Monday, February 13, 2017

Its Lockheed but its cool...the story of Lockheed L-100 circa 1964

The first flight of the first Lockheed L-100, the commercial version of the C-130 Hercules airlifter, was memorable, and also very l-o-n-g. On 20 April 1964, company Chief Production Pilot Joe Garrett took off from the Lockheed facility in Marietta, Georgia, and landed the aircraft (named One World Hercules, civil registered N1130E) on the same runway an incredible 25 hours and 1 minute later. The crew flew all but 36 minutes of the flight with the two outboard engines shut down, as shown here. The milestone flight, which consisted of a racetrack patter over Georgia and Alabama, was made at what the company called a “loitering speed” 130 mph. The L-100 was developed from the C-130E and certified by the FAA as a commercial freighter on 16 February 1965. The L-100 demonstrator was later taken on a world tour and was delivered to Alaska Airlines. lockheedmartin.com/codeone

Hmm.  I don't see a tactical application for what they accomplished but to be able to fly for more than 24 hours?  Pretty impressive airmanship!

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