During 1963, a KC-130F aircraft made history by landing and taking off from the aircraft carrier; USS Forrestal (CVA-59). The crew successfully negotiated 29 touch-and-go landings, 21 unarrested full-stop landings, and 21 unassisted takeoffs at gross weights of 85,000 pounds up to 121,000 pounds.
Lockheed’s only modifications to the original plane included installing a smaller nose-landing gear orifice, an improved anti-skid braking system, and removal of the underwing refueling pods.
No tail hook… No catapult. Painted on the side of the fuselage; “LOOK MA, NO HOOK.” The airplane became the largest and heaviest aircraft to ever land on an aircraft carrier, a record that stands to this day.
