Ater a successful test flight on August 23, 1954, its four turboprop engines, each with 3,750 horsepower - built to transport 64 paratroopers (72 soldiers total) - surpassed every requirement of the Air Force for a newly refined cargo plane. To the astonishment of even the engineers, the C-130 has exceeded all expectations tenfold. The proposal of the YC-130 was a risk because investing in a turbo-prop aircraft in the height of the jet-age could have tarnished Lockheed Martin’s reputation if the project had failed. Coast Guard C-130 from Air Station Sacramento flies over Lake Tahoe. Air Force Tactical Air Command produced two prototype YC-130 aircraft with the capabilities of conducting medium-range airlift missions in remote and austere environments. In collaboration with Lockheed Martin, the U.S. Air Force entered the Korean War they had recognized gross limitations in their airlift operations. The evolution of one of the most versatile aerial platforms in modern history came, as the majority of military technological advancements do, at a time of war. Have a special operation where the troops on the ground require aerial superiority with coverage overhead from the biggest weapon ever mounted on a combat aircraft ? Send it.

Have an issue with a landing gear in the arctic and need to swap for snow skis with a rocket boost? No big deal. Need to land a massive cargo plane in a football stadium or on an aircraft carrier? No problem.

The C-130 has an impressive resume of preposterous accomplishments with few limitations, post-modification.

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