Over the entire existence of aviation, a considerable number of a wide variety of airliners have been created, among which there are those that have left their mark on history with their efficiency and quality. But in the variety of aircraft measurements according to the criteria, there is also the title of the most durable. And this place of honor has been occupied for a long time by the C-130 Hercules - the brainchild of the Lockheed company (eng. Lockheed), which has not only been in operation for over six decades, but is still in production today.
It is customary to begin the history of the C-130 Hercules with the first flight in 1954, that is, the operation of this model has been going on for 66 years without interruption. In addition, the production of this aircraft continues. And what is most interesting, the company does not even plan to replace it with a more modern analogue.
In fairness, it should be clarified that over these almost seven decades, the C-130 Hercules has undergone a number of transformations, and more than fifty different modifications have been made in total. However, these changes did not affect the characteristic appearance of this famous liner - if they were, they were only minor.
For its purpose, the C-130 Hercules is a military transport aircraft, which was designed by order of the US Air Force as a replacement for the obsolete C-46, C-47 and C-119. A prerequisite for this kind of modernization of American aviation was the events of the Korean War, which clearly demonstrated that the conditions for the conduct of hostilities have undergone significant changes. Therefore, they tried to adapt new military equipment to new realities. One of the key requirements for the development to replace the old ones was the ability to take off from an unprepared field airfield.
In the end, the C-130 Hercules was made not only to meet the customer's requirements, but in principle it turned out to be quite versatile. That is why this aircraft began to be operated in various fields. So, in addition to the main purpose - a military transport aircraft, it was used as a tanker, as well as an aircraft for extinguishing fires, sea rescuer, electronic reconnaissance and command center, bomber and even passenger liner.
During the entire production and operation of this model, at least two and a half thousand copies of the C-130 Hercules were produced, moreover, according to Novate.ru, about half of the total volume of issued units was exported to other countries.
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All in all, the liner is operated in more than sixty countries of the planet. And what is most striking, the popularity of the C-130 Hercules in the world, as well as the demand for them within the American state, is not going to subside. In addition, the C-130 Hercules went down in aviation history as a record holder: in 1963 it was recognized as the heaviest and largest aircraft ever to take off and land on an aircraft carrier base.
Continuing the theme: another plane named after an ancient hero who left a mark on history The failed feat of "Hercules": why the largest amphibious plane flew only 26 seconds
Source: https://novate.ru/blogs/051120/56642/
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