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On 14 October 2020, the first Royal Netherlands Air Force C-130 Hercules flew from Eindhoven Air Base, the Netherlands with drag-reducing Microvanes.
Royal Netherlands Air Force personnel installed the Microvanes during the first week of October. The Microvanes were delivered earlier this year, but installation was delayed due to a heavy operational schedule in support of COVID relief operations.
Microvanes are an “off the shelf” modification designed by the aircraft manufacturer Lockheed-Martin and sold by Metro Aerospace of Dallas, Texas. The Microvanes improve airflow over the aft portion of the aircraft fuselage, yielding fuel savings of approximately 4% and a related reduction in CO2 emissions.
Microvanes are scheduled to be installed on a total of four Royal Netherlands Air Force C-130H aircraft, and the investment is expected to be recouped within one year.