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The Center of Excellence for C-130 Center Wing Box Replacements
Marshall has been recognized by Lockheed Martin as the world’s first authorized Center of Excellence for center wing box replacements on the C-130 Hercules tactical airlifter.
Leaders from Marshall and Lockheed Martin recently gathered to mark the achievement during the annual Hercules Orion Conference (HOC) in Atlanta, located near the C-130 production line in Marietta, Georgia.
Marshall has completed nearly 80 center wing box replacements since 2004 and remains the only organization to have performed these highly complex procedures on both legacy C-130 platforms and the current production model C-130J Super Hercules. Furthermore, no other organisations have successfully completed a C-130J center wing box replacement outside the United States.
“We are incredibly proud to have added yet another world-first to our C-130 engineering credentials,” said Bob Baxter, Marshall chief growth officer, in a Lockheed Martin news release. “This recognition from Lockheed Martin reinforces our position as an industry leader in non-standard repair and replacement, and demonstrates the strength of our capability enhancement offering.”
C-130 center wing box replacement
The purpose of a center wing box replacement is to extend the operational life of an aircraft. The center wing is a major primary structure of an aircraft, referred to as a “lifed article.”
The original center wings fitted during aircraft manufacture have a lifespan of approximately 19,000 hours. Installing a new enhanced service life center wing effectively re-lifes the aircraft, maintaining airworthiness and potentially extending its lifespan by decades.
Lockheed Martin supplies Marshall with service bulletins, bespoke tooling and kits with all of the parts and components required to perform the replacement on the aircraft. While the original center wing is removed, interfacing structures and main frames are thoroughly inspected and serviced before the enhanced service life center wing is installed and the internal wiring and plumbing is replaced.
“Recognizing Marshall as the first Lockheed Martin-approved Center of Excellence for its work leading the C-130 center wing box replacement program is a natural choice. The company is a vital part of the C-130 Hercules community because it embodies a commitment to excellence in C-130 maintenance and support, ensuring these versatile aircraft continue to serve operators reliably and efficiently in meeting global mission demands,” Rod McLean, vice president and general manager of the Air Mobility & Maritime Missions Line of Business at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.
Marshall
Marshall is currently conducting center wing replacements on 12 C-130J aircraft ― eight of which have been completed, with a further four to go. Due to the various modifications that the aircraft have undergone, specialist adaptations to the process have been required for this fleet to ensure a seamless integration.
Based in Cambridge, UK, the company has supported the global C-130 fleet since 1966. The company was the first authorised C-130 service center in the world, and also has the distinction of being the first C-130J Super Hercules service center as well.
The global Hercules family
The C-130 Hercules is the global choice in tactical airlift and refueling as reflected by operators in almost 70 nations around the world. With a global fleet of 2,700 C-130s surpassing 25 million flight hours, the Hercules is unmatched in its presence and performance.
Always evolving, continually innovating and ready for what’s next, the C-130J Super Hercules is the current C-130 production model. The C-130J leads the charge by setting standards and shaping the future of tactical airlift missions, offering many advantages found in no other medium-sized tactical airlifter in production or operation today. To date, Lockheed Martin has delivered more than 555 C-130Js and the Super Hercules global fleet has surpassed more than 3 million flight hours.
The C-130J is faster, goes further and holds more compared to legacy platforms, translating to greater power and enhanced capabilities. The C-130J Super Hercules is the most advanced C-130 ever designed, built, flown and maintained, with a truly integrated digital core that offers:
- Dual HUDs for increased situational awareness
- Block 7.0/8.1 software, installed in-line during production
- Automated maintenance fault reporting
- Integrated defensive suite
- 250 knot ramp/door
The global C-130 family ― to include legacy and Super Hercules operators ― spans 70 nations. A truly worldwide supply chain builds and supports the C-130 enterprise. When it comes to the C-130J, support is always close by thanks to in-person, real-time, global resources operated out of six continents.
Photo credit: Lockheed Martin and U.S. Air Force
