RAF Rivet Joint

[dragartist]

Someone issued an artists licence. Certainly looks more prominent with the goose wings at 2 o'clock/ 10 o'clock. Does that make me a spotter!

[denachtenmai]

So 51 Sqn isn't a secret anymore

Never was, just the role.

[FantomZorbin]

Does 51 still have this sign at its entrance:

[Davef68]

They painted a big Goose on one of their Nimrods as well

[GalleyTeapot]

The tail art is likely due to 51Sqns 100th this year.

[MPN11]

The tail art is likely due to 51Sqns 100th this year.

Ah, yes ... just visible in the 2nd photo if you zoom in.

[dragartist]

FZ, The sign was last seen in C Flt Crew room at Wyton. As I understand things it is no longer relevant as the average age of the formation eating team is significantly lower these days.


When's the party? Lots of folks getting their Zimmer frames polished up ready.

[squib66]

I've just come across a detailed account of the Offurt fire: USAF RC-135V Rivet Joint Oxygen Fire

A US Air Force (USAF) accident investigation has paradoxically determined that a fire that caused of damage in April 2015 was due to a maintenance error but that no human factors were involved.

During investigation it was found that some B-nuts in the oxygen system were finger tight. The USAF report states:

The board president found by preponderance of the evidence that the cause of the mishap was a leak in the high-pressure oxygen system due to poor assembly of the system tubing at depot maintenance. Failure by L3 Communications depot maintenance personnel to tighten a retaining nut connecting a metal oxygen tube to a junction fitting above the galley properly caused an oxygen leak. This leak created a highly flammable oxygen-rich environment that ignited. The resulting fire melted the retaining nut causing the tubing to become detached from the junction fitting, feeding more oxygen to the fire, increasing its size, and causing severe damage to the airframe, galley, and mission equipment onboard the aircraft.

However, very oddly the report also says:

AFI 91-204, Safety Investigations and Reports, 24 September 2008, Attachment 5, contains the Department of Defense Human Factors Analysis and Classification System [HFACS], which lists potential human factors that can play a role in any mishap. Human factors consider how people’s tools, tasks and working environment systematically influence human performance. There is no evidence that human factors contributed to this mishap. [Emphasis Added]

Do the RAF use L3 for maintenance?

[Avtur]

Now here is me thinking that oxygen is not flammable, it just supports whatever is burning and makes things burn hotter and faster when there is lots of it. So if I am correct, there must have been an ignition source (root cause) and/or a fire, which rapidly accelerated in the oxygen rich environment. Wonder what that was? I think therefore the oxygen leak was not the cause of the fire but was the accelerant.

Standing by to be corrected.

[RAFEngO74to09]

Squib66,

All Rivet Joint airframe and mission systems modifications are overseen by L-3 Communications (previously Raytheon) under the oversight of USAF Materiel Command.

Conversion of the former KC-135Rs to RC-135W standard for the RAF was of course done there.

RC-135V/W Rivet Joint > U.S. Air Force > Fact Sheet Display

http://www.raf.mod.uk/equipment/rc135wrivetjoint.cfm

[squib66]

RAFEngO74to09

At least the USAF think L3 are maintenance error proof!
USAF RC-135V Rivet Joint Oxygen Fire

Avtur

I think you are right. Perhaps the fire was so devastating where ever the short came from was probably burnt beyond recognition.

[Heathrow Harry]

Avtur - it said the leak it was "just above the Galley" so it was probably the chip pan ..................

[Avtur]

You mean the fries pan!

BTW Fantom, the Old People sign was still in the Sqn entrance in 2008 when 51 was in the AWC building. These days a Children Crossing sign would be more apt.

[Lordflasheart]

Third RJ arrival in UK

I see the third RAF Rivet Joint has arrived in the UK on time -

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/uk-t...5-rivet-joint/

IIRC this was the one that was involved in unspecified testing in the US.

Presumably the second ship has by now returned from it's unspecified repairs in the US.

[Valiantone]

All three were present after 666 landed.

As for the picture on that article, the second a/c was delivered in 2015 direct to Mildenhall. So can't be the one in that pic, (i'm guessing its 664 at the last Waddo airshow) as Waddington runway certainly wasn't in anything like one piece then. Not that the report is much good having relied on an irritating twitterfeeder

I noticed they removed the old V-bomber dispersals from the end of the runway.

V1

[camelspyyder]

All 3 have been parked outside Hangar 5 in the last 7 days, although I've not seen them all at the same time.

[Davef68]

Originally Posted by Lordflasheart

IIRC this was the one that was involved in unspecified testing in the US.

IIRC it was in it's pre-RC guise as a tanker, providing IFR data

[Heathrow Harry]

they'll all be up for sale in a few weeks the way things are going.........

[ORAC]

L3 Delivers Final Airseeker to RAF

[Toadstool]

Originally Posted by BigGreenGilbert

It was news. A few weeks ago.

BGG

Months more like!