A COMPANY in North Yorkshire has signed a £9.5million contract to make specialist parts for the world's longest standing military transport aircraft.

Marshall Advanced Composites, based in Kirkbymoorside on the North York Moors, has sealed the five year deal with Lockheed Martin, the global aerospace, defence, security and advanced technologies company.

It is designing and supplying cockpit trims for the new C-130J Super Hercules airlifter.

The plane is the latest development of the Hercules which was originally designed and built for the US air force in 1956 and has since been put to work around the globe. It’s regarded as one of the worlds most versatile and reliable military and civilian transport aircraft.

Marshall Advanced Composites employs more than 120 people at Kirkbymoorside and is part of Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group, based at Cambridge Airport, which has been maintaining, repairing and overhauling C-130s for more than 50 years.

Advanced Composites specialise in the design and manufacture of composite structures for the aerospace, defence and mass transit markets.

Carl Morse, general manager based at Kirkbymoorside said the firm is delighted to secure the contract.

“It really is testament to the hard work of the team and the strength of our partnership with Lockheed Martin," he said.

“We’ve been supplying the panels for over 20 years and have historically been on a series of relatively short term contracts. However, our proven ability to drive cost out of the supply, outstanding on-time delivery record and appetite to innovate our processes has given our customer the confidence to make another long-term commitment.

“We are all very proud to be able to play a part in supporting the valuable service of C-130 fleets across the world so often pressed into action to help protect people in critical situations.”

The panels, manufactured at Marshall’s production facility in Ryedale, are supplied in various sizes and complexity in kits of 14 or 18 panels to form the all important centre console in the C-130 cockpit.

The C-130 is capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, and was originally designed as a troop, medevac, and cargo transport aircraft.

Since then it’s also been used in a variety of other roles throughout the world including as a gunship, search and rescue, scientific research support, weather reconnaissance, aerial refuelling, maritime patrol, and aerial firefighting. It is now the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide.

The Hercules is also the longest continuously produced military aircraft with over 60 years of service with the C-130J Super Hercules the latest version.

Marshall Aerospace bought out Slingsby Advanced Composites Ltd which was based at the Kirkbymoorside site in January 2010 to establish what was originally called Marshall Slingsby Advanced Composites.

Originally the company was set up by Frederick Nicholas Slingsby, an RAF pilot in the First World War, who started making gliders and later training aircraft for military and civilian use.