Aero L-59 Super Albatros vs Lockheed MC-130

ASupport aircraft

Aero L-59 Super Albatros

Military trainer aircraft COIN

Lockheed MC-130 — licensed reference photograph

BSupport aircraft

Lockheed MC-130

STOL Special operations military transport aircraft

Credit

Airwolfhound from Hertfordshire, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

Aero L-59 Super AlbatrosL-59E · Length

12.2 m

Length source ↗

Lockheed MC-130MC-130J Commando II · Length

29.79 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

Measured figures

Head to head

15 of 30 rows sourced on both sides

12.2mL-59E · Length

29.79mMC-130J Commando II · Length

LengthScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

12.2 m

L-59E · Length

Single source

12.20 m (40 ft 0 in)^[source]

29.79 m

MC-130J Commando II · Length

Single source

97 ft 9 in (29.79 m)^[source]

9.54mL-59E · including tip tanks

40.41mMC-130J Commando II · Wingspan

WingspanScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

9.54 m

L-59E · including tip tanks

Single source

9.54 m (31 ft 4 in) (including tip tanks)^[source]

40.41 m

MC-130J Commando II · Wingspan

Single source

132 ft 7 in (40.41 m)^[source]

4.77mL-59E · Height

11.84mMC-130J Commando II · Height

HeightScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

4.77 m

L-59E · Height

Single source

4.77 m (15 ft 8 in)^[source]

11.84 m

MC-130J Commando II · Height

Single source

38 ft 10 in (11.84 m)^[source]

74.4t

MassScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

4,030 kg

Empty; L-59E · includes gun

Single source

7,000 kg

Maximum take-off; L-59E · Max takeoff weight

Single source

4,030 kg (8,885 lb) (includes gun)^[source]

7,000 kg (15,432 lb)^[source]

74,389 kg

Maximum take-off; MC-130J Commando II · Max takeoff weight

Single source

164,000 lb (74,389 kg)^[source]

2L-59E · Crew

Two pilots, one Combat Systems Officer (officers), and two Loadmasters (enlisted)

Crew

All recorded figures & sources

2 people

L-59E · Crew

Single source

2^[source]

Two pilots, one Combat Systems Officer (officers), and two Loadmasters (enlisted)^[source]

865km/hMaximum; L-59E · at 5,000 m (16,000 ft)

671km/h

SpeedScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

865 km/h

Maximum; L-59E · at 5,000 m (16,000 ft)

Single source

865 km/h (537 mph, 467 kn) at 5,000 m (16,000 ft)^[source]

671 km/h

Cruise; MC-130J Commando II · at 22,000 feet

Single source

417 mph (671 km/h, 362 kn) at 22,000 feet^[source]

2,000km

4,800kmMC-130J Commando II · Range

RangeScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

2,000 km

L-59E · at 7,000 m (23,000 ft) (with maximum internal and external fuel)

Single source

2,000 km (1,200 mi, 1,100 nmi) at 7,000 m (23,000 ft) (with maximum internal and external fuel)^[source]

4,800 km

MC-130J Commando II · Range

Single source

3,000 mi (4,800 km, 2,600 nmi)^[source]

—

3,424kW

Power

All recorded figures & sources

3,424 kW

MC-130J Commando II · 4 × Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 turboprop engines, 4,591 shp ( ) each

Single source

4 × Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 turboprop engines, 4,591 shp (3,424 kW) each^[source]

21.6kNL-59E · 1 × Lotarev DV-2 turbofan thrust

—

Thrust

All recorded figures & sources

21.57 kN

L-59E · 1 × Lotarev DV-2 turbofan thrust

Single source

1 × Lotarev DV-2 turbofan , 21.57 kN (4,850 lbf) thrust^[source]

18.8m²L-59E · Wing area

—

Wing area

All recorded figures & sources

18.8 m²

L-59E · Wing area

Single source

18.80 m 2 (202.4 sq ft)^[source]

11,800mL-59E · Service ceiling

8,500m

Service ceilingScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

11,800 m

L-59E · Service ceiling

Single source

11,800 m (38,700 ft)^[source]

8,500 m

MC-130J Commando II · with 42,000 lb payload

Single source

28,000 ft (8,500 m) with 42,000 lb payload^[source]

28m/sL-59E · 5,510 ft/min

—

Rate of climb

All recorded figures & sources

28 m/s

L-59E · 5,510 ft/min

Single source

28.0 m/s (5,510 ft/min)^[source]

Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.

Configuration

Details

Aero L-59 Super Albatros and Lockheed MC-130 configuration
Specification	Aero L-59 Super Albatros	Lockheed MC-130
Type	Military trainer aircraft COIN^[source]	STOL Special operations military transport aircraft^[source]
Manufacturer	Aero Vodochody^[source]	Lockheed Corporation^[source]
Status	Out of production, in service^[source]	Active^[source]
Primary users	Czech Air Force Egyptian Air Force Tunisian Air Force^[source]	—
Number built	80^[source]	MC-130E: 18 MC-130H: 24 MC-130P: 28 MC-130W: 12 MC-130J: 64^[source]
Manufactured	1986–1996^[source]	—
First flight	30 September 1986^[source]	MC-130J: April 2011^[source]
Developed from	Aero L-39 Albatros^[source]	C-130 Hercules C-130J Super Hercules^[source]
Variant	Aero L-159 ALCA^[source]	—
Fuel capacity	1,537 L (406 US gal; 338 imp gal) including tip tanks^[source]	—
Stall speed	185 km/h (115 mph, 100 kn) (flaps down)^[source]	—
Guns	one GSh-23L cannon in under-fuselage pod^[source]	—
Hardpoints	four underwing hardpoints with a capacity of inner hardpoints 500 kg (1,100 lb)capacity, outer hardpoints 250 kg (550 lb)^[source]	—
Country of origin	Czechoslovakia^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 1, row 26, cell 2; revision 1374778711; retrieved 2026-10-01	United States^[source] United States^[source]
Primary user	—	United States Air Force^[source]
Introduction date	—	MC-130E: 1966 MC-130P: 1986 MC-130H: 1991 MC-130W: 2006 MC-130J: 2012^[source]
Retired	—	MC-130E: April 15, 2013 MC-130P: May 15, 2015 MC-130H: April 2, 2023^[source]
Propellers	—	6-bladed fully feathering reversible propellers^[source]

FORCETALLY

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Aero L-59 Super Albatros

Lockheed MC-130

Type

Military trainer aircraft COIN^[source]

STOL Special operations military transport aircraft^[source]

Manufacturer

Aero Vodochody^[source]

Lockheed Corporation^[source]

Status

Out of production, in service^[source]

Active^[source]

Primary users

Czech Air Force Egyptian Air Force Tunisian Air Force^[source]

—

Number built

80^[source]

MC-130E: 18 MC-130H: 24 MC-130P: 28 MC-130W: 12 MC-130J: 64^[source]

Manufactured

1986–1996^[source]

—

First flight

30 September 1986^[source]

MC-130J: April 2011^[source]

Developed from

Aero L-39 Albatros^[source]

C-130 Hercules C-130J Super Hercules^[source]

Variant

Aero L-159 ALCA^[source]

—

Fuel capacity

1,537 L (406 US gal; 338 imp gal) including tip tanks^[source]

—

Stall speed

185 km/h (115 mph, 100 kn) (flaps down)^[source]

—

Guns

one GSh-23L cannon in under-fuselage pod^[source]

—

Hardpoints

four underwing hardpoints with a capacity of inner hardpoints 500 kg (1,100 lb)capacity, outer hardpoints 250 kg (550 lb)^[source]

—

Country of origin

Czechoslovakia^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 1, row 26, cell 2; revision 1374778711; retrieved 2026-10-01

United States^[source]

Primary user

—

United States Air Force^[source]

Introduction date

—

MC-130E: 1966 MC-130P: 1986 MC-130H: 1991 MC-130W: 2006 MC-130J: 2012^[source]

Retired

—

MC-130E: April 15, 2013 MC-130P: May 15, 2015 MC-130H: April 2, 2023^[source]

Propellers

—

6-bladed fully feathering reversible propellers^[source]