Classic C-130 Gets New “Electronic Propeller Controls” to Fly into 2040s

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By Kris Osborn – Warrior Maven

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 told Warrior.

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.

As for when a C-130 needs maintenance upgrade to preserve and maintain service life, the Air Force uses an assessment metric referred to as “equivalent baseline hours.” The wing-boxes are changed once the aircraft reaches a certain “severity factor” in its operational service time, Air Force officials have told Warrior Maven.