Hercules on an Aircraft Carrier

No arresting cable. No assisted take-off.

In October 1963, the U.S. Navy landed a four-engine C-130 Hercules on the aircraft carrier Forrestal 500 miles off the coast of New Hampshire. Its' 132-foot wing span cleared the control tower by just 15 feet.

The US Navy concluded it would be possible to lift 25,000 pounds of cargo 2,500 miles and land it on a carrier. But ultimately the US Navy decided to use the smaller C-2 Greyhound in the COD (Carrier Onboard Delivery) role.

The Hercules was, and still is, the largest and heaviest aircraft to land on an aircraft carrier.

Thanks AviationVids.com