20–21 April 1964

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Lockheed L-100 Hercules N1130E, in flight. Both outboard engines are shut down and the propellers feathered. (Lockheed Martin)

20–21 April 1964: Nearly ten years after the first flight of the Lockheed YC-130 Hercules prototype, the Lockheed Model 382, serial number 3946, the commercial version of the military C-130E, made the longest first flight in history when it flew for 25 hours, 1 minute, after taking off from Marietta, Georgia.

The flight crew, led by Chief Production Pilot Joe Garrett, flew the Hercules in a racetrack pattern over Georgia and Alabama, and for all but 36 minutes of the flight, the outboard engines were shut down and their propellers feathered.

The Lockheed Model 382 was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration 16 February 1965.

Lockheed personnel celbrate the 25 hour, 1 minute first flight of the commercial L100 Hercules. (Lockheed Martin)
Lockheed personnel celebrate the 25 hour, 1 minute first flight of the commercial L-100 Hercules. (Lockheed Martin)

The L-382 was powered by four Allison 501-D22 turboprop engines, rated at 3,755 shaft horsepower at 13,820 r.p.m., and driving four-bladed Hamilton Standard Hydromatic constant-speed, reversible-pitch propellers with a diameter of 13 feet, 6 inches (4.115 meters). at 1,020 r.p.m.

Maximum operating altitude 32,600 feet (9.936 meters)

N1130E at Fairbanks, leased to Alaska Airlines. (Lockheed Martin)
N1130E at Fairbanks, leased to Alaska Airlines, 1965. (Lockheed Martin)

N1130E was retained by Lockheed as a demonstrator, however it was briefly leased to Alaska Airlines in March 1965, and returned the following month.

The L-382 was converted to the L382E-44K-20 standard in April 1968, with a 5 foot, 0 inch (1.524 meters) segment added to the fuselage behind the cockpit, and a 3 foot, 4 inch (1.016 meter) section behind the wing.

N1130E's fuselage was cut in two places to accommodate an 8 foot, 4 inch ( meter) stretch. (Lockheed Martin)
N1130E’s fuselage was cut in two places to accommodate an 8 foot, 4 inch (2.540 meter) stretch. (c-130hercules.net)
N1130E after conversion to the L100-20 configuration, at Lockheed-Burbank Airport, 1968. (Unattributed)
N1130E after conversion to the L100-20 configuration, at Lockheed-Burbank Airport, 1968. (c-130hercules.net)

N1130E was leased to Delta Air Lines in October 1968, and returned after six months.

Lockheed sold N1130E to Pepsico Airlease Corporation, who leased the freighter to Flying W Airways. It was reregistered as N50FW. In March 1973 Pepsico sold it to Philippine Aerotransport and it was operated for the Philippine government, first as PI-97, then RP-97, and finally, RP-C97. The Hercules was placed in storage in March 1981. With a total flight time of 13,144.8 hours, it was scrapped 18 February 2014.

The first commercial Lockheed L-100, s/n 3946, in service with the Republic of the Philippines. (Ken Fielding via flickr)
The first commercial Lockheed L-100, s/n 3946, in service with the Republic of the Philippines. (Ken Fielding via flickr)

After sixty-four years, the Lockheed Hercules remains in production, and both military and civil versions are in service worldwide.

Lockheed Martin Model 382J Super Hercules (Lockheed Martin)
Lockheed Martin Model 382J Super Hercules, N100J. (Lockheed Martin)

© 2018, Bryan R. Swopes

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About Bryan Swopes

Bryan R. Swopes grew up in Southern California in the 1950s–60s, near the center of America's aerospace industry. He has had a life-long interest in aviation and space flight. Bryan is a retired commercial helicopter pilot and flight instructor.

16 thoughts on “20–21 April 1964”

  1. Having operated as a Flight Engineer on C130A-E-H models I have many very fond memories of these wonderful aircraft. That the type is still in production and has been used in a myriad of roles is testament to the durability, adaptability and reliability of the mighty C130. Well done Lockheed, long may the C130 dominate military airlift fleets worldwide.

    2. 62 years in production must be a record.
      Almost everyone who has been involved with Hercs is very loyal to them.
      I was an airframe fitter on the As and Es you were on Tony

      1. When my Dad and I worked at Lockheed-Burbank in the late ’60s there was some discussion that the company would be able to end production on the Herc soon and free up production capacity for other projects. Well, the Burbank plant is long since turned into a shopping center, but Marietta keeps pushing Herky-Birds out the door. 🙂

  2. Most sources list the first flight as a 1-hour, 25-minute flight. Where did the 25 hours, 1 minute flight time come from?

    1. “Most sources”? Really???

      I’ll give you a hint: Look at the second photograph. 🙂 Seriously, the information came from a Lockheed Martin publication.

      1. It’s a fact. I was there. Joe Garrett, the pilot had a bet with Chief Flight Test Pilot Leo Sullivan that he could keep her up for over 24 hours on its first flight. Leo lost the bet!!!

  3. There is some great video footage somewhere of a C-130 taking off from a carrier deck at sea….

  4. Loved working on these great planes. I started on AC-130, tail number 129 and left AFSOC with my Squadron retiring it’s C-130P’s.

  5. I think the location of N1130E in front of the hangar is at SFO vice BUR… the lettering on the mountains in the background appear to be “South San Francisco the Industrial City” which is visible from SFO…

    2. Actually those hills behind N1130E look exactly like the Verdugo Mountains that are NE of BUR. Also, the hangars look exactly like the old Lockheed hangers I worked in for 16 years 1995-2010 on the south side of 08-26. The only thing I am not sure of is whether there were similar hangars on the east side of 15-33 since that area had been demolished and cleared out before my time at KBUR.

      1. Ken, I worked in one of those hangars (Building 309) on the east side of Burbank Airport, 1969–1970. Yes. That is definitely Burbank Airport in the first color photograph.

  6. I have 6,000hrs in the Herc. 4,000 of those are in the L-382 (L-100-30 stretch) world wide and 2,000 in the KC-130F for the Marines. Love that bird!

  7. Great article, Bryan. My best friend flew Hercs as a “trash hauler,” in “Nam. He really loved that bird. Fortunately, I was able to give him a copy of the “Four Horseman” demo team before he passed.

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