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Quickstep Holdings Limited, a manufacturer of high-grade carbon-fibre components, announced that it has received a new purchase order for 19 sets of C-130J wing flaps from global security and aerospace company, Lockheed Martin.
The U.S. $11.2 million purchase order comprises part of Quickstep’s overarching U.S. $75 million memorandum of agreement (MOA) to manufacture wing flaps for the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. Deliveries under this purchase order are expected to begin in mid-2015. Including this latest order, Quickstep has received firm production orders for 55 wing flap sets.
Seven complete wing flap sets have been delivered by Quickstep to Lockheed Martin since the initial set of flaps was shipped in February 2014. Production is continuing at an approximate rate of two sets per month and is expected to accelerate to three sets per month during the second half of 2014.
Quickstep executive director, Philippe Odouard, said: “We are very pleased to receive this new order, which locks in Quickstep’s C-130J delivery schedule through 2015. The continuing contract flow attests to our positive working relationship with Lockheed Martin and demonstrates our strong progress on this important aerospace contract.”
Lockheed Martin awarded Quickstep the tender to manufacture wing flaps for its C-130J Super Hercules aircraft in March 2012. Over the life of the MOA, Quickstep will supply 120 sets of carbon-fibre flaps through to 2018.
Every set provided by Quickstep has four wing flaps, each including more than 200 individual parts such as carbon ribs, spars and skins. Quickstep manufactures these components at its Bankstown Airport aerospace facility.
Lockheed Martin’s C-130J wing flaps program is one of two significant aerospace programs awarded to Quickstep, which is also producing components for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program.
The C-130J has been ordered by 16 countries and is the latest model of the C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft which has been in continuous production for 60 years.
