Photo: Platinum Fighters
There is no shortage of military airplanes out there looking for civilian owners, but most of the time these so-called warbirds come in the form of single- or two-seater aircraft from the Second World War. You never get to see a modern-day transport plane being up for grabs. Except this once.
What you’re looking at is a Lockheed C-130 Hercules, in fact, we’re told, it is the only one in the world to have been approved by the FAA for civilian use. It’s for sale, for an undisclosed price, provided the buyer comes from countries the U.S. government approves of.
The Hercules is one of the oldest military transport planes in existence. It was first introduced in 1956 as one of the most capable machines of its kind. Although incredibly large and heavy, it can lift off from unprepared runways just as easily as from airport ones.
The plane was originally designed for medevac operations and cargo hauling, but its versatility allowed it to be converted in anything from gunships (in this variant it is called AC-130) to flying tanks for aerial refueling, for a total of close to 40 different variants. Almost double that number of countries are using the C-130, as over 2,500 of them were made so far.
The one we have here is of the C-130A variety, meaning it is one of the initial production models. It is powered by four Allison engines that give it a maximum speed of 370 mph (590 kph) and a maximum altitude of 33,000 ft (10,000 meters) when empty. This particular Hercules has a payload rating of 30,000 lbs (13.6 tons).
We’re told the plane still has a complete set of troop seats, retains its airdrop capability, and also features all the required components for paratrooper operations.
The total time since new for this 1958 Lockheed C-130 Hercules is 11,615 hours, according to the listing on Platinum Fighters.
The Hercules is one of the oldest military transport planes in existence. It was first introduced in 1956 as one of the most capable machines of its kind. Although incredibly large and heavy, it can lift off from unprepared runways just as easily as from airport ones.
The plane was originally designed for medevac operations and cargo hauling, but its versatility allowed it to be converted in anything from gunships (in this variant it is called AC-130) to flying tanks for aerial refueling, for a total of close to 40 different variants. Almost double that number of countries are using the C-130, as over 2,500 of them were made so far.
The one we have here is of the C-130A variety, meaning it is one of the initial production models. It is powered by four Allison engines that give it a maximum speed of 370 mph (590 kph) and a maximum altitude of 33,000 ft (10,000 meters) when empty. This particular Hercules has a payload rating of 30,000 lbs (13.6 tons).
We’re told the plane still has a complete set of troop seats, retains its airdrop capability, and also features all the required components for paratrooper operations.
The total time since new for this 1958 Lockheed C-130 Hercules is 11,615 hours, according to the listing on Platinum Fighters.
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