Lockheed L-100-30 Hercules

Payload 21000 kg/46297 pounds

The Lockheed L-100-30 Hercules is a civilian model of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, which was introduced as a military transport aircraft in 1954 and is still in production today. Between 1964 and 1992, a total of 115 Lockheed L-100 aircraft were delivered, of which 55 are still in service. In 2017, the new variant L100J of the Lockheed L-100-30 Hercules made its maiden flight.

The design of the Lockheed L-100 Hercules aims to retain the form of its military predecessor C-130 and replicate its capabilities, including short-range transport mass and ease of cargo loading and unloading. Between 1964 and 1992, the company produced a total of 115 aircraft. In Lockheed Corporation's internal communications, the L-100 is referred to as the "Type 382" or "Type 382B".

In 1968, the fuselage of the L-100 was stretched to increase internal capacity and renamed as the L-100-20. Subsequently, in 1970, the L-100-30 was lengthened by 7 feet. The L-100-30 variant is the most popular L-100, with sales exceeding any other variant. The new version was manufactured from 1970 to 1992 and has been in operation for 22 years; It's twenty years more than the two years that L-100-20 was manufactured.

L-100-30 requires at least three crew members: two pilots and one flight engineer. Its payload capacity is 51000 pounds (23133 kilograms), and its maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) is 155000 pounds (70306 kilograms). At 20000 feet (6100 meters), the maximum speed is 354 miles per hour (570 kilometers per hour) and the round-trip distance is 1535 miles (2470 kilometers). The L-100-30 is equipped with built-in control systems, ramp facilities, and thrust reversers, allowing the aircraft to operate without thrust, making it an ideal choice for transporting cargo to remote and isolated destinations. It can also take off and land on short runways (STOLs) and rugged terrain.

Although Lockheed Corporation specifically designed the L-100 series for civilian use, the L-100 was popular as a military aircraft and was used in this way by countries such as Algeria, Kuwait, Argentina, Peru, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia.

In 2017, the prototype of the new incarnation L100J of the Lockheed L-100-30 Hercules made its first voyage. Lockheed Martin expects to obtain certification from the Federal Aviation Administration in 2018 after one year of flight testing and plans to deliver the aircraft to customers later that year.

Model Structure