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Lockheed C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules
is a four-engine turboprop aircraft that serves
as the main tactical airlifter for military
forces worldwide. Capable of landing and taking
off from short or unprepared runways, it was
designed as a troop transport and cargo aircraft,
but is now also used for a wide variety of
other roles, including airborne assault, weather
reconnaissance, aerial refuelling, aerial
firefighting and MEDEVAC. More than 40 different
models of the Hercules — including several
gunships — are used by more than 50
nations.
The C-130 family has
the longest continuous production run of any
military aircraft in history. During more
than 50 years of service, the family has established
a solid record of reliability and durability,
participating in military, civilian and humanitarian
aid operations.
On February 2, 1951,
the United States Air Force issued a General
Operating Requirement (GOR) for a new transport
to Boeing, Douglas, Fairchild, and Lockheed.
The new transport, among other things, would
have a capacity for 92 passengers or 64 paratroopers,
a range of 1,100 nautical miles, takeoff capability
from short and unprepared strips, and the
ability to fly with one engine stopped.
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