Lockheed Martin rolls out first LM-100J commercial freighter

Marietta, Georgia – Lockheed Martin’s first LM-100J Super Hercules commercial freighter, the latest member of the C-130J family, has made its debut.

Employees who designed and built the aircraft celebrated the new Super Hercules with a traditional rollout ceremony held at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics facility at Marietta, Georgia. Team members walked the LM-100J out of the building that is home to the Super Hercules production line. The next stop for this milestone Super Hercules is the flight line, where it will prepare for its first flight this spring.

Lockheed Martin officials announced the intent to manufacture and market the LM-100J in February 2014. Lockheed Martin has filed for an FAA civil type certificate update and this first LM-100J will participate in flight test activity to support this process.

“Today's rollout not only marks another accomplishment for Super Hercules, but it also reflects the aircraft’s capability to evolve to meet customer requirements. The LM-100J program has exceeded all expectations in moving from an idea to a reality,” said George Shultz, vice president and general manager, Air Mobility & Maritime Missions at Lockheed Martin. “We are at this point thanks to hard work and dedication of Lockheed Martin employees and suppliers, who have literally designed and built this new chapter of Super Hercules operations. The FAA has been an essential partner in this aircraft’s production and we look forward to continuing to work together as we move into the LM-100J’s critical flight test phase.”

The LM-100J incorporates technological developments and improvements that result from years of military C-130J operational experience, including more than 1.5 million flight hours achieved by operators in 16 nations. The LM-100J is the ninth production version of the Super Hercules aircraft and its commercial capabilities have the distinction of being the 17th different mission capability supported by the C-130J.

Like its multi-tasking military counterpart, the LM-100J will support a variety of tasks, including: oversized cargo transport; oil dispersion/aerial spray; oil and gas exploration; mining logistics operations; aerial firefighting; aerial delivery; medevac/air ambulance; humanitarian relief operations; personnel transport; austere field operations; and search and rescue.

The LM-100J is the updated version of the L-100 Hercules, which was built by Lockheed Martin from 1964 to 1992. More than 100 L-100s were delivered to both global commercial and government operators, supporting cargo delivery requirements in almost every operating environment in the world.

Source: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co.