soon there were several variants, the first of which was a supply aircraft equipped with skis. The C-130 was particularly well suited to this type of task, and the air transport department staff soon developed new ways of using the cargo. These included low-altitude drops, which proved invaluable in providing aid to isolated disaster areas. Other variants included air-to-air refuelling aircraft, electronic reconnaissance platforms and weather reconnaissance aircraft. The C-130, now manufactured by Lockheed Martin, has become synonymous with tactical air transport and is the longest continuously produced military aircraft since the first model rolled off the production line in 1954. Since its introduction into service, the C-130 has spawned over seventy variants, including combat, search and rescue, and scientific research aircraft, and is currently in service with around seventy nations. It is not without reason that Lockheed Martin claims that at any given moment, there is at least one C-130 in the air somewhere in the world. With over 2,500 aircraft produced, some of which are almost thirty years old, this is more than plausible. This Flight Craft title offers aviation enthusiasts, historians and model builders an exciting selection of C-130-related resources in the form of photos, illustrations and excellent display models to help them build their own versions of this highly successful and extremely versatile aircraft.