MC-130J Hercules that Can Swim 

The things these planes can be adapted for is remarkable. A true work horse if there ever was one

Saw this when AFSOC announced it a little while ago. And I remain very excited. The water is essentially the last place the the Herc hasn't gone (excluding carrier trials), and I'm excited to see her take on this new challenge. She is certainly the most versatile aircraft ever made.

I recall seeing drawings of floats on a Herc in the C-130 maintenance manual twenty years ago. I was told it was never tried, but it was designed with it in mind.

Everyone wants to be a fighter pilot but imagine flying some of these giant aircraft! Especially in some of the more covert roles. Would be exciting as hell

honestly, the use that stands out the most for me is using it to rapidly deploy UUVs (drone subs), rapidly move in until just outside of radar range and deploy the sub in the dead of night, would help deal with both the time the sub would take to move to a location along with help dealing with the range limit.

It's amazing to see the advancements of the SOF C-130s. Back in the 80s I was at Lockheed Ontario as an engineer on the AC-130H SOFI Update program. The tech in the new SOF C-130 aircraft is absolutely mind blowing. Thank you for the awesome video. Long live the Herc!

I love the C-130! I got to work on them back the 80's and love to watch them evolve. .

G'day Dark, When I joined the RAAF, in the early 70s, one of our operational C-130 squadrons was still flying the A model Hercules. It still had its RAAF delivery paint scheme, having arrived in Australia during the early 60s. When we had USAF aircraft visiting our base, the American servicemen and women would wander over to one of our A models and marvel at a Herc they'd either never heard of before or only knew to be an exhibit in an aviation museum back in the States. Australia was the first foreign country to purchase the Hercules. While our A models were working hard and being maintained as well as an F1 racing car; our Herc pilots were still being called 'Truck Drivers' by, generally younger, fast jet jockeys. Then we got our E models a significant improvement over the A models but the 'As' weren't giving up so easily. For a time there was no reason to be rid of them; they looked and worked like new. Then we started to hear about H model Hercs on the horizon. Next, a sad thing happened. Seemingly, overnight, our A models were parked up at the dead end of a taxiway at RAAF Laverton and just sat there. The civvie bean counters began to ponder ways of disposing of the old 'girls'. A few ended up in the hands of some suspect, dodgy individuals or companies. I forget the details; all I recall was how sad they looked just sitting there, out in the rain, cold, sun and heat of Melbourne's changeable weather patterns. They were passing away slowly. It was sad, like making your grandmother live in a tent in the backyard rather than the plush nursing home she deserved. Still, time marches on. Just after I left the Service, we got the H models and, eventually the bigger, much better and more versatile J models. But even these now have two bigger sisters, the C-17s and their slightly smaller sister, the Spartans. Your video on a future 'amphibious C-130' really caught my attention and imagination. There I was, all those years ago worrying that we might be seeing the last of our beloved Hercs. How silly was that. I don't think the C-130 will ever leave us, in one form or another. One really hopes that the developers of the 'sea going Herc' are consulting with the institutional memory and data from companies and even any old hands who used to work on float planes, 'flying boats' and various other forms of aircraft that spend time on the water. I'll bet Sydney to a brick that if there is a hold up on the 'amphibious Herc' it will be for only one reason; the US Navy will, wake up one day and decide they want to be the driver of this 'sea going' Hercules. Historically, this has happened so many times in the annals of American military aviation. Whoever ends up as the Big Boss of the Hercules with 'flippers' it really won't matter because it will mean that the wonderful, miraculous C-130 with a big nose that only a mother would love, will still be flying around the globe long after I've gone to the big hangar in the sky. And that makes me feel great. If there is ever going to be the last air battle of the last day of the last war, chances are that there will C-130s and B-52s involved in some shape or form. The grand old Herc, the only military aircraft I can think of that's saved more lives than its taken will be around 'forever'... whatever that is. Thanks, Dark. I'll sign off now before I get all misty! Cheers, mate! BH

I wish Lockheed Martin would go all out and make a twin hauled C130 amphibious monster like the old Italian Marchetti. Perhaps even place two Rolls-Royce powerplants back to back in-between the two "hauls". If you want to dominate why just "dip your foot at the pool"?

I used to love watching the C130’s take off at MCAS Cherry Point in Havelock NC. We’d stand on top of the tower bldg and watch how the wind would twirl behind the props. We were up there painting the railing and the top of the sides.

Finally, an upgrade/replacement to the PBY Catalina!

Thank you for the circle and arrow, never would have found the plane without them

Decades ago there was talk of building a C-130 with a "boat" hull, using a retractable hydrofoil to help with take offs and landings.

I love that you had a clip of one of the aircraft heading through The Mach Loop in North Wales, an excellent viewing spot for military aircraft that pass level and below where you can stand in the Valleys. Great video yet again. Thank you. ✌️😎

Lockheed has studied this issue for decades. Somewhere out there is a document on the design from the 70s, released by Lockheed and revisited every 10 years or so. I'd love to see it actually happen this time.

I think we are planning on combining this with the cruse missile racks we've got for them. They can move often to be hard to target, and provid a kind of second strike capability if the bases are taken our my ballistic, or hypersonic missiles.

Yep thats gonna be a much needed platform here in the near future.

I remember loading in a c-130 heading to Kosovo. Loud but a killer AC system.

The swiss army knife of the sky. If they were to say that we're making a submersible version or vertical takeoff version I'd believe it!

C-130 The Barbie Doll of airplanes. Need it to do a job? Slap on an accessory. Awesome! That plane will never retire.

This aircraft never ceases to amaze.

The Curtis Commando C-46 dates from 1940, so is definitely a WW2 aircraft. It just wasn't as popular as it had a annoying habit of catching fire and exploding.

I got to sit in the pilots seat, as a young teen, in a Canadian C-130 variant outfitted for Arctic environments. They are amazingly versatile aircraft that I can see outliving even the last B-52s. This aircraft, and the F-117, at the air show was a major reason I got my multi-engine aircraft & helicopter licenses later on in life. There’s nothing like the feeling of being in control of an aircraft.

Now that is cool! That airplane just keeps on being reborn. DC3 of the 20th and 21st century!😊🇺🇸

MC-130J is such a badass addition

I flew on one of the older C-130's in 1966 from Germany to New York. They have come a long way. When I was on one you faced the rear on web seats. That flight seemed like it took forever. But it beat coming back home on a ship like I went. I swore I would never get on another ship. Anyone ever crossed the North Atlantic to England in the winter? Never again.

Well done. Thanks for the video.

Still better than any Cruise Ship!

I remember the C-130 back in Thailand and that kingdom north of it back in the 1960's and '70's. The C-130A was a great improvement. The noise went way down!

Great music that matches the subject!

I wish the US would order Shin Ma Waa U2 amphibians. They are excellent aircraft and we need to support their narrow base to keep them afloat. The would be an excellent aircraft for firefighting, the can scoop water and land on land or sea.

The 130 is one of the greatest aircraft in history.

Thats an awesome concept.

One airplane that's earned it's place.keeps on keepin on.

Well, I will be waiting to see this. I have been working Depot Maintenance on C-130's for a few years. Seen most of them, it would love to see this particular one.

I need some of these in my life!

THE DAY OF THE HUGE FLYING BOAT HAS RETURNED! GLORY BE TO SAUNDERS ROE!

All they have to look at are the RCAF CC-138 Twin Otters, they are convertible from land to float to ski aircraft and have been in use for over 40 years with the RCAF.

A C-130 seaplane sounds like.A really cool idea!

Hercules 👏 Hercules 👏 Hercules!!

Considering how much damage near peer enemies can do spreading out forces and having alternative landing sites is a good idea.

When landing an aircraft carrier wasn't enough for the already legendary Hercules

Back in the seventies or even earlier, Lanier Models built a seaplane version in a model that had a boat hull onto a C-130 airframe. It was a demo for Lockheed to test if it could work It was in several model magazines at the time. It flew fine as a model, but the project was dropped back then. They even got inquiries for a kit to build one for fun, but it wasn't to happen.

Interesting idea.

Great recreational vehicle!!!

Great content as always! Keep in mind to add the "end quote".

Super information

I was on the edges of a Navy project in the late 90s to develop an amphibian C-130 for special ops use. Some of the still pictures shown in the video were from that projects info package. Two designs were developed. Both mounted to the landing gear axles after the wheels were removed and had their own retractable landing gear and hydraulics. One design was a conventional float and the other was shaped like a pumpkin seed. Scale models were built and tested at a Navy hydrological facility in MD and showed both designs would allow landing and take off in sea state 3. The Navy abandoned the project because their C-130 H Model derivatives (C-130T) didn’t have the power for takeoff and they had no plans to purchase the more powerful C-130J. Most of the engineering has already been done. All that is needed is money to make it happen.

Best aircraft I’ve ever flown on.

Now I thought the Chinook was the longest in service production aircraft coming from the 50s,. They should have never gotten rid of the Martin float planes effectively they were c-130

I'd put a whole mess of sensors in those long floats. Air borne optics or radar , laser and so on. And with these being designed as removable/interchangeable additions to the airframe it makes sense right?

I always reckoned that you could build a waterproof flying boat shell around the herc's fuselage, and make a modern equivalent of the 1930s flying boats. Although this plan is likely simpler, although less elegant.

Lockheeds most successful Airframe EVER . Built right the First time .

Cool! :)

Great video....sounds like an ad for Lockheed Martin :-)

I saw drawings of this concept nearly 30 years ago and always thought it'd be awesome to see fly some day. The problems though is in the weight and drag of these massive pontoons, especially if they put retractable landing gear in them. Every ounce you put on the outside of the aircraft takes an ounce away from the available cargo and fuel lifting capability of the aircraft. Also, every additional bit of drag cuts down on the range of the aircraft. The ski equipped 130's used by NYANG to fly logistical support for the US Antarctic Program, (USAP), have a shorter maximum range and lower cargo max weight limits than they do with the skis removed. Still, it'd be cool to see.

The Grumman HU-16 Albatross is making a modern comeback. Renderings of the new bird show a crate that is virtually identical to the original but with turbo props a simplified landing gear and a smoother rivetless skin.

YES! Now build a C-130 with foldable wings, and rear stabilizers structure, which can be brought down by the aircraft elevators, and towed into the hanger deck on the aircraft carriers. AND THEN make the aircraft to somehow convert to land on water, to make big ship survivor rescues far from land. A true C-130 ‘Transformer’! Oh Yeah!

I wonder if they could take inflatable tech to make inflatable floats, cutting back on flight drag & potentially creating a standard water landing module that can be incorporated as standard.... Or at least a compact external pod.

FYI: Several of the 'improvements' you refer to, were done in the 1960s with 7 SOS/15 SOS, albeit that days technology; we had ECMOs, IRCM, TFR. I had to chuckle when you said leaflet missions-we did that quite a bit in the late '60s. We probably provided TP for many a NVA!!

Your voice over is getting way better...thanks for the video.

ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE HERC. C-130 rolling down the strip. plane load of killers on a one way trip. Stand up, hook up, shuffle to the door. Jump right out on the count of four. if my chute don't open wide. I got a reserve on my side.

I really miss working on C-130s

It's not every day that an aviation story or project can truly shock me, but this one shocked the shit out of me. Wow! I think the last time I really felt shocked was when I saw on Dark Skies a that the U2 spy plane had some limited aircraft carrier capability. Mind blowing. Before that... I can't even recall one on this level. And even that U2 story wasn't as shocking as this.

In order to skip the redundant stock file photos and backstory history of the C-130, cut to 5:55 for the parts about the floatplane variant. See also the '50s Chase/Stroukoff YC-134. Upgraded C-123, with strengthened and sealed hull (like an airplane, not a boat hull). with BLC and blown flaps for STOL, and two flat skis just ahead of where a step would be. On skis, it operated from pavement, unimproved ground, sand, swamp/mud & water, ice/snow.

This video is much better when your sitting here recognizing tail numbers that you worked on.

I love all your videos because every video I watch I have learned something new that I thought I knew and was probably wrong about the great work Women and men because I truly do learn something new every video 🙏🏻 😘😘💕🙌🏻💯

kewlness!

Damn the hercules is the swiss army knife of aircraft

If I had not served as a herc crew chief I would never have believed this .

I worked on these awesome planes 30 years ago . . . Hard to see how anyone can add a giant pontoon to the bottom (with wheels) w/out *dragging her down* to utter inefficiency ! They might need some kind of deployable / restowable architecture to pull-off this 'miracle' ??

One hell of a drag.

The c130 is the Marine corps air bus. Can't even count how many times we've strapped in.

It's a wonder the Navy hasn't done this for their turbo prop planes. Though the Air Force supports all JSOC units, so I reckon the don't really need to if the Air Force is building one.

Curious whether they'd be better off working with 'conformal pontoons' similar to low-drag fighter auxiliary fuel tanks? Seems like it would make MORE sense to simply use the existing landing gear retraction - extension as a way to extend pontoons and then retract the pontoons up against the lower fuselage to cut drag.

Gen Slife is pronounced like sly-fe rhyming with knife (slife) not silfie. I had a friend who was his comm exec and I have been in AFSOC for 4 years now working with the AC-130J and have been with the C-130 EH&Js since 2008. Fantastic aircraft probably the most versatile aircraft in history that continues to expand in its capabilities.

The Herc is the best airframe ever made

Could certainly see this being quite useful in the Pacific and South China Sea.

We've really gone full circle with military aircraft

They crew on the surf board that guards it. Shifts into catch mode as they come in latch on and finish the landing

His would be perfect for cost guard and or a passenger civilian island clipper variant!

Perfect for Australia. Ideal for logistics in a country with so much water.

will they change the turboprop engine design? like a bit of tilt for the engines?

Awesome 🤩 I have always loved this plane. Seals and SF, will put them to good use. Ghost Rider Gunship ready and waiting for pick up! 💪⚔️🎯💥☠️ Out Fuc☠️ing Standing! 👍😊

Would be interesting to see how big of waves this plane can land and take off from considering the design of it's pontoons.

Rapid Dragon combined with seaplanes.

This capability is long overdue in being restored should this go through. Lockheed proposed a true boat hull, fully amphibious version years ago.

I so want to see a herc on floats !!!

Yes

The DC3 had floats attached at one point, the floats were gargantuan.

Would make a great fishing rig.

What got me is the Refueling Version can be quickly converted from refueling to cargo transport and back again fairly quickly. The fuel tank is a big plastic bottle that takes up the cargo hold.

I never landed in a C-130. Jumped out every time. Kind of funny to me now, 30+ years on.

I have 1 word to print.Wow

sweet , test them here in Kodiak . we dig amphibs

Makes me think of the old Cats of WWII fame

damn u can deploy a whole platoon on ribs with this C-130 mod

The Marine Corps needs these take the place of their KC 130s

At the base of the vertical tail, there appears to be a small black patch. What is this? At first I thought it was a window, but I realized its not transparent

Everybody gansta till gunship stars swimming