Here’s A Better Look At The Paint Scheme Of The Blue Angels’ New “Fat Albert” C-130J

A side look at the new "Fat Albert" at Cambridge Airport on Jul. 1, 2020. (All images: Stewart Jack/The Aviationist unless otherwise stated).

Take a look at these new shots of the C-130J that will replace the C-130T of the Blue Angels demo team.

As already reported, the Blue Angels are preparing to receive the new C-130J “Fat Albert”. On Jun. 30, 2020, the team posted the first photo of the “new” aircraft in Cambridge, UK, where Marshall company has carried out the maintenance, painting and modifications to C-130J that the US Navy has purchased from the UK Ministry of Defence to replace the C-130T. In fact, The “new” Fat Albert is actually a second-hand aircraft, a divested Super Hercules previously serving with the Royal Air Force with registration ZH885.

On Jul. 1, The Aviationist contributor and photographer Stewart Jack took some shots of the new aircraft outside of the hangar at Cambridge Airport.

The new photos provide a better look at the new livery that has introduced some pretty evident changes from the previous C-130T paint scheme: the flight surfaces’ yellow tips; two yellow stripes along the fuselage, instead of the old single stripe; the white top changed to a tear drop design; the “Blue Angels” marking in yellow instead of blue.

A side look at the new “Fat Albert” at Cambridge Airport on Jul. 1, 2020.
File photo of the C-130T “Fat Albert” executing a rocket-assisted takeoff (RATO) from Ellington Field, Texas, during Wings Over Houston Airshow 2009. This photo is useful for a comparison with the new paint scheme (Photo: U.S. Navy)

After completing the scheduled maintenance tests (that include an aircraft systems operational check out and a functional check flight) the new Fat Albert will undertake the transatlantic flight to reach the team’s homebase at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.

Another image of the ex ZH885, now converted to Blue Angels configuration and livery.



About David Cenciotti
David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.