Planes That Changed History - Lockheed C-130 Hercules

“Swiss Army Knife” might be a good way to describe the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. The Hercules can do many things. It can save burning forests as an aerial firefighter. It can protect soldiers on the ground as a gunship. It can search for sinking ships as a maritime patrol plane. It can deliver vehicles to military bases or bring emergency generators to victims of hurricanes.

These are some of the abilities that define the C-130 Hercules. Although the Hercules is still in service today, its origins date back to the 1950s. Back then, the military wanted a new transport plane that could carry tons of supplies, take off from short airfields, and fly long distances.

The Hercules met those needs, as well as a few other ones. This book covers the interesting story of the Hercules, from its design to its construction. The Lockheed C-130 is an extraordinary airplane. But you wouldn’t realize that from its plain and ordinary appearance.

This book is twenty pages in length, with a photo on each page. It discusses features of the Hercules that young readers could find interesting - its many different roles, its special “tricks” for dropping off cargo without landing, or its frighteningly heavy firepower as a gunship.

The book covers interesting technical details about the Hercules - its four powerful Allison T56 turboprop engines, its large flaps that enable landing on short airfields, or the composite wingbox that makes it so strong. It offers young readers some technical substance… without losing them in difficult engineering theory.