IAI C-130 Life Extension Program
CWB Replacement
Edward Strul
Israel Aerospace Industries
estrul@iai.co.il
1
Unclassified
Table of Contents
C-130 World Wide IAI - C-130 Upgrade
Needs Program for IAF
IAI Major Advantages in
Center Wing Box:
C-130 Upgrade
Usage
LMA&USAF C-130 CW
C-130 Upgrade Program
MSD/MED Risk Analysis Major Concerns
C-130 Accident (June 2002) Why now
CWB Replacement by IAI C-130 Experience
Operators
Summary
Conclusions
2
Unclassified
C-130 World Wide Needs
The major maintenance and operational needs:
CWB replacement
Aircraft rewiring
Avionics upgrade
Maintenance & PDM
3
Unclassified
C-130 World Wide Needs
C-130 Center Wing Box
Service life of 45K EBH (Equivalent Baseline Flight
Hours)
EBH = Severity Factor X Flight hours
Severity factor is the ratio between the expected usage
of the aircraft and its actual utilization.
CWB must be checked at 40K EBH, repair
discrepancies and extend life to 45K EBH.
The replacement at 45k EBH is mandatory
Major Safety Of Flight issue
4
Unclassified
C-130 World Wide Needs
Aircraft Rewiring
Aged wiring - In Service Wiring & related
operational problems
C-130 Wiring Problem Areas (major Areas):
Engine Nacelles
Wing Center Section
LH & RH Wing
LH, RH and Nose LG and Wheel Well
5
Unclassified
C-130 World Wide Needs
Avionics Upgrade
The current avionics is outdated and the result -
operational gaps
6
Unclassified
Center Wing Box
Usage - Lockheed Martin
Service News .
Vol 30, NOv. 2005
Service Life Assessment
Numerous operators have already taken positive
action towards evaluating their fleet for center wing
fatigue cracking. After the initial usage assessment
performed by the operator, it is important that all
operators have Lockheed Martin AMS perform the
complete Operational Usage Evaluation,
Not all C-130 aircraft operate the same and the type
of usage has a significant affect on rates of fatigue
cracking. In order to ensure continued safe operation
of the aircraft, the severity of usage must be taken
into account. LM Aero AMS has made specific
recommendations to all operators via Service Bulletin Excerpt from
for implementation of significant structural Hercules
inspections, flight restrictions, or aircraft groundings. Service
Bulletin 382-57-
85
7
Unclassified
Center Wing Box
Usage
Severity Factor dependant on;
Take Off Weight
Altitude
GAG Cycles (Mission Length)
[Airspeed]
[Environment]
[Manoeuvre]
8
Unclassified
Center Wing Box
Usage
Initial Usage Assessment
Severity Factor calculation Example
Mission Type Utilization AFH Severity EBH
% Factor
Long Range Logistics 50 8,000 0.75 6,000
Short Range Logistics 25 4,000 3 12,000
Long Range Tactical 12.5 2,000 2 4,000
Short Range Tactical 12.5 2,000 4.5 9,000
Total 100 16,000 1.94 31,000
For non-USAF operators, LM Aero has released a Service Bulletin for
Usage Evaluation: 82-788
9
Unclassified
Center Wing Box
Usage
Calculation of the Severity Factor according to S.B. 82-788 is
not unambiguous.
Only a full fatigue study, based on the exact usage spectrum of
the operators will reveal the accurate Severity Factor.
The operators that have conducted a fatigue study, performed
by LMA, got a higher Severity Factor which obligated the
replacement of the CWB.
LMA S.B. 82-788 : Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company recommends all
operators, regardless of Equivalent Baseline Hours (EBH), perform the full
Operational Usage Evaluation ..
10
Unclassified
Center Wing Box
LMA&USAF- C-130 CW MSD/MED
Risk Analysis
Presented by Lockheed Martin- 2006 USAF Aircraft Structural Integrity Program Conference
Background
1995-2000 Service Life Analysis (SLA) projected fatigue cracking
occurrence rates:
Fatigue Test relative severity to the C-130E Baseline Usage determined to
be 3.3
2001-2004 Inspections identified numerous USAF C-130E/H
Center Wings with significant fatigue cracking
2004 USAF Center Wing Service Life Independent
Review Team (IRT) Formed:
To validate C-130 Service Life
Focused on 3 Center Wing Zones
Concern over un-inspected area (95% of lower surface)
11
Unclassified
Center Wing Box
C-130 Center Wing MSD/MED
Risk Analysis
Presented by Lockheed Martin- 2006 USAF Aircraft Structural Integrity Program Conference
2005 Risk Analysis Performed:
Discrete Source Damage a severed skin panel with cracked stringers
Fatigue Crack Propagating across an intact panel
Concluded that a Single Panel Failure must be prevented
Structural Integrity
Risk Management Strategies
Numerous Risk Mitigation Strategies have been employed by the
USAF C-130 ASIP Manager:
Established Service Life Limit of 45,000 EBH - grounding of
high time C-130 aircraft
12
Unclassified
Center Wing Box
C-130 Center Wing MSD/MED
Risk Analysis
Presented by Lockheed Martin- 2006 USAF Aircraft Structural Integrity Program Conference
Conclusions and Lessons Learned
USAF C-130E/H Center Wings have experienced significant
fatigue cracking characterized by MSD and MED
Uncertainty in NDI capability (POD and POI) is significantly
reducing the risk mitigation benefit of continued inspection:
Resulted in 2 USAF C-130E Outer Wing Failures in the
1980s prior to Outer Wing Replacement
INSPECTIONS CANNOT PROTECT SAFETY AFTER ON-SET OF WFD
Back
13
Unclassified
Center Wing Box
C-130 Accident - NTSB
Investigation (NTSB Identification: LAX02GA201)
C-130 Accident - June 17, 2002 in Walker, CA
A videotape of the accident sequence showed:
and the airplane's wings folded upward until they
detached from the fuselage at the center wing box beam-
to-fuselage attachment location
Close examination of the video revealed that the right
wing folded upward first, followed by the left wing
Metallurgical examination:
of the center wing box lower skin revealed a 12-inch long
fatigue crack on the lower surface of the right wing
beneath the forward doubler, with two separate fatigue Crash movie
crack initiation sites at stringer attachment rivet holes.
The cracks from both initiation sites eventually linked C130 Crash.mp4
up to create a single crack
14
Unclassified
Center Wing Box
C-130 Accident - NTSB
Investigation (NTSB Identification: LAX02GA201)
Conclusions
The inflight failure of the right wing due to fatigue cracking in the
center wing lower skin and underlying structural members.
A factor contributing to the accident was inadequate maintenance
procedures to detect fatigue cracking.
15
Unclassified
Center Wing Box
CWB Replacement by Operators
United States Air Force
USCG
Israeli Air Force
Royal New Zealand Air Force
16
Unclassified
Center Wing Box
United States Air Force
C-130 Team installs 40 center wing boxes Tactical Airlift Division C-130H Future
posted 9/16/2011 Requirements - Symposium 2010
A total of 40 center wing boxes have been installed Fatigue cracking
at Robins, with 11 currently in progress on aircraft
in the 402nd Aircraft Maintenance Group.
US Air Force
17
Unclassified
Center Wing Box
United States Air Force
The RAND corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve Examples of Fatigue and Corrosion
policy and decision making through research and analysis. Prepared Damage in Center Wing Box
for the USAF 2011 ISBN: 978-0-8330-5085-4
MSD
Three adjacent cracks,
same panel
The C-130 fleet performs critical air mobility functions for
the nation, but part of that fleet is at risk because of age-
related factors. CWB fatigue cracking is the most immediate
life-limiting issue,
Lower surface panel
The risks of catastrophic structural failure increase markedly
when flying aircraft beyond 45,000 EBH without structural
mitigation. MSD and MED
Moreover, there is also considerable uncertainty about the
structural health of individual high-EBH aircraft because of 12 in.
limitations in charting the historical accumulation of fatigue
damage and in the ability of inspections to reliably discover
fatigue damage on aging aircraft.
Cracks in adjacent lower
skin panels and stringers
18
Unclassified
Center Wing Box
United States Coast Guard
First HC-130H Center Wing Box
Replacement Accomplished
Sept. 21, 2012
The Coast Guard completed the first HC-130H Hercules Center
Wing Box (CWB) replacement Aug. 12, in partnership with the
U.S. Air Forces. This major safety and sustainment effort enables
the aircraft to remain in-service through 2027.
The CWB is a crucial component of the HC-130. A large rectangular
box that attaches the wings to the aircraft fuselage, the CWB is the
primary aircraft structural component and carries the entire aircraft
load.
19
Unclassified
Center Wing Box
Israeli Air Force
The IAF is Upgrading Part of its Embarks on a C-
130H Modernization Program 19 Dec. 2012
The Israel Air Force has committed to buying at least
three new C-130Js. In parallel, extending the life span of
the remaining C-130H is becoming critical due to the
rapid ageing of these aircraft.
The C-130 is cleared for 45,000 flight hours. Prior to
that limit, the aircraft must go through a
comprehensive life extension program replacing the
central wing box (CWB).
Airframe and Wing Earlier this year the IAF has
allocated the first Hercules to go through the process at
IAI. By the summer of 2012 the wing was removed and
a new wing box delivered by Lockheed Martin installed.
20
Unclassified
Center Wing Box
Royal New Zealand Air Force
Royal New Zealand Air Force
C-130 Hercules Upgrade - March 2017
One of the many challenges, and probably the most
significant, on the C-130 Life Extension Project (LEP) was
how to rebuild the centre wing box on the aircraft.
This is the main structural component on the aircraft and it
is the item currently plaguing C-130 operators around the
world due to cracking that has been found within this
structure. Many operators are facing severe operational
restrictions and limitations due to this component and some
high-life aircraft are already restricted
The RNZAF C-130 LEP was therefore an ideal opportunity
to address this problem.
21
Unclassified
Center Wing Box - Conclusions
The CWB of the C-130 is a crucial component of the C-130.
The CWB must be replaced at 45,OOO EBH (or the a/c must be
grounded).
Major Safety Of Flight issue
The first phase: Calculation of Severity Factor.
LMA recommends all operators, regardless of Equivalent Baseline Hours (EBH),
perform the full Operational Usage Evaluation
.
22
Unclassified
IAI C-130 Upgrade Program For The IAF
IAI signed a contract with the IAF to upgrade the IAF
C-130H fleet
The upgrade package includes:
CWB replacement
Rewiring
PDM
Avionics upgrade (separate contract)- by other company
23
Unclassified
IAF C-130 Upgrade Program - CWB
CWB replacement:
The CWB of the 1# upgraded
IAF a/c was removed on
August 2012
A new CWB was assembled on
September 2012
24
Unclassified
IAF C-130 Upgrade Program - CWB
The life extension program (LEP)
for a/c #1 was completed on 6/13.
A/C # 1 has accomplished several
flight tests in the Israeli AF with
full success.
A/C #2 started the LEP on 7/13.
In total the IAI is going to replace the CWB of several
IAF a/c.
25
Unclassified
IAF C-130 Upgrade Program CWB Replacement
26
Unclassified
IAF C-130 Upgrade Program- Rewiring
The rewiring of the IAF a/c includes the whole a/c,
except the cockpit.
A full survey was conducted prior to the start up
NRE for wiring reengineering was completed
Rewiring was completed on Dec. 2012
27
Unclassified
IAF C-130 Upgrade Program - PDM
IAI maintains (O,I,D levels) the IAF C-130 fleet since the
beginning of the 70th.
The C-130 Experience Includes
More than 150 PDMS
28
Unclassified
IAI Major Advantages in C-130 Upgrade
CWB Replacement Rewiring
Just completed the 1# IAF a/c CWB About to complete the 1# IAF a/c
replacement. Current program for Full engineering data package
few more a/c. NRE was completed (might require
changes for other operators)
One of the fewest companies with
full capability
Avionics Upgrade PDM
A lot of experience in Avionics Performed more than 150 PDMs
upgrade for different a/c. to C-130
29
Unclassified
C-130 Upgrade Program Major Concerns
Concern: Obtaining CWB
Solution: There are several
options, the best - purchasing
from LMA (IAI or Concern: Calculation of
customer). severity factor to get the EBH
or performing the full
Operational Usage Evaluation
Concern: Experience in
replacing the CWB
Solution: IAI Completed the
1# CWB replacement for the IAF
30
Unclassified
Why Now?
Replacement of the CWB Mandatory at 45K EBH
As soon as the decision to start the program is taken
the probability to obtain CWB earlier is higher.
Operational gaps due to outdated avionics
Aged wiring
31
Unclassified
IAI C-130 Experience
32
Unclassified
IAI C-130 Experience
Capability Developed through HANDS ON experience
Center Wing Box Replacement
MAINTENANCE UPGRADING
REPAIR CONVERSIONS
33
Unclassified
IAI C-130 Experience
More than 150 PDMS
Total Maintenance Services
O/H of Engines & Components
After Crash Repairs
Upgrading of Avionic Systems
C-130E to C-130H Conversions
C-130 Conversion to Aerial Refueling Tankers
Installation of Aerial Fuel Receiving System
Airborne Conversion Programs to Sigint Systems
May 2010 34
Unclassified
Summary
The LEP for the C-130 fleet is inevitable for many users.
The CWB replacement is mandatory at 45,000 EBH.
The IAI has completed the 1# (out of several) IAF a/c
CWB replacement.
The IAI provides its customers with comprehensive
support for C-130 maintenance and Life Extension
Capabilities.
35
Unclassified
