Lockheed L-100 Hercules Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids L-100 Hercules

A Saudia L-100-30 during RIAT 2011
Role	Transport aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Lockheed Lockheed Martin (LM-100J)
First flight	April 20, 1964 (L-100) May 25, 2017 (LM-100J)
Introduction	September 30, 1965
Status	In limited service for cargo transport (L-100) Flight testing (LM-100J)
Primary users	Indonesian Air Force Safair Lynden Air Cargo Transafrik International
Produced	1964–1992, 2018– (LM-100J planned)
Number built	114
Developed from	Lockheed C-130 Hercules Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules

The Lockheed L-100 Hercules is a special cargo airplane. It is a civilian version of the famous C-130 Hercules military transport plane. The Lockheed Corporation built it. The first L-100 flew in 1964.

Later, longer versions called L-100-20 and L-100-30 were made. Production of the L-100 ended in 1992. A total of 114 planes were delivered. A newer version, the LM-100J, had its first flight in 2017. It was planned to start being built around 2018–2019.

How the L-100 Hercules Was Developed
Different Versions of the L-100
Who Uses the L-100 Hercules?
- Civilian Operators
- Military Operators
L-100-30 Specifications
Accidents Involving the L-100 Hercules
Images for kids
See also

How the L-100 Hercules Was Developed

In 1959, an airline called Pan American World Airways wanted 12 large cargo planes. These planes were named GL-207 Super Hercules. Another airline, Slick Airways, also ordered six of them. These planes were supposed to be much longer than the military C-130B.

However, both airlines later canceled their orders. So, Lockheed decided to build a commercial plane based on the C-130E Hercules. This was a military plane, but they removed all the military parts.

The first L-100 prototype airplane flew on April 20, 1964. This first flight lasted for 25 hours and 1 minute. It was the longest first flight for a commercial aircraft at that time. The plane was officially approved on February 16, 1965.

Twenty-one L-100 planes were then built. The first one was delivered on September 30, 1965. It went to a company called Continental Air Services.

Sales of the first L-100 were slow. Because of this, Lockheed developed two new, longer versions. These were the L-100-20 and the L-100-30. These new versions were bigger and more efficient. In total, 114 L-100 planes were delivered before production stopped in 1992.

Some L-100-20 planes were used by Delta Air Lines. They flew scheduled cargo flights between 1968 and 1973.

Lockheed Martin later started working on a new civilian version. It was based on the Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules. This project was put on hold in 2000. The company wanted to focus on building military planes instead.

But on February 3, 2014, Lockheed Martin officially restarted the LM-100J program. They hoped to sell about 75 of these new planes. Lockheed saw the LM-100J as a great replacement for the older L-100 planes.

Pallas Aviation was the first company to use the LM-100J. They planned to operate two planes from Fort Worth Alliance Airport in the United States starting in 2019. By early 2022, three LM-100J aircraft owned by Pallas were flying many flights. They flew between Ramstein Air Base and other military airfields in Europe.

Different Versions of the L-100

The L-100 Hercules has several different versions, called variants. These civilian versions are like the C-130E military model. But they do not have extra fuel tanks under the wings or military equipment.

L-100 (Model 382): This was the first prototype. It had four Allison 501-D22 engines. It first flew in 1964.
L-100 (Model 382B): This was the main production version.
L-100-20 (Model 382E and Model 382F): This version was longer. It was approved in 1968. It had a new section added to the front of the plane, about 5 meters long. Another section, about 3 feet 4 inches long, was added to the back.
L-100-30 (Model 382G): This was an even longer version. It had an extra fuselage section added. This section was about 6 feet 8 inches long.
LM-100J (Model 382J): This is an updated civilian version. It is based on the military C-130J-30 model.
L-400 Twin Hercules: This was a planned version with only two engines. It was supposed to share many parts with the standard C-130. However, this aircraft was never built. The idea was put aside in the mid-1980s.

Who Uses the L-100 Hercules?

Many different groups use the L-100 Hercules. They are used by both civilian companies and military forces around the world.

Civilian Operators

In March 2011, 36 Lockheed L-100 Hercules planes were being used by commercial companies. Some of the main users included:

Lynden Air Cargo (10 planes)
Transafrik (5 planes)
Libyan Arab Air Cargo (3 planes)

Other companies also used a smaller number of these aircraft.

Military Operators

In May 2011, 35 Lockheed L-100 planes were used by military groups. These included:

Indonesian Air Force (8 planes in service)
Libyan Air Force (5 planes)
Algerian Air Force (3 planes)
Kuwait Air Force (3 L-100-30 planes)
Peruvian Air Force (3 planes)
Philippine Air Force (4 planes)
Saudi Arabian Airlines (3 L-100-30 planes for Royal Flight)

Other countries also used a few L-100s, such as Gabon, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Ecuador, and Mexico.

L-100-30 Specifications

The L-100-30 Hercules is a large cargo plane. It can carry a lot of weight and fly long distances.

Crew: It needs 3 or 4 people to fly it. This includes two pilots, a navigator, and a flight engineer or loadmaster.
Capacity: It can carry up to 51,050 pounds (23,150 kg) of cargo.
Length: The plane is about 112 feet 9 inches (34.35 meters) long.
Wingspan: The distance from one wingtip to the other is about 132 feet 7 inches (40.4 meters).
Height: It stands about 38 feet 3 inches (11.66 meters) tall.
Max Takeoff Weight: When fully loaded, it can weigh up to 155,000 pounds (70,300 kg).
Engines: It has four turboprop engines called Allison 501-D22A. Each engine provides 4,510 horsepower.
Max Speed: It can fly as fast as 354 miles per hour (570 km/h) at a height of 20,000 feet.
Cruise Speed: Its normal flying speed is about 336 miles per hour (541 km/h).
Range: It can fly about 1,535 miles (2,470 km) without needing to refuel.
Ferry Range: For longer trips without cargo, it can fly up to 5,554 miles (8,939 km).
Ceiling: The highest it can fly is about 23,000 feet (7,000 meters).
Climb Rate: It can climb at a rate of 1,830 feet per minute (9.3 meters per second).

Accidents Involving the L-100 Hercules

Like many aircraft, the L-100 Hercules has been involved in some accidents.

On April 8, 1987, an L-100-30 plane from Southern Air Transport crashed. This happened during an attempted landing at Travis Air Force Base in California. All 5 people on board died.
On September 2, 1991, another Southern Air Transport L-100-20 was badly damaged. This happened during takeoff from Wau Airport. The 5 people on board survived with injuries.
On September 23, 1994, a Heavylift Cargo Service L-100-30 crashed near Kai Tak International Airport in Hong Kong. Six of the 12 people on board died.
On August 25, 2008, a Philippine Air Force L-100-20 crashed into the sea. This happened shortly after takeoff from Davao City. Nine crew members and two passengers were on board.
On May 20, 2009, an Indonesian Air Force L-100-30 crashed into homes. The plane caught fire, and at least 98 people died. The plane was carrying over 100 passengers and crew. It was flying from Jakarta to Papua.

Images for kids

A Tepper Aviation L-100-30 taking off from Mojave Spaceport, California
A Safair Lockheed L-100-30
A Lockheed L-100-20 of Delta Air Lines operating a freight flight from Atlanta Hartsfield Airport, Georgia
A SFair L-100
A diagram showing different views of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.