STRATTON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.Y. - The New York Air Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing flew a ski-equipped LC-130 outfitted with more powerful engines for the first time during a test flight Oct. 11.
Seven Airmen conducted a test flight of an LC-130 equipped with new NP2000 T56-A-15A turboprop 3.5 upgrades.
“These new engines will be a game changer for the unit,” said Master Sgt. Christopher Dumond, a flight engineer with the 109th. “Combined with the LC-130H’s NP2000 eight-bladed propellers, this 3.5 engine is the finishing piece to the NP2000 system, modernizing the 109th’s fleet into a more powerful polar airlift force.”
A turboprop is a hybrid engine that provides jet thrust and drives a propeller. It is similar to a turbojet except that an added turbine, rearward the combustion chamber, works through a shaft and speed-reducing gears to turn a propeller at the front of the engine.
The engine upgrades build upon the previous improvements of the NP2000 propellers, fully integrated into the fleet back in 2019. The NP2000 propellers have eight blades instead of the four on the legacy engines.
These high-tech propellers increase torque for accelerated takeoffs on ice and snow and streamline maintenance requirements.
Because the 109th Airlift Wing operates the Department of Defense’s only ski-equipped LC-130 Hercules aircraft, the wing deploys annually to the cold and austere environments of Greenland and Antarctica in support of the National Science Foundation.
The wing provides heavy airlift and transport to the NSF in both locations.
The skibirds occasionally have trouble taking off from icy surfaces in these areas of operation due to heavy cargo loads or friction lock under the skis.
Previously, jet-assisted takeoff (JATO) bottles were attached to the aircraft and used to create extra thrust to get the skibirds off the snow or ice and into the air. JATO production, however, ended in 1991. Upgraded engines, and their capabilities, will fill that void.
“The power in these new upgrades is apparent in the seat,” said Maj. Patrick Newton, a pilot with the 109th. “The difference is something we definitely have to adjust for, but it improves our capabilities and makes us more effective.”
The upgrades increase fuel efficiency and reduce maintenance costs, according to Senior Master Sgt. Jared Nardi, the senior enlisted leader of the 109th Airlift Wing’s maintenance propulsion section.
“The engine includes an upgraded compressor and improved turbines, and those allow for a lot of improvements and cost savings in both the maintenance and operations worlds,” Nardi said. “We can fly farther on less fuel, takeoff faster in the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as maintain these engines more efficiently and less often.”
Nardi said the cost benefits could exceed the initial overhaul investment in five years.
The wing will overhaul the engine systems of an additional four aircraft by their next flying season in Greenland in April 2023, and the entire fleet by the following Operation Deep Freeze deployment in 2023 and 2024.