The Hercules, also known as Fat Albert (after an American comic book character) entered service with the RAF in 1967. It is a 4 engined tactical support aircraft capable of carrying up to 92 ground troops, 64 paratroops, 74 stretcher cases or a variety of vehicles and freight up to 20 tons in weight over distances of up to 4,600 miles at speeds in excess of 370 knots. More than 2,200 C-130's have been built during this, the longest production run of a particular aircraft in history. It is an extremely versatile aircraft and is used by more than 60 of the world's air forces.

Currently, the Hercules fleet is made up from, Mk 1, Mk 3 (stretched) C130-K's, and Mk4 (stretched) and Mk 5 C130-J aircraft. The original ‘stretch’ modification, carried out in 1980, added an extra 15 feet of fuselage. The aircraft was split into 3 parts and 2 extra sections were added; one behind the cockpit, and one just in front of the ramp at the rear. This increased the volume of the cargo compartment by 37%.

The 'J' model Hercules entered service in 1998 and is the latest version of this legendary airlifter. A quick glance at its instantly recognisable silhouette may lead the unwary into thinking that it looks the same as the earlier variant, but this cloak of familiarity conceals a completely different beast.

The flight deck has been completely revised to provide the 3-man crews with a state of the art 'glass cockpit' environment. The incorporation of multi-function, flat screen, displays has significantly reduced the number of dials that were in the earlier variants and are complemented by head-up displays, which present a wealth of flight management information directly into the pilot's field of view as he scans the skies around him.