Avionics Modernization and the C-130J Software Factory

• Main Authors: Richard Conn, Stephen Traub, Steven Chung
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2001
• Subjects: Takeoff and Landing; Class N; Turboprop category for 1; 000 and 2; 000 kilometer speed over a; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.636.6058; http://www.crosstalkonline.org/storage/issue-archives/2001/200109/200109-Conn.pdf

than 2,100 C-130s have been built in dozens of variations and are flown by more than 60 nations worldwide. They carry troops, vehicles, and armaments into battle. They drop paratroopers and supplies from the sky. They serve as airborne and ground refuelers. They serve as flying hospitals, hurricane hunters, and provide emergency evacua-tion and humanitarian relief. They perform airborne early warning and maritime surveillance. They’ve worn skis in Antarctica and have helped recover space capsules. In May 1992, the 2,000th C-130, a C-130H, was delivered. In September 1992, formal development of the C-130J began. Unlike its predecessors, the C-130J is a software intensive system employing modern avionics that have made significant improvements in its performance. By March 2001, the C-130J flew with a complete compliment of mission computer software setting 50 world records. This article presents insight into Lockheed Martin’s modernization of the C-130 airlifter family. The C-130J looks like the earlier mod-els, but it is really a brand new air-plane with improved performance [1]. A key difference is that the C-130J is a soft-ware intensive system, where the earlier models were largely mechanical aircraft. Compared to the production C-130E, here are the C-130J improvements: • Maximum speed is 21 percent greater. • Climbing time is 50 percent less. • Cruising altitude is 40 percent higher. • Range is 40 percent longer. The introduction of software intensive systems to the aircraft contributed signifi-cantly to all of these improvements. By June 1999, the C-130J had set 50 world aeronautical records in two aircraft cate-gories. Twenty-one records were set in the Class C-1.N, Turboprop category for speed over a