The last great Ecuadorian Hercules

This is the úlast great Hercules Ecuadorian, the L-100 of the Force AéEcuadorian area foodíFAE-893 continues to operate at the service of all Ecuadorians.

Con más de 40 añus or úlast Hercules operational in Ecuador continuedúa operating in Force Aérea, which is located próxima to celebrate its centenary of institutional life to the service and protección of the país.

During the health emergency that the país and the world around COVID-19, The Armed Forces have been key to maintaining order in the countryíyes and alsoén in the airplanesáutico have been key in the transportation of security personnel, compatriots, mémedicines and, above all, inputsédicos.

Given the current panorama or misión, días atrás an avi made the newsón in particular. It's avióIt was nothingás and nothing less than the úlast Ecuadorian Hercules whoún flies in the país, the FAE-893, where I receivedí endless questions about this avión as speed máxima, añthose of service, manufacturingón, etc.

Look foré in this post-tribute talk about this L-100 (correct model of the FAE-893) some of its history and a little más of details of what all the Hercules that arrived at the country have beenís since the 70s.

The Ecuadorian Hercules

The history of Force AéEcuadorian area indicates that the país receivedó the first C-130 as an avión heavy transport 12 July 1977 within a collaboration agreementón between the United States and Ecuador, which from that moment on I fulfilledó troop transport missions, skydiving, load and connect to mainland Ecuador with Galápayments with the endowmentón of provisions básic.

The glorious Hercules have accomplished outstanding missions, especially in the conflicts bélics of 1981 and 1995 performing log transportístico de tropas e dotación for the battle front, más other important actions in emergencies such as the Baha earthquakesíto in 1998 and of Manabí at 2016, repatriationón, humanitarian flights and other missions at the service of Ecuador.

We consult with the historian Guido Cháturn to know meás details of these planes and for example he told usó about the legend that says that even one of the Hercules that arrived from the United States, tenía aún the traces of some bullet wounds from their missions during the Vietnam War.

Records

The different Hercules that operated in Ecuador based on Guido Ch's recordámaybe they are the following:

*Approximate data.

The FAE-893 úlast Ecuadorian Hercules

The Lockheed Hercules L-100-30 (L-382G) It was constructed in 1976, with núconstruction groupón 382-4893, he is a grandfatherón multi-engine fixed-wing aircraft powered 4 turbo-prop engines of the Allison T56 model and is the úlast operating in Ecuador.

The verseón L-100 is a versionóelongated n (until 4.55 metros más) of the C-130E that we know militarily, but whose objective was to create a versionón civil requested by Pan Am in 1959, even though this airídon't canceló the request, Lockheed continuó with the program and buildó until 1992 a total of 114 aircraft of this versionón.

At least 70 version planesón L-100 continústill operating for civil and military operators around the world, among them Safair, First Air, Force AéIndonesia area, Philippines, Libya, Perú, Argentina, obviously Ecuador and others.

This particular aircraft, I remainedó for a time in Old Quito Airport on state of conservationón, until heñO 2012 the FAE decidedó reactivate the aircraft, for which he was transferred ferry flight to Latacunga, so that in the DIAF workshops it will be fine-tuned again.

The 7 May 2018, it's aviónotó for your más recent maintenance process, in which it was carried outó a complete service in whichó an inspectionófull number of wings, stabilizers, engines, undercarriage, visual inspections and non-destructive testing, hydro systemsáulicos, theécitrus and others, process that takes place approximately every 6 añthose of service.

Characterísticas básic

• Crewón: Cinco (of the pilots, a navigator, a flight engineer and a loadmaster).
• Ability:
  • troop transport: 92 soldiers ó 64 skydivers.
  • Evacueesón métip: 74 camillas.
  • Cargo transport: 6 pallets.
  • vehicle transportíglasses: 2–3.
• Speed ​​máxima: 592 km/h
• cruising speed: 540 km/h
• Scope: 3800 km
• flight ceiling: 10 058 m vacíO; 7010 m con 19 t of load.

Another Hercules in Ecuador

Possibly, few know that it existedó another Hercules flying in Ecuador and that was not military, it is treatedó of the L-100 of the then Aerolínea Área, with marriageíNorth American cylinder N9267R. This aircraft crashedó on 1966 on the amazon trackónica of Macuma after a fire occurred after the aircraft sank on the runway before takeoff.

A childñor tribute, más how deserved, al úlast Ecuadorian Hercules.