C-130 vs 747-8 Freighter: Size, Payload, Speed and Range Compared

How much bigger is the 747-8 Freighter?

The Boeing 747-8 Freighter is 250 ft 2 in (76.24 m) long. The C-130J Super Hercules is 97 ft 9 in (29.79 m), so the jet is about two and a half times as long.

Wingspan is closer: 224 ft 5 in (68.40 m) against 132 ft 7 in (40.41 m), a ratio of about 1.7. The 747-8F stands 64 ft 2 in (19.56 m) tall at the tail, against 38 ft 10 in (11.84 m) for the Hercules.

Even the stretched C-130J-30 is only 112 ft 9 in (34.37 m) long, less than half the length of the 747-8F.

Weight is where the gap is widest. The 747-8F has a maximum takeoff weight of 987,000 lb (447,500 kg), six times the C-130J’s 164,000 lb (74,500 kg).

Inside, our database lists a cabin width of 20 ft 0 in (6.10 m) for the 747-8F and 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) for the C-130J. The fuselage is 21 ft 4 in (6.50 m) across against 14 ft 2 in (4.32 m).

Payload and loading: seven times the cargo, two different doors

The 747-8F can carry up to 292,500 lb (132,500 kg) of cargo. The C-130J’s maximum payload is 42,000 lb (19,100 kg), about one-seventh as much.

Lockheed Martin lists up to 47,000 lb (21,319 kg) for the KC-130J, HC-130J and MC-130J, but that figure assumes wing-relieving fuel. The Air Force lists 42,000 lb for the C-130J.

How the cargo gets in matters as much as how much fits. The Hercules loads through an aft ramp and door, which lets it take on utility helicopters and six-wheeled armored vehicles. The Air Force says it can airdrop loads up to 42,000 lb.

The 747-8F loads through a nose door and a side cargo door, built for quick loading of standard containers and pallets. Atlas Air says it offers 16% more revenue cargo volume than the 747-400.

To see where the 747-8F sits among the biggest haulers, read our guide to the largest cargo planes.

Speed, range and ceiling

The 747-8F is the faster aircraft by about 43%. Its maximum speed is 517 knots (595 mph, 957 km/h) against 362 knots (417 mph, 670 km/h) for the C-130J.

Cruise speed is 485 knots (558 mph, 898 km/h) against 348 knots (400 mph, 644 km/h). The turbofan jet also climbs higher: a service ceiling of 43,100 ft (13,100 m) against 28,000 ft (8,500 m).

The Air Force quotes the C-130J’s 28,000 ft ceiling with 42,000 lb of payload on board.

Range shows the same split. The 747-8F is listed at 4,390 nautical miles (5,050 miles, 8,130 km), and the C-130J at 1,800 nautical miles (2,070 miles, 3,330 km) at maximum normal payload.

Can a C-130 fly across the Atlantic?

Yes, with fuel stops. In April 2011 a C-130 from Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, refueled at Lajes Field in the Azores before heading downrange, and the Air Force says Lajes’ location helps aircraft cross the Atlantic.

The geography explains why. By our calculation the shortest North Atlantic hop, Gander, Newfoundland, to Shannon, Ireland, is about 1,700 nautical miles, close to the C-130J’s 1,800 nautical miles at maximum normal payload. Gander to Lajes is about 1,330 nautical miles.

The 747-8F covers the same crossing with room to spare, since its listed range is 4,390 nautical miles.

Runways: where each aircraft can land

This is where the Hercules wins outright. The Air Force says the C-130 can operate from rough, dirt strips, using high-flotation landing gear to land and deliver cargo.

The C-130J’s listed takeoff distance is 5,850 ft (1,780 m). The 747-8F’s is 10,800 ft (3,290 m), about 1.85 times as long.

The jet also lands faster. Its approach speed is 145 knots (167 mph, 269 km/h) against 120 knots (138 mph, 222 km/h).

For another look at what the Hercules does best, see our C-130 vs C-17 comparison.

Military 747s and civilian Hercules

Neither aircraft stays in its lane. The Air Force flies the E-4B Nightwatch, a militarized 747-200 that serves as the National Airborne Operations Center and can seat up to 111 people.

The two VC-25 aircraft that carry the president as Air Force One are 747-200Bs, tail numbers 28000 and 29000.

The Hercules has a civil twin too. The L-100 received FAA approval in February 1965, and Lockheed delivered 115 of them, including stretch versions.

The modern equivalent is the LM-100J, a civil-certified freighter version of the Super Hercules.

Two designs from different eras

Where the C-130J wins

• Rough, short fields: the Air Force says it can land and deliver cargo on dirt strips.
• Loading vehicles and helicopters through an aft ramp.
• Airdrop: the Air Force calls it the prime transport for airdropping troops and equipment into hostile areas.
• Versatility: Lockheed Martin counts 20 mission variants, from search and rescue to aerial firefighting.

Where the 747-8F wins

• Payload: 292,500 lb (132,500 kg) against 42,000 lb (19,100 kg).
• Range: 4,390 nautical miles (5,050 miles, 8,130 km) against 1,800 nautical miles (2,070 miles, 3,330 km) at full payload.
• Speed and altitude: 517 knots (595 mph, 957 km/h) and 43,100 ft (13,100 m).
• Loading speed and volume: a nose door and 16% more revenue cargo volume than the 747-400.

Which one is better?

Neither, because they do different jobs. The 747-8F is the better choice for moving the most cargo the farthest between major airports.

The C-130J is the better choice when the destination is a short, rough field, because the 747-8F needs a listed 10,800 ft (3,290 m) to take off.