C-130 Hercules

First flown in 1954, the C-130 is not only still in service, but also still being produced making it the longest continuously produced military aircraft in the world. Born from a U.S. Air Force requirement for a turboprop powered transport, the Hercules has been adapted in a variety of roles including hard-hitting gunship, refueler, search and rescue, electronic warfare, and much more. Plus, the aircraft has operated with scores of air forces across the globe, making it a popular subject for modelers with kits available in all major scales.

If you plan to build one, grab C-130 Hercules — Lockheed's Military Air Transport and Its Variants by David Doyle. Part of Schiffer's Legends of Warfare Aviation series, the 128-page hardcover looks at the versatile aircraft with chapters covering the variants from the YC-130A prototype and the initial production C-130A through the major production models E and H to the C-130J Super Hercules currently being manufactured. Other chapters focus on specialist variants like the British K, refuelers, and the AC-130U gunship. Doyle tracks this development with scores of photos, many in color, of Hercules in operations. They reveal details, marking, and camouflage that will be useful for building any number of C-130s.