MISSOULA — Missoula-based Neptune Aviation is an industry leader when it comes to aerial firefighting.
Soon, they'll be transitioning to a new fleet of planes.
The Hermle C 400 Gen 2 machine will help them get there while also increasing Neptune's capability to support other aerial organizations.
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"As aircraft age, the part support for them becomes less; the obsolescence of components, we try to stay ahead of that by keeping stuff in-house," said Neptune Aviation director of maintenance Clifford Lynn.
In aerospace, each piece must fit precisely.
"Everything has to be 0.001 tolerances to fit correctly, especially in the structure of the aircraft," Lynn told MTN.
Neptune has been working with one type of machine for the last 20 years.
"If we needed to do a different side, we had to stop the machine, take the component out, move it, refixture it, take all of our dimensions again, then fire the machine up again, and then stop, turn the component over, part over, do the same thing again," Lynn explained.
With their newest addition, the Hermle C 400 Gen 2, Neptune can make parts for retardant tankers in less time with less hassle.
"The 5-axis machine moves by itself. It'll actually spin the component and greatly enhance capabilities and reduce the time on machines," Lynn said.
The Hermle will help Neptune make the customizable parts needed to transition their fleet to the Airbus A319 in late 2027.
Once they have the new set of planes, the Hermle will make sure repairs, when needed, can be accomplished quickly.
"40,500 pounds of retardant will be carried inside the airplane. So, every pound we can take off the airplane, every 1 pound we can reduce in the structure of the retardant tank that allows us to carry more retardant," Lynn detailed.
Neptune can also support others in the aviation industry by making the parts they need.
"We can reach out to the manufacturer of the aircraft and get a drawing for a certain component or structural piece, and we can order the material in, build it in-house, and do the processes that we need and get it out to the aircraft quicker," Lynn said.
