PARIS, June 20 (UPI) -- New carbon brakes and boltless wheels for U.S. Air Force C-130s from North Carolina's Goodrich Corp. are being flight tested.
Goodrich, in a news release from the Paris air show, said the testing is taking place as it starts production to support deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2011.
Under a contract to the service, Goodrich is producing more than 1,600 carbon brakes and 1,400 boltless wheels.
Goodrich said its C-130 Boltless Wheel and DURACARB carbon brake system is designed to maximize performance and reduce operating cost providing eight times longer brake life and six times longer wheel life.
DURACARB carbon material provides longer life, higher performance and lower cost of ownership compared to steel braking systems, it said. Its boltless aircraft wheels employ a lock-ring design, substantially lowering maintenance time and cost, in addition to reduced parts count, when compared to traditional bolted aircraft wheels.
Goodrich aircraft wheels and brakes are in service on more than 23,000 military, commercial, regional and business aircraft produced by manufacturers such as Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Cessna, Embraer, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.
