Lockheed Martin LM-100J starts taking (a similar) shape

  • Magazine Feature Article
  • 16MEIP06_24
Published June 01, 2016 by SAE International in United States
Language:
  • English

Wing production for the first Lockheed Martin LM-100J commercial multi-purpose freighter has begun in Marietta, GA, which is also home to the C-130J Super Hercules final assembly line. Other structural parts are in production at the Aeronautics sites in Meridian, MS, and Clarksburg, WV, facilities. The LM-100J is expected to make its first flight in 2017, then enter into an FAA certification phase.

The LM-100J will be the civil-certified version of the C-130J and an updated version of the L-100 (or L-382) cargo aircraft, and will be “the only commercial airlifter that offers all-terrain and all-weather service,” according to George Shultz, Vice President and General Manager, Air Mobility & Maritime Missions at Lockheed Martin. Those qualifications will allow the LM-100J to deliver cargo in both developed and rugged environments, as well as support multiple missions, from firefighting to medevac to VIP transport. Lockheed says 115 L-100s were produced from 1964-1992, with about 55 still in service.