GE's 1000th Dowty Propeller System Makes First Flight on C-130J

CINCINNATI - December 24, 2010: GE Aviation joins Lockheed Martin today to mark the 1000th Dowty advanced propeller system on a C-130J aircraft. The first flight took place December 20 at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia. The C-130J will be delivered to Dyess Air Force Base by year’s end.

Performing the C-130J's flight were Lockheed Martin test pilots Dick Shroeder and P R Helm.

Oliver Towers, president of Dowty Propellers said: “We have provided the propeller system for the C-130J since 1994. The high integrity of the all-composite propeller system significantly contributes to the overall efficiency of the C-130J. Our Gloucester, UK propellers team is proud to help support successful missions for C-130J operators worldwide.”

The six-bladed R391 propeller for the Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130J aircraft includes high-integrity all-composite blades with unmatched 25-year record of operational reliability. The propellers include a fail-safe electronic control system and low maintenance costs with a modular configuration and low parts count.

GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE , is a world-leading provider of jet engines, components and integrated systems for commercial and military aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings. GE Aviation Systems LLC and GE Aviation Systems Ltd are subsidiaries of General Electric Company. For more information, visit us at www.ge.com/aviation.