From another site – the C130

From a different forum… does this make sense?

So, got this from a source who’s worked in the C-130J… Apparently the Brits, who have 25 C-130J aircraft and were the first to try to operate their new fleet according to the manufacturer’s improved performance guarantee (time to climb, cruise speed and range), ended up grounding nearly half their fleet due to turbine overheat damage.

Contrary to Lockheed’s flight manual, the engine design parameters apparently don’t permit maximum continuous power 100% of the time rather 20%. As a result, they’re having to wait until a more durable air cooled turbine blades can be designed. In essence, the propeller was never designed for the military operational environment, and this is same powerplant combination that was selected for the C 27J for the same reasons.

What this means, I’m told, is that the C 130J performance is now only marginally better than the last C 130H version.