Lockheed L-100 Hercules

History

The outstanding transport capabilities and military market success of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules culminated in the civilian market form of the L-100 Hercules. Its prototype first flew on April 20, 1964, and was used for civil airspace operations on September 30, 1965. The L-100 retains the same form and function of the original C-130, including its excellent handling and short-field rally qualities.

A total of 114 aircraft were produced, the last built in 1992. The L-100 was identified by Lockheed as the company's "Type 382", and the production form based on it was the "Type 382B".

The original L-100 was followed by the L-100-20 in 1968, which employed a fuselage stretch to increase internal volume. The fuselage of the L-100-30 was lengthened by nearly two meters. The entire line was then modernized in the LM-100J.

In the L-100-30, the crew consisted of at least three crew members, including two pilots and a flight engineer. The payload is 51,000 lbs and the maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) is 155,000 lbs. Power is provided by four Allison 501-D22A series turboprop engines, each producing 4,500 horsepower. Top speed is 355 mph and cruising speed is 335 mph.

The round-trip range is 1,535 miles and the ferry range is 5,555 miles. The aircraft has a service ceiling of 23,000 feet and a climb rate of 1,830 feet per minute.

Dimensions include 112' 9" length, 132' 7" wingspan and 38' 3" height.

Despite its civilian design, the L-100 is still used by the armies of Algeria, Kuwait, Indonesia, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia. So far, while the military has switched to the much-improved C-130J Super Hercules, the L-100 has not followed suit -- although a February 2014 report suggested that Lockheed may soon be relaunching Start the program.

This will result in the designation of L-100J.

Specification

Basic

Production

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Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes