Lockheed C-130 Hercules vs Airbus A400M Atlas
Side-by-side spec comparison with neutral percentage deltas.
Spec table
| Spec | Lockheed C-130 Hercules | Airbus A400M Atlas |
|---|---|---|
| Max speed (mph) (mph) | 366 | 485 |
| Max speed (Mach) (Mach) | 0.48 | 0.72 |
| Combat radius / range (mi) | 2,356 | 2,049 |
| Service ceiling (ft) | 28,000 | 40,000 |
| MTOW (lb) | 155,000 | 310,851 |
| Empty weight (lb) | 75,562 | 168,740 |
| Payload (lb) | 42,000 | 81,571 |
| Endurance (hr) | 8 | — |
| Length (ft) | 97.9 | 148 |
| Wingspan (ft) | 132.6 | 139.1 |
| Thrust-to-weight ratio (MTOW) | 0.03 | 0.04 |
Green = leader on that dimension. Higher is treated as better for all rows shown.
On-paper verdict
- Max speed (mph): Airbus A400M Atlas (+33%)
- Max speed (Mach): Airbus A400M Atlas (+50%)
- Combat radius / range: Lockheed C-130 Hercules (+15%)
- Service ceiling: Airbus A400M Atlas (+43%)
- MTOW: Airbus A400M Atlas (+101%)
- Empty weight: Airbus A400M Atlas (+123%)
- Payload: Airbus A400M Atlas (+94%)
- Length: Airbus A400M Atlas (+51%)
- Wingspan: Airbus A400M Atlas (+5%)
- Thrust-to-weight ratio (MTOW): Airbus A400M Atlas (+12%)
Performance
Lockheed C-130 Hercules tops out at 366 mph and a service ceiling of 28000 ft. Airbus A400M Atlas is rated at 485 mph with a service ceiling of 40000 ft.
Range & payload
Lockheed C-130 Hercules carries up to 42000 lb over 2356 mi. Airbus A400M Atlas carries 81571 lb over 2049 mi. Numbers above are the headline manufacturer figures — real-world performance trades payload against range against fuel reserves.
Engines
Lockheed C-130 Hercules: 4x Allison T56-A-15 turboprop (4,910 shp each).
Airbus A400M Atlas: 4x Europrop TP400-D6 turboprop (11,000 hp each).
Frequently asked questions
Which is faster, Lockheed C-130 Hercules or Airbus A400M Atlas?
366 mph (Lockheed C-130 Hercules) vs 485 mph (Airbus A400M Atlas).
Which has the longer range?
2356 mi (Lockheed C-130 Hercules) vs 2049 mi (Airbus A400M Atlas).
What's the payload difference?
Lockheed C-130 Hercules: 42000 lb · Airbus A400M Atlas: 81571 lb.
Are these specs current?
Specs come from each aircraft's manufacturer-published or Wikipedia-aggregated figures, current as of the page's last regeneration. Variants and block upgrades may carry different numbers — check the linked reference pages for the latest.
Which one was built first?
Lockheed C-130 Hercules: service entry 1956. Airbus A400M Atlas: service entry 2013.
Sources
Spec values pulled from each aircraft's reference page in the gallery, which aggregates manufacturer-published figures with Wikipedia-cited sources:
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