F35s grounded.
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F-35s grounded by engine risk
F135 engine LPT blade found cracked during inspection:
UPDATE 3-Pentagon suspends F-35 flights due to engine blade crack | Reuters
UPDATE 3-Pentagon suspends F-35 flights due to engine blade crack | Reuters
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According to that first article, both F35s and Harriers have less range than the SEP training aircraft I currently fly in!
Last edited by M1ghtyDuck; 23rd Feb 2013 at 03:42.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Engineering teams are removing the turbine blade from the plane and plan to ship it to Pratt's engine facility in Middletown, Connecticut, for more thorough evaluation and root cause analysis, according to the Pentagon and Pratt.
I just hope they ship all the blades from that turbine.
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Not an Aircraft Engineer but...
Do we not get turbine blade failure on other engines/fleets and would the whole fleet be grounded then? Notwithstanding of course the recent introduction of the F35 and the obvious lack of history when compared to say the Tonka fleet.
Also comparing fleets what would the number of blades/engine be between say the F35 vs Tonka fleets.
Do we not get turbine blade failure on other engines/fleets and would the whole fleet be grounded then? Notwithstanding of course the recent introduction of the F35 and the obvious lack of history when compared to say the Tonka fleet.
Also comparing fleets what would the number of blades/engine be between say the F35 vs Tonka fleets.
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Yes there was this one as an example
160784 B Second TFA-18A (later designated FA-18B). McDonnell Douglas, crashed 8 Sep 1980 Mildenhall Royal Air Force, Middle Wallop, Hampshire, UK near Farnborough after engine failure. MD pilots Jack Krings and Gary Post ejected safely.
They had a big TV request on the news and offered locals and local schoolchildren a reward for any parts of the turbines found and managed to recover most of it to find out what went wrong
160784 B Second TFA-18A (later designated FA-18B). McDonnell Douglas, crashed 8 Sep 1980 Mildenhall Royal Air Force, Middle Wallop, Hampshire, UK near Farnborough after engine failure. MD pilots Jack Krings and Gary Post ejected safely.
They had a big TV request on the news and offered locals and local schoolchildren a reward for any parts of the turbines found and managed to recover most of it to find out what went wrong
The Gazelle 163 ( I think- the one in the Wessex 3/ 31 series) was prone to shedding compressor blades. That caused the loss of several aircraft and at least one RAN fleet grounding. The cause was usually an installation issue with the root.
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Engineering teams are removing the turbine blade from the plane and plan to ship it to Pratt's engine facility in Middletown, Connecticut, for more thorough evaluation and root cause analysis, according to the Pentagon and Pratt.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Look also at the 787 which has been grounded by the FAA. Then think of the Comet where they pressed on an lost more aircraft.
The RAF has been known to have tech groundings just they never publicised them to this extent. There was on grounding on the Vulcan fleet circa '65-'67 which lasted IIRC 10 days or more. As this did not prevent launch on deterrent missions, and we didn't wish to alarm anyone, it was kept Secret. the same was true of the Valiant force in '64. They remained operational yet grounded at the same time.
Does anyone here think we'll ever build the perfect engine that never fails, never catches fire, never gets upset? Is this the first engine that ever had a blade failure? Is this anything to do with the rest of the platform?
Come on. Wait and see before we judge. They have, after all, built a lot of good engines before, so probably know what they're doing. Above all, the engine isn't the biggest concern in the whole system.
Come on. Wait and see before we judge. They have, after all, built a lot of good engines before, so probably know what they're doing. Above all, the engine isn't the biggest concern in the whole system.
Imagine the widespread panic if civilian airliners ever suffered turbine blade failures.
Airbus A330-300 C-FBUS: Aviation Investigation Report A01F0020
Analysis
Modern jet engines are extremely reliable, and in-service failures are rare. This reliability is the basis of the extended range twin-engine operations (ETOPS) approval. When two engines on the same aircraft fail for the same mechanical reasons in such a short time, this reliability is brought into question. In this case, both engine failures were the result of stress corrosion cracking of the second-stage turbine blades, a failure mode that Pratt & Whitney has been actively trying to control through the use of sacrificial corrosion protection coatings. The focus of this investigation analysis was to identify the underlying causes of these two engine failures...
Modern jet engines are extremely reliable, and in-service failures are rare. This reliability is the basis of the extended range twin-engine operations (ETOPS) approval. When two engines on the same aircraft fail for the same mechanical reasons in such a short time, this reliability is brought into question. In this case, both engine failures were the result of stress corrosion cracking of the second-stage turbine blades, a failure mode that Pratt & Whitney has been actively trying to control through the use of sacrificial corrosion protection coatings. The focus of this investigation analysis was to identify the underlying causes of these two engine failures...
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Imagine the widespread panic if civilian airliners ever suffered turbine blade failures.
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Reports so far indicate the aircraft with the engine issue was from Edwards. Has it been reported which aircraft was involved as that's also the location of the high alpha test aircraft.
As turbine failures are generally considered uncontainable this must be considered a serious event. As was the case with the a380 trent engine a few years ago issues upstream can be a cause, so as was mentioned above sending the entire engine back to Pratt would be prudent.
As turbine failures are generally considered uncontainable this must be considered a serious event. As was the case with the a380 trent engine a few years ago issues upstream can be a cause, so as was mentioned above sending the entire engine back to Pratt would be prudent.
Originally Posted by Turbine D
Luckily, civilian airliners have two engines, some even have four. The F-35 has one and if you have to shut it down, you have none. That is the difference.
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Originally posted by FODPlod
Are you saying the problem is a permanent show-stopper then?
Are you saying the problem is a permanent show-stopper then?
TD
"Mildenhall Royal Air Force, Middle Wallop, Hampshire, UK near Farnborough"
IIRC that was the climb-out from Farnborough one. The local kids were rewarded per lump retrieved, until it was realised that the enterprising little angels were breaking bits up in to many smaller lumps before handing them in.
IIRC that was the climb-out from Farnborough one. The local kids were rewarded per lump retrieved, until it was realised that the enterprising little angels were breaking bits up in to many smaller lumps before handing them in.