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

Polish Air Force C-130E Hercules hits tree tops in Afghanistan

Polish Air Force C-130E Hercules hits tree tops in Afghanistan


The Polish Air Force managed to damage C-130E Hercules serial 1506 in Afghanistan in early February 2010. The Herc is operated by 14 Eltr based at Powidz.

This particular Hercules is only on loan to the Polish Air Force, it arrived in Poland in
November 2009 from Ramstein airbase in Germany where it was based with the USAF as serial FY 70-1299 c/n 4527 ( ie 40 years old ).

See the link below to Flightglobal for more details and photos showing the substantial damage to the wing root area.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/02/22/338666/pictures-poland-grounds-hercules-fleet-after-afghan.html


More photos on this Altair report