1507 - New C-130E Hercules arrives in Poland

The Polish Air Force recently took delivery of another C-130E Hercules - this example has Polish serial 1507. The Hercules passed through RAF Mildenhall in the UK at the end of September 2010 in USAF colours as serial 21856 callsign REACH 104 - it arrived at Powidz air base in Poland on 1st October 2010 and was re-painted with Polish Air Force roundels and new serial 1507.

1507 arrived at Krakow, Poland on 24th October 2010 for a few days of para dropping - this Hercules was built by Lockheed with c/n 3820 was operated with the USAF as 62-1856 for almost 48 years  - the final USAF unit to fly this veteran Herc was the 61 Airlift Squadron ( 61 AS ) as Little Rock, Arkansas.

1507  - photo courtesy Polish Air Force website - http://www.sp.mil.pl/

The Polish Air Force purchased five re-conditioned 1970 vintage C-130E Hercules to be numbered 1501 - 1505 - the overhaul process has taken longer than expected and only 1501 and 1502 have so far arrived -  so the USAF loaned an additional aircraft to Poland in November 2009 as serial 1506. Unfortunately 1506 was badly damaged when it clipped the side of a mountain in Afghanistan in February 2010 just 3 months after delivery.

The recently arrived 1507 fills the gap.

Photo Link below to C-130E Hercules 1507 at Krakow on 24.10.10

http://iv.pl/images/48890206441424548769.jpg