The C-130 Hercules Gunship has the record for being the heaviest and biggest aircraft to land on an aircraft carrier.

When the Korean War started in June 1950 it illustrated that the performance of some transport aircrafts like the C-119 Flying Boxcars and C-46 Commandos were insufficient. In February 2 1951, the United States Air Force released a General Operating Requirement for a new transport aircraft. It was issued to aircraft companies like Boeing, Fairchild, North American, Northrop, Lockheed, Martin Company and Airlifts Incorporated. The transport aircraft would be capable of accommodating 92 passengers or 64 paratroopers, can fly with one engine stopped, and can reach a range of 1100 nautical miles.

The Martin Company, Fairchild, Northrop and North American refused to join. The companies, who agreed, proposed nine designs. The Lockheed submitted two designs, Boeing submitted one, Douglas submitted three and the Airlifts Incorporated submitted one. The design proposals were a tight fight between the Lockheed Company and the Douglas. A 130 page proposal for Lockheed L-206 was submitted by the Lockheed team that was led by Willis Hawkins. The president and chief engineer of Lockheed, Hall Hibbard, noticed the proposal and gave it to Kelly Johnson. Hall Hibbard and Kelly Johnson signed the proposal and got the contract designated Model 82 in July 2 1951.

In August 23, 1954, the YC-130 prototype made its first flight from the Lockheed plant in California. Its serial number was 53-3397 and it was the second prototype but the first to fly. Stanley Beltz and Roy Wimmer were the pilots of the prototype and Jack Real and Dick Stanton were the flight engineers.