The C-130 is one of those remarkable aircraft whose design is just right and is able to be updated with fair ease. This, as much as anything else has made it such an outstanding aircraft. In production longer than any other aircraft in aviation history, the C-130 is still the choice of both military and civilian operators and appears to be around for many more decades to come.

Initially designed to be a medium lift transport using turboprop engines and the ability to be quickly loaded without specialized equipment, the Herculese first entered service in 1956, about two years after its first flight in 1954. Among its features is the ability to land and take off in a fairly short distance from unimproved landing strips. It is also capable of carrying a decent amount of cargo or troops and this includes tanks and artillery. Since it uses turboprop engines, it is relatively fuel efficient and many have in flight refueling capabilities.

It was an instant success with the US military and this alone soon brought in orders from nations around the world. Those that were surplus to USAF requirements were frequently resold to other nations and even some initial version C-130A aircraft are still being operated. The current type is the C-130J with upgraded engines with six blade props and additional high lift airframe features.

In line with other books in this series, we are provided with the background and development of the aircraft along with a look at the various upgrades and modifications done to the type. A lot of photographs are used to illustrate the book with most of them in full color. Also part of this series is a modelers section. In this case it is fairly extensive taking up nearly half of the book. Interestingly, all the builds are 1/72 with most featuring the Italeri C-130J kit. In addition, there is a fairly extensive section of color profiles, which seems to be a requirement for books of this sort.

In all, it is a book well worth picking up if you are a fan of the type. It reads well and has a lot of photos of the real deal;  many of them fairly current and in full color. 

March 2025

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Review book courtesy of  Casemate Publishers where you can order your copy at this link. 

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