FAB says Goodbye to C-130 after nearly 59 years
On 29 February 2024 and with due ceremony, the Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB, Brazilian Air Force) said goodbye to their faithful workhorse, the C-130 Hercules.
During its service life that started in November 1965, it enabled FAB to support its Antarctic mission, air bases spread around the vast country, relief flights throughout the world, paratroopers and aerial refuelling. In all, FAB received 29 different airframes.
The first ones were nine C-130Es followed by three SC-130 SAR variants (originally RC-130Es). Five of these E-models were upgraded to H standard. In the early years the SAR aircraft were painted in an attractive white/grey colour scheme with large yellow dayglowmarkings.
Later, brown/green/green camouflage was used. Lately, the Herks were either green/grey camouflaged, or grey. Eight H-variants followed in the mid-seventies including two KC-130 tankers. The last to be inducted were ten former Aeronautica Militare (ItAF, Italian Air Force) C-130H models.
The fleet was kept up to date by various upgrade programmes, most important was the C-130M programme that saw fourteen airframes equipped with, among other things, a glass cockpit. During its service lives, seven aircraft were lost due to accidents. Over the last decade, more and more aircraft were being withdrawn from use and auctioned off. As far as we know, only three aircraft remained operational in 2024, KC-130M 2362 and C-130M 2472 and 2473.
New pride of the FAB is the KC-390 and that has been gradually, or should we say slowly ..., replacing the Hercules. To date, seven were delivered and with a scheduled entry of one each year until 2033 and two in 2034 to bring the total to nineteen, the transport tasks will be fullfilled by both the C-105 (CASA 295) and KC-390 together.
Adeus amigo!
Overview of the Hercules fleet
| 2450 | C-130 (C-130E) | 382-4091 | 1°/1°GT | w/o 21dec69 |
| 2451 | C-130 (C-130E) | 382-4092 | preserved Cantagalo, RJ | l/n dec22 |
| 2452 | C-130 (C-130E) | 382-4093 | 1°/1°GT | w/o 26oct66 |
| 2453 | C-130 (C-130H) | 382-4113 | preserved Dos Afonsos, RJ | l/n mar23 |
| 2454 | C-130 (C-130E) | 382-4114 | stored Dos Afonsos, RJ | l/n dec02 |
| 2455 | C-130 (C-130H) | 382-4202 | 1°/1°GT | w/o 27sep01 |
| 2456 | C-130 (C-130H) | 382-4287 | preserved Cantagalo, RJ | l/n mar23 |
| 2457 | C-130 (C-130E) | 382-4290 | 1°/1°GT | w/o 24jun85 |
| 2458 | C-130 (SC-130) | 382-4291 | sold for scrap oct15 | |
| 2459 | C-130 (SC-130) | 382-4292 | sold for scrap may17 | |
| 2460 | SC-130 (RC-130) | 382-4293 | 1°/1°GT | w/o 14nov94 |
| 2461 | KC-130M (KC-130H) | 382-4625 | 1°/1°GT | wfu mar22 |
| 2462 | KC-130M (KC-130H) | 382-4636 | 1°/1°GT | |
| 2463 | C-130 (C-130H) | 382-4570 | preserved Cantagalo, RJ | l/n aug22 |
| 2464 | C-130M (C-130H) | 382-4602 | sold for scrap jan18 | |
| 2465 | C-130M (C-130H) | 382-4630 | stored Rio de Janeiro-Galeão, RJ | l/n oct22 |
| 2466 | C-130M (C-130H-2) | 382-4990 | stored Rio de Janeiro-Galeão, RJ | l/n oct22 |
| 2467 | C-130M (C-130H-2) | 382-4991 | stored Rio de Janeiro-Galeão, RJ | l/n feb24 |
| 2468 | C-130 (C-130H) | 382-4998 | 1°/1°GT | w/o 14dec87 |
| 2470 | C-130M (C-130H) | 382-4441 | V Força Aerea | w/o jan17 |
| 2471 | C-130M (C-130H) | 382-4446 | stored Galeão, RJ | l/n mar23 |
| 2472 | C-130 (C-130H) | 382-4452 | PAMA-GL | |
| 2473 | C-130M (C-130H) | 382-4451 | 1°/1°GT | |
| 2474 | C-130M (C-130H) | 382-4494 | stored Galeão, RJ | l/n oct22 |
| 2475 | C-130M (C-130H) | 382-4491 | stored Rio de Janeiro-Galeão, RJ | l/n apr23 |
| 2476 | C-130M (C-130H) | 382-4493 | 1°/1°GT | wfu mar23 |
| 2477 | C-130M (C-130H) | 382-4495 | stored Rio de Janeiro-Galeão, RJ | l/n feb24 |
| 2478 | C-130 (C-130H) | 382-4443 | scrapped Rio de Janeiro-Galeão, RJ | |
| 2479 | C-130M (C-130H) | 382-4449 | stored Galeão, RJ | l/n oct22 |
Credit photos: Sgt. Müller Marin/Força Aérea Brasileira
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