Collins Aerospace upgrades U.S. Navy C-130 fleet with long-lasting wheels and carbon brakes

Collins Aerospace continues to help C-130 operators reduce maintenance time and cost with its long-lasting wheels and carbon brakes. The business, a unit of Raytheon Technologies (NYSE: RTX), today announced it has completed its first upgrade of the U.S. Navy’s fleet of C-130T and KC-130T aircraft with new wheels and brakes.

Collins’ C-130 brakes, which feature its proprietary DURACARB® carbon heat sink material, can allow for 2,000 landings per overhaul compared to 250 landings per overhaul experienced by operators of the C-130’s current system. That lifespan is eight times longer, significantly reducing maintenance time and cost. In addition, the brakes are capable of handling higher energy than the aircraft’s existing equipment, which increases the safety margin when stopping heavily loaded C-130s.

The boltless wheels feature an innovative lock-ring design and higher fatigue life than the current C-130 system, also reducing maintenance times and costs for operators. Additionally, the combined wheel and brake assembly contains 17 percent fewer parts than the C-130’s existing equipment, further simplifying maintenance and service.

“At Collins Aerospace, we’re committed to keeping our warfighters safe while delivering the most efficient solutions to our customers to help keep their aircraft in the air. And that is exactly what our boltless wheels and carbon brakes will do for the U.S. Navy,” said Ajay Mahajan, vice president, Landing Systems for Collins Aerospace.

Collins is a leading provider of wheels and brakes for military platforms, including the U.S. Air Force’s F-15, F-16, C-5, C-130 and Global Hawk fleets. Recently, the company was selected by the U.S. Air Force to design and develop a new wheel and carbon brake for the B-52. Collins has also completed wheel and brake upgrades for several air forces around the globe. In total, the company provides wheels and brakes for more than half of all active C-130s worldwide.