Lockheed EC-130

what is it?

The Lockheed EC-130 series comprises several slightly different versions of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules that have been operated by the U.S. Air Force until 2026 and, until the 1990s, the U.S. Navy. The EC-130E Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center (ABCCC) was based on a basic C-130E platform and provided tactical airborne command post capabilities to air commanders and ground commanders in low air threat environments. The EC-130E ABCCC aircraft were retired in 2002 and the mission was 'migrated' to the E-8 JSTARS and E-3 AWACS fleets.

🔎How to recognise it: 4 turboprops · high wing · 40.4 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 644 km/hcruise speed
• range 4,260 kmwithout refuelling
• size 79.4 tmax take-off weight
• built 14made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🚗Wingspan of 40.4 m: about 9 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🐘Fully loaded it can weigh as much as 13 African elephants (~6 t each).
• 🌍Range of 4,260 km: 24× Amsterdam to Brussels.
• 🏔️Can fly 1.1× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

turboprop: A jet-style turbine turning a propeller: efficient on short hops.

spec sheet

first flight

—

introduced

1975

status

retired

number built

14

role

lockheed c-130 hercules

origin

🇺🇸 United States

makers

Lockheed Corporation

engines

4× Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3

crew

6

length

29.8 m

wingspan

40.4 m

height

11.8 m

max take-off weight

79.4 t

top speed

—

cruise speed

644 km/h

range

4,260 km

ceiling

9,315 m

wings

high wing

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

family