I don’t know much about aircraft, but I do know that the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Which is why you wouldn’t expect the Lockheed Martin LM-100J, a very, very big plane, to be doing acrobatics.

At over 110 feet long (more than 30 metres), and with a wingspan of more than 130 feet (close to 40 metres), the Lockheed Martin LM-100J is a beast.

CNN has the deets on the Lockheed’s acrobatic endeavours:

The civilian version of the legendary C-130J Super Hercules airlifter is powered by four mighty Rolls-Royce turbines, each driving a massive six-bladed propeller.

Given its vast size, the straight-winged turboprop cargo carrier isn’t exactly the type of aircraft you’d expect to see performing aerobatic routines for onlookers.

But when in the hands of an experienced test pilot, the LM-100J can execute a beautifully choreographed flight demonstration that will leave crowds in awe.

That’s exactly what happened last month at the Farnborough Airshow in England. Here’s the video so you can see for yourself, with the loop taking place around the 1:45 mark:

There’s a debate raging over whether or not this could be considered a real ‘loop’ or a ‘corkscrew’.

Who cares. It looks cool.

[source:cnn]