Mighty Hercules; The first four decades

RAF Fairford, Gloustershire, England, United Kingdom: Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund Enterprises, 1994. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Hardcover. Very good. Graham Finch (Cover design). 159, [1] pages. Illustrations (some in color). Technical Data. Contributing authors were Julius Alexander, and Sue Bushell, and Joe Dabney, and Tony Webb. Cover has minor wear and soiling. The development of the aircraft effectively started within a few days of North Korea's June 1950 invasions of south Korea. Lindsay Peacock - Staff Photographer & Writer attended a secondary modern stream that was directly positioned directly under the final approach path for RAF Northolt. Inevitably, it wasn't too long before my gaze ventured skywards to see what was responsible for all the noise - all too often, it was a Belgian or Italian or Norwegian or Indian 'Packet'. The rest, as they say, is history. A career in aviation beckoned and was launched with British European Airways at Heathrow in 1964. A dozen years later, I entered aviation journalism on a freelance basis. Some 35 years down the line, I'm still at it, proving that persistence does sometimes pay dividends. A camera has been an ever-present companion since 1968, when I exposed my first roll of Kodachrome 2, initially using a Zenit E before selling off my entire record collection to fund the purchase of a Pentax S1A just in time for my first visit to the USA in 1969. Latterly, I switched to Nikon, using a succession of FMs until finally converting to digital format in 2007, although I still have some way to go to master the computer wizardry associated with digital imagery. The results of more than 40 years of photography now occupy two filing cabinets and don't get to see daylight all that often. A chronicle, in words and pictures, of the Hercules, from its earliest days right up to the latest C-130J, including all the derivatives. It covers the aircraft's role in Vietnam, the Falklands, the Gulf War, and other operations across the globe. The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medevac, and cargo transport aircraft. The versatile airframe has found uses in a variety of other roles, including as a gunship (AC-130), for airborne assault, search and rescue, scientific research support, weather reconnaissance, aerial refueling, maritime patrol, and aerial firefighting. It is now the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide. Over forty variants and versions of the Hercules, including a civilian one marketed as the Lockheed L-100, operate in more than 60 nations. The C-130 entered service with the U.S. in the 1950s, followed by Australia and others. During its years of service, the Hercules family has participated in numerous military, civilian and humanitarian aid operations. In 2007, the C-130 became the fifth aircraft—after the English Electric Canberra, B-52 Stratofortress, Tupolev Tu-95, and KC-135 Stratotanker—to mark 50 years of continuous service with its original primary customer, in this case, the United States Air Force. The C-130 Hercules is the longest continuously produced military aircraft at over 60 years, with the updated Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules currently being produced.