The Air Force plans to fly its war-tested 1950s-era C-130 aircraft well into the 2030s and beyond through a sweeping, multi-pronged technical overhaul, designed to enable the propeller-flown aircraft to perform its high-risk troop transport and combat support missions for decades to come.
While there have been many innovations, upgrades and technological enhancements to the aircraft since it originally surfaced in the mid-1950s, the historic cargo plane may wind up flying for more than 80 years, according to current Air Force plans.
The service is giving the platform new propeller technology, radios, glass cockpit touchscreen displays, digital avionics, collision avoidance technology and reinforced “wing-boxes,” service officials said.
The airframes themselves are a key focal point of the effort, Air Force developers explain, which includes replacing and reinforcing the “center wingbox” of the aircraft where the wings mount to the fuselage.
“The C-130 center wing box replacement program replaces time-limited center wing boxes on applicable variants of the C-130s. Center wing box installations are underway at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center for legacy C-130s and C-130Js as flight hours require,” Maj. Emily Grabowski, Air Force spokeswoman, told Warrior Maven. – READ MORE
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