Some of the lessons from the C-130 experience may be applicable to other military programs. To the extent they are not, though, they underscore what a unique aircraft Hercules has proven to be -- a global franchise worth preserving and protecting. The explanation for the C-130's continuing success seems to come down to four fundamental factors.

First of all, the versatility of the C-130 design has been crucial to its global appeal. Because it can be operated in diverse environments and adapted to diverse purposes, it is able to satisfy the mission requirements of many different users.

The design of most military aircraft is so thoroughly shaped by a handful of core missions that they are poorly suited to accomplishing other tasks. In the case of the C-130, though, the tactical airlift mission has not interfered at all with its use in many other roles.

In fact, the airframe has been configured so that equipment specialized for particular missions can be easily removed, facilitating the plane's migration to other missions. When this easy adaptability is combined with a capacity to operate from remote, unimproved sites as well as modern airports, it produces an airframe of nearly infinite utility.

Second, the modest cost of the C-130 airframe has been an important selling point, especially with international users. Not only does the plane cost less to buy than a jet while delivering more functionality in many settings, but its post-production support costs are remarkably low for an aircraft that often must operate under less-than-ideal circumstances.

The low life-cycle cost of Hercules is traceable largely to a simple, rugged design -- a virtue that has been bolstered in the latest version by greater fuel efficiency, the use of more resilient materials and the introduction of electronic systems less prone to component failure.

While the ultimate cost of a C-130 varies considerably depending on which configuration and support package a user decides to purchase, the plane's continued popularity in the global marketplace reflects the challenge other airframes face in matching the cost-effectiveness of Hercules.

Third, the improvement of C-130 technologies that occurs with the introduction of each new variant has played a critical role in keeping the airframe relevant to emerging needs.

For example, the engines on the "H" variant were more powerful than the engines on the "E" variant, and the engines on the "J" variant are superior to the engines on the "H" variant. No matter how prescient the original design of the Hercules may have been, it could not have remained useful for five decades unless on-board technologies were kept current. In fact, that process has been so thorough that today's Super Hercules is essentially a different plane from the one that debuted during the Cold War.

The new propulsion system, digital flight controls and other features of the C-130J make it as modern as any plane in the world today, and yet it still provides the rugged reliability that sparked enthusiasm among previous generations of pilots and maintainers.

(Next: Worldwide versatility)

(Loren B. Thompson is chief executive officer of the Lexington Institute, an Arlington, Va.-based think tank that supports democracy and the free market.)

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