30 janvier 2019 | International, Aérospatial

Iwakuni Marines use 3D printers to revolutionize maintenance for fighter jets

By JAMES BOLINGER | STARS AND STRIPES

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan — Using 3D printers, Marines based in southern Japan created two products that reduce the time it takes to repair F/A-18 Hornets and may save the Defense Department money.

Called an engine ship kit, the first innovation is a set of plastic clips and plugs to prevent oil and hydraulic fluid leaking from aircraft engines removed for repairs. The other is a tool that helps maintainers grease the bearings on the F/A-18's high-speed Gatling gun.

Designed by Marines from MCAS Iwakuni's Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12, the engine ship kit will have an immediate impact on operations, squadron commander Lt. Col. Javier Garcia recently told Stars and Stripes.

The kit eliminates the need for maintainers to travel to austere locations to drain oil and hydraulic fluids so an engine can be taken safely back to Iwakuni for repair.

The plastic drain plugs prevent the fluid from leaking and the clips ensure the plugs are not dislodged as the engine is readied for transport.

The kit is the brain child of 1st Lt. Simon Miller and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Mark Willems, who needed to get a broken F/A-18 engine from Wake Island to MCAS Iwakuni late last year.

The engine began to leak while a C-130 crew tried to load it, Garcia said. In the past, a team of maintenance Marines would have traveled to the location to prepare the engine for safe transport, but that takes away from their mission at MCAS Iwakuni.

To solve the problem, Willems had the idea of creating plugs that would stop the leaks. Miller created the pieces using 3D drafting software and MALS 12's new 3D printers.

“I'm not really sure why no one thought to make this kind of kit before, but this design is going to have an impact across the Navy and Marine Corps,” Garcia said.

The same team behind the engine ship kit also created a tool that makes it easier for maintenance Marines to grease the bearing on the F-18's M61A Vulcan, a Gatling-style rotary cannon that can fire 6,000 rounds a minute.

The bearing on the cannon must be packed with grease every 30,000 rounds, a job that used to take two Marines more than 30 minutes, said Cpl. Christian Smellie, an aviation life-support systems technician who works at Iwakuni's 3D printing lab.

Full article: https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/iwakuni-marines-use-3d-printers-to-revolutionize-maintenance-for-fighter-jets-1.566446

Sur le même sujet

28 janvier 2019 | International, Aérospatial

SUISSE NOUVEL AVION DE COMBAT : 5 GÉANTS FONT LEURS OFFRES
Les spécialistes en armement ont jusqu'en 2020 pour produire un rapport en vue du choix du prochain avion de combat helvétique. Les cinq candidats sollicités pour le prochain avion de combat suisse ont transmis leurs offres vendredi à armasuisse. Cette étape marque le début de la phase d'analyse et d'essais. Les offres portent sur les avions suivants: Eurofighter (Airbus, Allemagne), F/A-18 Super Hornet (Boeing, États-Unis), Rafale (Dassault, France), F-35A (Lockheed-Martin, États-Unis) et Gripen E (Saab, Suède). De février à mars, les spécialistes d'armasuisse et des Forces aériennes procéderont aux essais des avions dans les simulateurs correspondants, indique vendredi le Département fédéral de la défense dans un communiqué. Ces activités auront lieu chez les candidats et se dérouleront parallèlement aux audits de support produit. Au cours de ces audits, les forces aériennes des pays de fabrication présenteront l'exploitation et la maintenance des avions ainsi que le déroulement de la formation. Ils seront suivis par l'analyse des réponses au questionnaire que les fabricants devaient remplir dans leurs offres. Essais à Payerne Parallèlement, entre avril et juillet, les avions de combat seront soumis à des essais en vol et au sol à Payerne. Pour chaque candidat, armasuisse, en coopération avec l'État-major de l'armée, les Forces aériennes, la Base logistique de l'armée et la Base d'aide au commandement, rassemblera dans des rapports spécialisés les connaissances tirées de la phase d'analyse et d'essais. Ces rapports constitueront la base de la comparaison entre les candidats qui sera réalisée au deuxième semestre 2020. Ils serviront aussi à déterminer pour chaque modèle d'avion la taille nécessaire de la flotte. Deuxième appel d'offres Sur cette base, armasuisse élaborera un deuxième appel d'offres qui sera transmis aux candidats. À partir des connaissances acquises avec la deuxième offre, armasuisse comparera les candidats entre eux et déterminera l'utilité globale pour chaque candidat. Le rapport d'évaluation mettant en parallèle cette utilité avec les coûts d'acquisition et d'utilisation pour une période de 30 ans sera alors élaboré. Le Conseil fédéral décidera du modèle retenu. https://www.lematin.ch/suisse/Nouvel-avion-de-combat--5-geants-font-leurs-offres/story/21758047
19 août 2020 | International, Aérospatial

Maiden flight of first EMD Red Hawk jet slated for September 2021
by Gareth Jennings The US Air Force (USAF) has slated September 2021 for the maiden flight of the first of five engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) Boeing-Saab T-7A Red Hawk advanced jet trainer aircraft, Janes has learned. With production of the EMD aircraft set to shortly begin at Boeing's St Louis facility in Missouri and Saab's Linköping facility in Sweden, a USAF official told Janes on 18 August that the hitherto undisclosed date for the first EMD flight has now been set. “Saab has released all EMD aircraft ‘build-to-packages' to support build and manufacturing preparation. The EMD [aft] fuselages (five in total) are currently planned for build at Saab's factory in Sweden with delivery [to St Louis] no later than April 2021. Production is expected to begin with jig load [this] August at Boeing in St Louis. Boeing currently plans for assembly to be complete in June 2021, with the first EMD flight expected in September 2021,” the USAF said. Prior to this disclosure, both Boeing and Saab had declined to comment on the timetable for the first EMD flight, noting only that “this is very sensitive information for the USAF”. With two production-representative jets (PRJs) currently flying, the present EMD phase of the contract covers the five further aircraft and seven simulators. https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/maiden-flight-of-first-emd-red-hawk-jet-slated-for-september-2021
2 décembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial

Boeing Starts Production of T-7A Weapons Systems Trainers, Operational Flight Trainer
St. Louis, December 1, 2020 — The U.S. Air Force is one step closer to receiving its next-generation trainer as Boeing [NYSE: BA] started producing the T-7A Red Hawk's “real-as-it-gets” ground-based training system (GBTS). Boeing teams are currently assembling the first two weapons systems trainers and an operational flight trainer at the company's St. Louis site. These simulators, which are the foundation for pilot training and key to the Air Force's readiness, can digitally connect to actual T-7A aircraft and enable live virtual constructive and embedded training scenarios. “The Red Hawk's training system is arguably the most advanced in the world. It's a game changer,” said Chuck Dabundo, vice president of Boeing T-7 Programs. “This system is 100% integrated with the pilot's real-world experience, offering ‘real-as-it-gets' simulation. We're working closely with the U.S. Air Force and look forward to testing and fielding the devices.” The training simulators are equipped with high-fidelity crew stations that include dynamic motion seats and the Boeing Constant Resolution Visual System's 8K native projectors, offering 16 times the clarity of traditional high-definition video (1080p). “This is the most accurate, immersive experience that any pilot can have outside the aircraft,” said Sherri Koehnemann, T-7A Training & Sustainment director at Boeing Global Services. “We've integrated the training across the board, including ‘one push' software updates. What a pilot sees in the classroom, on his or her desktop training devices, and in the operational and weapon systems trainers will be what they see in the jet. Future pilots can expect more holistic, immersive training.” The T-7A's GBTS was built on an open systems architecture of hardware and digital software that will allow it to grow with the Air Force's evolving needs. Boeing expects to deliver the first T-7A Red Hawk simulators to the Air Force in 2023. Boeing is the world's largest aerospace company and leading provider of commercial airplanes, defense, space and security systems, and global services. As the top U.S. exporter, the company supports commercial and government customers in more than 150 countries and leverages the talents of a global supplier base. Building on a legacy of aerospace leadership, Boeing continues to lead in technology and innovation, deliver for its customers and invest in its people and future growth. # # # Contact: Zeyad Maasarani T-7A Training & Sustainment Boeing Global Services +1-562-400-5533 zeyad.maasarani@boeing.com Randy Jackson T-7A Program Boeing Defense, Space & Security +1 314-435-7588 randy.jackson@boeing.com View source version on Boeing: https://boeing.mediaroom.com/news-releases-statements?item=130776

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