C-130J Super Hercules : Succesfully Landed
The Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully landed two of its C-130J-30 ‘Super Hercules’ military transport aircraft at a rudimentary and unfeasible airstrip in Uttarakhand
- C-130J Super Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft.
- It is the latest production version of the C-130 Hercules. It replaced, in production, the previous C-130H.
- The C-130J Super Hercules made its first flight in 1996.
- It is the US Air Force’s principal tactical cargo and personnel transport aircraft.
- It was developed by Lockheed Martin, a US security and aerospace company.
- It primarily performs the tactical portion of the airlift mission, is capable of operating from rough, dirt strips, and is the prime transport for airdropping troops and equipment into hostile areas.
- The largest operators are the US Air Force, US Marine Corps, Australia, Canada, India, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
- It has reduced crew requirements. A minimal crew of three men is required to operate this aircraft, including two pilots and one loadmaster.
- It is powered by four Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 turboprop engines.
- It has digital avionics, including a Head-Up Display (HUD) for each pilot.
- Range: 6,852 km (no payload)
- Speed: 644 km/hr
- It is capable of short takeoffs and landings from unprepared runways.
- C-130J-30 is a stretch version of the C-130J.
- The C-130J-30 adds 15 feet to the fuselage, increasing usable space (two more pallets of equipment) in the cargo compartment.
