The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an iconic piece of Air Force fleets around the world, it’s even the fifth aircraft to mark 50 years of continuous operations with its primary customer, the US Air Force.
Designed in the 1950s as a replacement for the World War 2 era cargo planes, struggling with the demands of the new and modern Korean War. 
Conceived with one simple job to be a tactical medium transport that could land on unimproved ground, be extremely rugged and fly 30,000 pounds of cargo for 1,500 miles. The C-130 has morphed and transformed into a plane so much better and more versatile than that. 
As the plane faces retirement in the UK and other Air Forces around the world, we take a look at its history, development over the decades and its future. Coming up this week, on Aircraft Grade.
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