C-130 Programmed Depot Maintenance: Wright Flyer Paper No. 1

The current USAF process for establishing C-130 PDM intervals does not account for the wide range of aircraft variables within each aircraft MDS. This paper develops an analytical model that C-130 maintainers can use to forecast when a C-130 aircraft requires PDM. The model is based on five unique aircraft variables: 1) aircraft age, 2) total flying hours, 3) average yearly flying hours, 4) mission profile (expressed as a severity factors), and 5) operating location of the aircraft. Interviews with C-130 SPO personnel, combined with the use of the C-130 Service Life Data Base, provided the required data for developing the C-130 PDM interval model. The C-130 PDM interval model developed in this paper allows maintainers and operators to predict the optimum time between C-130 PDM activities. It eliminates the requirement to base PDM intervals on aircraft MDS. As a result, there is a potential for significant savings by deferring PDM for a portion of the C-130 fleet. Finally, the PDM interval model developed in this paper may be applicable for other Department of Defense aircraft for which MDS is used is the determinant of PDM intervals.