FAA certification of the C-130J for electromagnetic compatibility, lightning protection and HIRF

The C-130 Hercules transport aircraft has been a workhorse for tactical military transport, commercial transport and multimission roles for over 40 years. In October 1995, Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems rolled out the C-130J -a completely modernized Hercules with a new propulsion system and one of the most advanced avionics systems on any aircraft flying today. Lockheed Martin has committed to certifying a commercial version of the C-130J (Model 382J) with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in accordance with Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 25. This certification task has presented many challenges in the areas of Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC), lightning protection, and protection against high intensity radiated fields (HIRF). To keep development and production costs down, the Model 382J is designed using a mix of military and commercially certified equipment, with an emphasis on maximum use of off-the-shelf hardware. This certification program differs from a typical commercial certification effort because of the emphasis on military rather than commercially certified hardware. Not only has Lockheed Martin had to educate itself and the C-130J suppliers about commercial specifications, the Atlanta FAA Aircraft Certification Office (AGO) has had to familiarize itself with common military specifications. This paper describes the C-130J EMC/lighting/HIRF FAA certification effort.