Lokheed

Aerospace, defence and advanced technologies company Lockheed Martin has started wing production for the LM-100J commercial freighter aircraft in Marietta, Georgia, US.

The Marietta site is the final assembly line for the company’s C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, the under development LM-100J is the civil-certified version of C-130J Super Hercules, and an updated version of the L-100 or L-382 cargo aircraft.

Claimed to be the first commercial freighter aircraft manufactured by Lockheed, LM-100J’s other structural parts are currently in production at the company’s US-based sites in Meridian and Clarksburg.

In 2014, Lockheed Martin submitted a programme notification letter to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to undertake a type design update for its L-382J airplane, a civil-certified variant of the C-130J Super Hercules to be marketed as the LM-100J.

"LM-100J is expected to perform as a commercial multipurpose air freighter that could provide airlift solution for delivering bulk and oversize cargo."

LM-100J is scheduled to make its first flight next year, which will be followed by an FAA certification phase.

Through select design innovations, LM-100J is expected to perform as a commercial multipurpose air freighter that could provide airlift solution for delivering bulk and oversize cargo, specially to remote locations worldwide.

Additionally, similar to the functions of C-130J Super Hercules military aircraft, LM-100J will be able to support multiple missions, including firefighting, medevac/air ambulance, VIP transport, oil dispersion/aerial spray, oil and gas exploration, mining logistics operations, aerial firefighting, aerial delivery, VIP transport, search-and-rescue and others.

Compared with the existing L-100s, LM-100J includes technological developments and improvements.

Image: Production operations team members work on a wing part of LM-100J commercial freighter at the Lockheed Martin site in Marietta, Georgia, US. Photo: courtesy of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.