RAF Rivet Joint
However, as a few suspected it might, the PR bods at least are trying to call it Airseeker....
I have never liked Airseeker, it seems to have crept in from the capability name. If Rivet Joint is not acceptable, I think Guardian would be a good name, part of the ISTAR Triad with Sentry and Sentinel, unless someone can think of a name under the same theme beginning with "S"?
Stupid?
Ok, I didn't mean that.
My concern over this procurement is that in the R1 era the a/c and its systems had capabilities that differentiated it from the RJ and hence the U.S. Valued the UK input as it filled a niche coalition requirement, as well as a unique UK need. Now, unless the UK RJ is fitted with different kit to the U.S. Ones, the RAF can just replicate what the U.S. Can already deliver.
Ok, I didn't mean that.
My concern over this procurement is that in the R1 era the a/c and its systems had capabilities that differentiated it from the RJ and hence the U.S. Valued the UK input as it filled a niche coalition requirement, as well as a unique UK need. Now, unless the UK RJ is fitted with different kit to the U.S. Ones, the RAF can just replicate what the U.S. Can already deliver.
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Rivet Joint Fire at Offutt caused $62.4 million in damages
By Steve Liewer / World-Herald staff writer | Updated 14 hours ago
An improperly tightened nut caused an oxygen leak that led to a fire aboard an RC-135V Rivet Joint aircraft at Offutt Air Force Base in April, according to a news release from the Air Force’s Air Combat Command. Investigators estimated the fire caused $62.4 million in damage to the four-engine jet, which carries sensitive communications gear.
The aircraft, from the 55th Wing’s 343rd Reconnaissance Squadron, had just begun its takeoff roll at 6:27 p.m. April 30 when crew members noticed smoke in the rear of the cabin. They alerted the flight crew, and the aircraft slowed to a stop before it left the ground.
Offutt Fire and Rescue crews, assisted by the Bellevue Fire Department, quickly extinguished the fire. All 27 crew members evacuated safely through a crew-entry hatch. Four were treated for smoke inhalation. The airfield was closed for 2½ hours.
An Accident Investigation Board blamed a depot maintenance worker for failing to properly tighten a retaining nut connecting a metal oxygen tube to a junction fitting, the news release said.
As a result, oxygen leaked into the cabin, and the environment ignited. The fire burned a hole several feet across in the roof of the aircraft just in front of the tail.
An Air Combat Command spokesman said the full investigative report will be released Monday.
The aircraft involved in the incident was built in the early 1960s and is based on the civilian Boeing 707 airframe.
Contact the writer: 402-444-1186, [email protected]
(Photo available but I don't know how to post it on this forum.)
Perhaps the whistleblower was correct! More to come.
An improperly tightened nut caused an oxygen leak that led to a fire aboard an RC-135V Rivet Joint aircraft at Offutt Air Force Base in April, according to a news release from the Air Force’s Air Combat Command. Investigators estimated the fire caused $62.4 million in damage to the four-engine jet, which carries sensitive communications gear.
The aircraft, from the 55th Wing’s 343rd Reconnaissance Squadron, had just begun its takeoff roll at 6:27 p.m. April 30 when crew members noticed smoke in the rear of the cabin. They alerted the flight crew, and the aircraft slowed to a stop before it left the ground.
Offutt Fire and Rescue crews, assisted by the Bellevue Fire Department, quickly extinguished the fire. All 27 crew members evacuated safely through a crew-entry hatch. Four were treated for smoke inhalation. The airfield was closed for 2½ hours.
An Accident Investigation Board blamed a depot maintenance worker for failing to properly tighten a retaining nut connecting a metal oxygen tube to a junction fitting, the news release said.
As a result, oxygen leaked into the cabin, and the environment ignited. The fire burned a hole several feet across in the roof of the aircraft just in front of the tail.
An Air Combat Command spokesman said the full investigative report will be released Monday.
The aircraft involved in the incident was built in the early 1960s and is based on the civilian Boeing 707 airframe.
Contact the writer: 402-444-1186, [email protected]
(Photo available but I don't know how to post it on this forum.)
Perhaps the whistleblower was correct! More to come.
Last edited by cpants; 9th Aug 2015 at 03:27. Reason: removal of advertisement
Here's a picture I found. You can see the burn-thru hole on top of the fuselage, just ahead of the leading edge of the vertical fin – the black blob above the Air Force star.. Looks a real mess close up, burnt wiring bundles and some structural damage. Lucky the crew spotted the fire on the roll; a few minutes later and it might easily have become another ValuJet.
Haven't found any reference to the use of locking wire on the oxygen system unions in the accident report yet, but still reading ..... Perhaps it isn't used (any more) ???
We picked up a jumbo for a two-sector home run years ago. The ground engineer said "Bit of an oxygen leak, the flight manager says its ok, he brought it out like that. We've topped it right up so you shouldn't need more at your transit station." (NB not permitted to replenish oxygen with pax on board and no desire to off-load and re-board the transit pax with the joiners.)
We said 'Where's it coming from ? Where's it going to ? Bucket of soapy water time ...."
IIRC, this model had two crew bottles and eight large pax bottles in the underfloor hold. Of the pax bottles, one was found to be shut off completely and another had the union nut tightened onto it's own locking wire so it was never going to stop leaking. Took less than ten minutes to find and fix. Never found out (and hate to think) how long it had been like that.
LFH
Haven't found any reference to the use of locking wire on the oxygen system unions in the accident report yet, but still reading ..... Perhaps it isn't used (any more) ???
We picked up a jumbo for a two-sector home run years ago. The ground engineer said "Bit of an oxygen leak, the flight manager says its ok, he brought it out like that. We've topped it right up so you shouldn't need more at your transit station." (NB not permitted to replenish oxygen with pax on board and no desire to off-load and re-board the transit pax with the joiners.)
We said 'Where's it coming from ? Where's it going to ? Bucket of soapy water time ...."
IIRC, this model had two crew bottles and eight large pax bottles in the underfloor hold. Of the pax bottles, one was found to be shut off completely and another had the union nut tightened onto it's own locking wire so it was never going to stop leaking. Took less than ten minutes to find and fix. Never found out (and hate to think) how long it had been like that.
LFH
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USAF Rivet Joint Fire Investigation Flaw
A glaring error contained throughout the AIB report refers the RC-135 oxygen system as a high pressure system. There is no high pressure oxygen system in the RC-135. The RC-135 contains a liquid oxygen system. The normal operating pressure of a multiplace liquid oxygen system is 300 psi. One crewmwmber stated that the oxygen pressure was, "...right around 325-350, likes it's suposed to be. (Ref. Accident Investigation Board Report at TAB R-115) Furthermore, in the RC-135, there is neither a shutoff valve, nor a quick disconnect to isolate the LOX converters from the rest of the oxygen system in the event of an oxygen leak. So, in this accident, three 25 liter LOX converters potentially emptied 64500 liters of gaseous oxygen into the cabin. (One liter of LOX equates to 860 liters of gaseous oxygen.)
T.O. 00-25-223 classifies airborne pressure systems in the following manner:
Low Pressure: 0 to 500 psi
Medium Pressure: 501 to 3,000 psi
High Pressure: 3,000 to 10,000 psi
Ultra High Pressure: Above 10,000psi
Lordflasheart stated: "Haven't found any reference to the use of locking wire on the oxygen system unions in the accident report yet, but still reading ..... Perhaps it isn't used (any more) ???"
Answer: B-nuts used on hose and tube assemblies, including oxygen systems, do not normally contain holes to accomodate locking wire. Perhaps they should.
T.O. 00-25-223 classifies airborne pressure systems in the following manner:
Low Pressure: 0 to 500 psi
Medium Pressure: 501 to 3,000 psi
High Pressure: 3,000 to 10,000 psi
Ultra High Pressure: Above 10,000psi
Lordflasheart stated: "Haven't found any reference to the use of locking wire on the oxygen system unions in the accident report yet, but still reading ..... Perhaps it isn't used (any more) ???"
Answer: B-nuts used on hose and tube assemblies, including oxygen systems, do not normally contain holes to accomodate locking wire. Perhaps they should.
Last edited by cpants; 21st Oct 2015 at 20:53. Reason: Accurate representation of the factual data.
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Looks like the Offutt story was updated today with some rather worrying pictures
Disaster narrowly averted at Offutt with plane fire, but major questions remain - Omaha.com: Military
Disaster narrowly averted at Offutt with plane fire, but major questions remain - Omaha.com: Military
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Cambridge Lecture
Just seen it advertised in this months RAeS Mag.
Lecture at Marshalls Cambridge Thursday 17th December start at 18:00.
need to notify attendance.
May see some of you there.
Drag
Lecture at Marshalls Cambridge Thursday 17th December start at 18:00.
need to notify attendance.
May see some of you there.
Drag
Well it had not fallen on one's head here my photos of it doing touch n'go near my neck of the woods, the other week,
cheers
cheers
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Flash tail markings. So 51 Sqn isn't a secret anymore 
