Lockheed C-130E Hercules

The C-130 on display was retired from active duty on Feb 2, 2004 and flew its final flight to the Air Mobility Command Museum.

A four-engine, turboprop powered, tactical airlift aircraft capable of operating from austere airfields. Over 40 foreign countries operate C-130s. The US Air Force, Coast Guard, Navy, Marines and Air National Guard operate C-130s. The Delaware Air Guard in Wilmington operates a fleet of C-130H models. 2004 marked the 50th anniversary of the first flight of a C-130 and new models are rolling off the assembly lines today. C-130s have been flown on every continent, landed and taken off from an aircraft carrier, operated with skis, and have been used to haul every conceivable type of cargo.

The extended range C-130E model entered service in 1962 after it was developed as an interim long-range transport for the Military Air Transport Service. Essentially a B-model, the new designation was the result of the installation of 1,360 US gal (5,150 l) Sargent Fletcher external fuel tanks under each wings (mid-section) and more powerful Allison T-56-A-7A turboprops. The E model also featured structural improvements, avionics upgrades and a higher gross weight.