SLIDESHOW: New, 'stretch' versions of $110M aircraft fly together over Youngstown Air Reserve Station

If the pair of aircraft from the Youngstown Reserve Air Station flying overhead recently seemed larger than usual, it’s not your imagination.

Two C-130J-30 Super Hercules aircraft made their first training flights together from YARS on Tuesday.

 The first plane arrived at the Vienna Township this past July, and the second C-130J-30 flew into Vienna in December.

The arrivals are part of YARS' three-year conversion from C-130H Hercules aircraft.  Plans are to eventually have eight Super Hercules planes at the base by 2026.

According to Lockheed Martin's website, the C-130J-30 Super Hercules is a stretch version of its C-130J aircraft, which adds 15 feet to its main body, increasing the usable space in the cargo compartment.

To give you an idea of the difference between the old and new planes; While the C-130H could carry 90 troops, the newer version can move 128 troops to where they're needed.

The new aircraft is valued at approximately $109.75 million per unit for a total investment of about $878 million for the 910th Airlift Wing, YARS, and the Mahoning Valley.  These are YARS's first new aircraft in 30 years.

C-130J/J-30 major system improvements include an advanced two-pilot flight station with fully integrated digital avionics, color multifunctional liquid crystal and head-up displays and state-of-the-art navigation that includes a dual inertial navigation system and GPS.

The aircraft also features fully integrated defensive systems, low-power color radar, digital moving map display, new turboprop engines with six-bladed all-composite propellers and a digital auto pilot. The C-130J/J-30 also includes improved fuel, environmental and ice-protection and an enhanced cargo-handling system.

You can take get a better look at the aircraft in the slideshow above.