The Immortal Hercules

Source URL: http://afa.org/magazine/Aug2004/0804herc.asp
Posted at: http://www.air-attack/com/news/news_article/215

It was exactly 2:45 p.m. on Aug. 23, 1954, in Burbank when the prototype of a brand-new Air Force transport slowly took off into the smoggy skies over southern California. As they watched it climb out of sight, Lockheed officials dared to hope that the Air Force might buy as many as 100 of these new aircraft.

Talk about answered prayers.

Even the airplane’s most ardent supporters could not have foreseen that the humble C-130 would enjoy the longest continuous production run of any military aircraft in history. USAF snapped up those first 100 airplanes and just kept on going—for decades, with no sign of stopping anytime soon.

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