IATA LOHICAO C130

Lockheed L-182 / 282 / 382 (L-100) Hercules

Lockheed

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Iconic civil freighter derived from the military C-130 Hercules.

First flight

1964

Category

Freighter turboprop

Range

6,852 km

Engines

Four Allison (now Rolls-Royce) AE 2100D3 turboprops (LM-100J); earlier variants used Allison 501-D22A turboprops

Status

In service

The Lockheed L-100 Hercules is the commercial export variant of the legendary C-130 military transport, developed by Lockheed (later Lockheed Martin) in the 1960s. It retains the rugged four-turboprop configuration and rear-loading ramp of its military counterpart, making it highly capable of operating into austere, short, or unprepared airstrips worldwide. The L-100 series progressed through several stretched variants, notably the L-100-20 and L-100-30, the latter adding 4.57 metres to the fuselage for greater cargo capacity. It has been widely used by cargo airlines, oil companies, and humanitarian organisations operating in remote or underdeveloped regions. Production of the civil L-100 largely wound down in the 1990s, though a modernised variant, the LM-100J, was certificated by the FAA in 2019 and entered limited commercial service.

Notable operators

Notable civil operators have included Southern Air Transport, Air Algérie, Philippine Airlines (cargo), Delta Air Lines (cargo), and various charter and oil-support carriers such as Safair.

Notable facts

›The L-100 received FAA type certification in February 1965, becoming the first commercial turboprop freighter certificated in the United States for its class.
›The L-100-30 stretched fuselage variant (by 4.57 m over the baseline) is the most produced civil Hercules model.
›The aircraft's rear cargo ramp and high-wing design allow operations from unprepared gravel or dirt strips.
›The updated LM-100J features modern glass cockpit avionics and Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 engines with six-blade propellers.
›Over 2,500 C-130/L-100 family aircraft have been built across all variants, making it one of history's most prolific military-derived transports.