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thedrifter
05-25-04, 08:30 AM
Issue Date: May 24, 2004

The Lore of the Corps
‘Herc’ blazed aviation trail in Marine Corps

By Robert F. Dorr
Times staff writer

A spectacular record of aviation achievement began with a modest flight on Aug. 23, 1954, when test pilots Stanley Betz and Roy Wimmer took off from Lockheed Air Terminal, Burbank, Calif., in a new plane called the YC-130.
With a straight-forward design that included a high wing, four turboprop engines and a ramp at the rear of its rounded fuselage, the C-130 was an obvious candidate for cargo hauling, though the Marine Corps also has used the plane for air-refueling tanker duty.

Early in its career, the plane was given the popular name Hercules to signify its lifting prowess. Many Marines, however, just call it the “Herc.” Even the strongest supporters of the plane could not have predicted it would remain in continuous production longer than any other aircraft in history.

As it approaches the 50-year mark, a second-generation Hercules — known in generic terms as the C-130J and to Marines as the KC-130J refueler-transport — is rolling off the production line.

The first two YC-130 models — “Y” signifies a service-test role, ”C” is the prefix for transport — were built in California. Every other Hercules has been assembled in a government-owned factory in Marietta, Ga., operated by Lockheed, which became Lockheed Martin in 1995. More than 2,000 Hercs now serve several dozen air forces around the world.

The Marine Corps version of the Hercules initially was known as the GV-1 and made its first flight Jan. 22, 1960. When the Pentagon system for assigning aircraft names was overhauled in 1962, this aircraft became the KC-130F. (The “K” prefix designated the plane as a tanker.)

That year, the Corps ordered 46 KC-130F tanker-transports. Four 4,910-shaft horsepower Allison T56A-16 engines, slightly more powerful than the T56s used on Air Force and Navy Hercs, powered each aircraft. Each plane was equipped with air-refueling pods beneath the outer wing panels and was capable of carrying two 1,800-gallon fuselage fuel tanks.

In a pinch, the KC-130F also could land and take off from an aircraft carrier. That mission was tested Nov. 8, 1963, when a Navy crew, using a KC-130F on loan from the Marine Corps, landed on the Forrestal, according to the Web site, www.Aerospaceweb.org, which features histories and information on a broad range of aircraft and other aviation topics.

“I thought the C-130 was the most remarkable aircraft I ever flew 35 years ago, and Lockheed has been building on it ever since,” said retired Rear Adm. Jim Flatley, who made the Forrestal landing as a young lieutenant, in a Nov. 24, 1998, Lockheed Martin press release.

Although called a tanker-transport, the Marine Hercules isn’t quite as versatile as the Air Force’s KC-10A Extender, which can perform both missions simultaneously. When configured for refueling, most of the fuselage interior is devoted to fuel storage.

To use the Herc as a cargo or troop carrier, it is necessary to remove the fuel tanks. Depending on their anticipated needs, Marine squadrons sometimes keep aircraft configured separately for the tanker and transport missions, to be ready for either duty.

In the 1970s, the Marine Corps added 14 KC-130Rs to its fleet. These are almost identical to the KC-130F, but have about a 20 percent larger fuel capacity. In the 1980s, the Corps acquired 10 KC-130T models with improved T56-A-423 engines and electronics systems

In the 1990s, Lockheed began developing a second-generation family of “Super Hercules” airplanes known generically as C-130J models. These have new engines — the Allison A2100s similar to the power plant used on the MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. They also introduced new avionics and a digital “glass” cockpit.

The Corps already has acquired some second-generation KC-130J models to replace some of its oldest Hercs, many of which were in service during the Vietnam War.

On April 29, the Corps announced that the commander of KC-130J operational testing and evaluation recommended full-fleet introduction of the aircraft for operational use.

Robert F. Dorr, an Air Force veteran, lives in Oakton, Va. He is the author of numerous books, including “Air Force One.” His e-mail address is robert.f.dorr@cox.net

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story.php?f=0-MARINEPAPER-2899103.php


Ellie