Lockheed MC-130

what is it?

The Lockheed MC-130 is the basic designation for a family of special-mission aircraft operated by the United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), a wing of the Air Education and Training Command, and an AFSOC-gained wing of the Air Force Reserve Command. Based on the Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport, the MC-130s' missions are the infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of special operations forces, and the air refueling of (primarily) special operations helicopter and tilt-rotor aircraft. The first of the variants, the MC-130E, was developed to support clandestine special operations missions during the Vietnam War.

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

base stats

• speed 671 km/hcruise speed
• size 74.4 tmax take-off weight
• built 130made 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

• 🎂First flew 15 years ago, in 2011.
• 🚗Wingspan of 40.4 m: about 9 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🐘Fully loaded it can weigh as much as 12 African elephants (~6 t each).

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

spec sheet

first flight

2011-04

introduced

1966

retired

2013

status

still flying

number built

130

role

stol special operations military transport aircraft

origin

🇺🇸 United States

makers

Lockheed Corporation

engines

4× Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3

length

29.8 m

wingspan

40.4 m

height

11.8 m

max take-off weight

74.4 t

top speed

—

cruise speed

671 km/h

range

—

ceiling

8,534 m

wings

monoplane

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

family