More KC-46A woes....
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2019...es-to-restart/
Air Force improves new inspection plan for KC-46s, paving the way for deliveries to restart
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The Air Force has decided to start accepting KC-46 tankersfrom Boeing again after the discovery of foreign debris halted production for the second time, the service’s top weapons buyer said Tuesday.
But before that happens, all KC-46s will now be subject to stringent inspections that will scrutinize all sealed compartments of the plane for foreign object debris, or FOD. That includes tankers already delivered to McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., and Altus Air Force Base, Okla., which will have to have their fuel tanks drained so that personnel can climb in and determine whether FOD is present.
“The planes that we have out on the field will have to go to a Boeing facility and have these significant inspections done on them. We’re working that in coordination right now,” Will Roper, the Air Force’s assistant secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, told reporters on the sidelines of the Space Symposium here. “The FOD that we’ve found poses no safety of flight risk. It’s well within what DCMA [Defense Contracts Management Agency] finds on many aircraft programs. But it’s not acceptable to have it on a new aircraft that we bought. We want clean aircraft, and we expect Boeing to do the inspections on their nickel and get us aircraft that were the ones that we contracted for."
Roper approved the new inspection plan on Friday. Although the Air Force is still working with Boeing to figure out the exact timing of when deliveries will restart, Roper said he anticipates the service accepting two new tankers next Friday, pending the timing of fuel tank inspections........
Air Force improves new inspection plan for KC-46s, paving the way for deliveries to restart
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The Air Force has decided to start accepting KC-46 tankersfrom Boeing again after the discovery of foreign debris halted production for the second time, the service’s top weapons buyer said Tuesday.
But before that happens, all KC-46s will now be subject to stringent inspections that will scrutinize all sealed compartments of the plane for foreign object debris, or FOD. That includes tankers already delivered to McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., and Altus Air Force Base, Okla., which will have to have their fuel tanks drained so that personnel can climb in and determine whether FOD is present.
“The planes that we have out on the field will have to go to a Boeing facility and have these significant inspections done on them. We’re working that in coordination right now,” Will Roper, the Air Force’s assistant secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, told reporters on the sidelines of the Space Symposium here. “The FOD that we’ve found poses no safety of flight risk. It’s well within what DCMA [Defense Contracts Management Agency] finds on many aircraft programs. But it’s not acceptable to have it on a new aircraft that we bought. We want clean aircraft, and we expect Boeing to do the inspections on their nickel and get us aircraft that were the ones that we contracted for."
Roper approved the new inspection plan on Friday. Although the Air Force is still working with Boeing to figure out the exact timing of when deliveries will restart, Roper said he anticipates the service accepting two new tankers next Friday, pending the timing of fuel tank inspections........
USAF still finding FOD in Boeing KC-46 and expects more
From an article on Flight Global.
The US Air Force (USAF) continues to find foreign object debris (FOD) inside the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus in-flight refuelling tanker, including loose material found this week, and it expects to discover objects for the foreseeable future.
Thread Starter
"The debris and the tools that were left on the KC-46 at the time of its delivery were unacceptable – unacceptable in any form. We took swift decisive action, and we are using this opportunity as our rallying cry to ensure we enhance our tool and FOD control process,” said Leanne Caret, chief executive officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, at a separate press conference at the show.
I once found a 12" long screwdriver which was rattling around inside the engine bay of my car after it had been serviced at a Mercedes-Benz main dealership. It could easily have shorted the battery, hit the pulley belts or punctured a radiator. When I took it back to the dealership and advised them of my dismay, I was astonished to learn that a so-called prestige car dealership has no form of tool control and the technicians use their own tools - a tool tag shadow board was an unknown concept. Bad enough in the automotive industry, but even worse in the aviation industry!
Le bourget adventures
Been working at Le Bourget all week, love Paris, love the weather ...better than 2 years ago when it was a heatwave (which is what’s happening now).
Boeing and McConnell folk wouldn’t let us on whistle stop tour of the Pegasus so made to with outside shots and got a patch from the crew so here are my photos.
Cheers
Boeing and McConnell folk wouldn’t let us on whistle stop tour of the Pegasus so made to with outside shots and got a patch from the crew so here are my photos.
Cheers
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Battery
Something once taught to all RAF Apprentices at a very early stage of their training...
I once found a 12" long screwdriver which was rattling around inside the engine bay of my car after it had been serviced at a Mercedes-Benz main dealership. It could easily have shorted the battery, hit the pulley belts or punctured a radiator. When I took it back to the dealership and advised them of my dismay, I was astonished to learn that a so-called prestige car dealership has no form of tool control and the technicians use their own tools - a tool tag shadow board was an unknown concept. Bad enough in the automotive industry, but even worse in the aviation industry!
I once found a 12" long screwdriver which was rattling around inside the engine bay of my car after it had been serviced at a Mercedes-Benz main dealership. It could easily have shorted the battery, hit the pulley belts or punctured a radiator. When I took it back to the dealership and advised them of my dismay, I was astonished to learn that a so-called prestige car dealership has no form of tool control and the technicians use their own tools - a tool tag shadow board was an unknown concept. Bad enough in the automotive industry, but even worse in the aviation industry!
Thread Starter
Well, it only took you 34 days to come up with that. Well done...
The screwdriver in question could easily have lodged between the positive terminal and some earth point....
The screwdriver in question could easily have lodged between the positive terminal and some earth point....
Air Force Gets Tough With Boeing, Withholds $360 Million From KC-46
Article on Breaking Defense:-
After years of technical and production problems, cost overruns and schedule delays afflicting Boeing’s KC-46 airborne tanker, the Air Force has lost patience with Boeing.
“The Air Force is withholding payments to protect our interests and incentivize Boeing to deliver KC-46s that meet all specification requirements in the contract,” the Air Force said in a statement. “To date, the Air Force has withheld approximately $360M from Boeing for KC-46s delivered so far.”
“The Air Force is withholding payments to protect our interests and incentivize Boeing to deliver KC-46s that meet all specification requirements in the contract,” the Air Force said in a statement. “To date, the Air Force has withheld approximately $360M from Boeing for KC-46s delivered so far.”
$360 M. About the cost of 1 tanker, maybe 2? Considering the system issues, delays and delivery hiccups, seems like a mere slap on the wrist, more for the public’s, and maybe Congress’, consumption, than Boeing’s.
Boeing juggles KC-46 tanker deliveries and boom redesign
More costs for Boeing. Article on Flight Global.
Boeing delivered three more KC-46A Pegasus in-flight refuelling tankers to the US Air Force (USAF) on 8 and 9 August, a week after winning a $55 million contract to redesign the aircraft’s boom telescope actuator.
Boeing is redesigning the actuator to address hardware specification flaws coming from the service’s initial design requirements. Designing and retrofitting the aircraft will likely cost more than $300 million, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released in June 2019. Programme officials told GAO that developing a solution, and receiving Federal Aviation Administration certification, would likely take three to four years.
The boom's issues became apparent during developmental flight testing, when pilots of lighter receiver aircraft – such as Fairchild Republic A-10s and Lockheed Martin F-16s – reported they needed more force to connect and disconnect their aircraft from the boom, as compared to older tankers, like the KC-135 and KC-10, says GAO.
The additional force required can cause the receiving aircraft to suddenly lunge and collide with the boom, damaging the aircraft’s glass cockpit canopy or tail. It can also damage the boom.
Testing also uncovered a problem with the KC-46’s remote vision system, a set of cameras used to guide the refuelling boom into an aircraft's fuel receptacle. Specifically, sun glare on the cameras at certain angles can cause washout or blackout on the refeulling operator's display screen. That makes it difficult to safely guide the boom into the fuel receptacle of an aircraft that needs refuelling. A wayward refuelling boom could damage an aircraft's nearby antennae or the radar-absorbent paint coating of stealth aircraft, such as the Lockheed Martin F-22, says GAO.
Boeing is expected to pay for fixing the remote vision system issue.
The USAF is using the remote vision system on tankers it has received, though it cannot use the cameras in some circumstances. Boeing says it is still in discussions with the USAF for a final fix for the system.
Deliveries of three more tankers in early August brings to 16 the number of KC-46s delivered to the USAF. Boeing had aimed to deliver 36 tankers in 2019. However, the service is expected to accept no more than three aircraft monthly, bringing the likely total number of tankers delivered by year-end to no greater than 28.
Boeing’s KC-46 deliveries to the USAF have been slowed, and at times halted, by issues with Foreign Object Debris (FOD) found inside the airframes. Boeing says it has implemented new FOD-awareness days and clean-as-you-go practices to eliminate the problem, but declines to say if FOD has been discovered in the aircraft in recent months.
Boeing is redesigning the actuator to address hardware specification flaws coming from the service’s initial design requirements. Designing and retrofitting the aircraft will likely cost more than $300 million, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released in June 2019. Programme officials told GAO that developing a solution, and receiving Federal Aviation Administration certification, would likely take three to four years.
The boom's issues became apparent during developmental flight testing, when pilots of lighter receiver aircraft – such as Fairchild Republic A-10s and Lockheed Martin F-16s – reported they needed more force to connect and disconnect their aircraft from the boom, as compared to older tankers, like the KC-135 and KC-10, says GAO.
The additional force required can cause the receiving aircraft to suddenly lunge and collide with the boom, damaging the aircraft’s glass cockpit canopy or tail. It can also damage the boom.
Testing also uncovered a problem with the KC-46’s remote vision system, a set of cameras used to guide the refuelling boom into an aircraft's fuel receptacle. Specifically, sun glare on the cameras at certain angles can cause washout or blackout on the refeulling operator's display screen. That makes it difficult to safely guide the boom into the fuel receptacle of an aircraft that needs refuelling. A wayward refuelling boom could damage an aircraft's nearby antennae or the radar-absorbent paint coating of stealth aircraft, such as the Lockheed Martin F-22, says GAO.
Boeing is expected to pay for fixing the remote vision system issue.
The USAF is using the remote vision system on tankers it has received, though it cannot use the cameras in some circumstances. Boeing says it is still in discussions with the USAF for a final fix for the system.
Deliveries of three more tankers in early August brings to 16 the number of KC-46s delivered to the USAF. Boeing had aimed to deliver 36 tankers in 2019. However, the service is expected to accept no more than three aircraft monthly, bringing the likely total number of tankers delivered by year-end to no greater than 28.
Boeing’s KC-46 deliveries to the USAF have been slowed, and at times halted, by issues with Foreign Object Debris (FOD) found inside the airframes. Boeing says it has implemented new FOD-awareness days and clean-as-you-go practices to eliminate the problem, but declines to say if FOD has been discovered in the aircraft in recent months.
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To be fair, I’d say of the two issues it would be better recorded as one c**k up each on this one.
Agreed, perhaps Boeing should have checked the specs earlier but...
to address hardware specification flaws coming from the service’s initial design requirements.
This is a case where the Air Force could have better specified their requirements, but it shouldn’t have surprised Boeing that the USAF wanted the tanker to work with all receiver aircraft. The fact that it doesn’t is more a matter for lawyers to argue than aviators. Looks like the lawyers did, and that’s why the USAF is paying $55M to “fix” it.
What I don’t get is why they did away with the boom operator looking directly out the tail of the airplane. How can natural vision, real 3D stereoscopic vision, be matched by a hi-falutin’ 2D video game? You’re designing performance penalties into the system in too many ways: adding delay, diminishing visual acuity, adding complexity and reducing reliability, and by the way spending more money for the privilege. If, perhaps, they wanted to add some additional visual symbology, etc., they could have still done so with “HUD” symbology overlaying the real world view.
What I don’t get is why they did away with the boom operator looking directly out the tail of the airplane. How can natural vision, real 3D stereoscopic vision, be matched by a hi-falutin’ 2D video game? You’re designing performance penalties into the system in too many ways: adding delay, diminishing visual acuity, adding complexity and reducing reliability, and by the way spending more money for the privilege. If, perhaps, they wanted to add some additional visual symbology, etc., they could have still done so with “HUD” symbology overlaying the real world view.
"hi-falutin’ 2D video games" - generate more R&, more income and can be used on other, future, projects
fill that trough!!
fill that trough!!
What I don’t get is why they did away with the boom operator looking directly out the tail of the airplane. How can natural vision, real 3D stereoscopic vision, be matched by a hi-falutin’ 2D video game? You’re designing performance penalties into the system in too many ways: adding delay, diminishing visual acuity, adding complexity and reducing reliability, and by the way spending more money for the privilege. If, perhaps, they wanted to add some additional visual symbology, etc., they could have still done so with “HUD” symbology overlaying the real world view.
Second, the remote boom operation station is full 3d, not 2d. I don't know details of the 3d system (and likely couldn't talk about it if I did), but it's definitely 3d. Apparently much of the issue is that it's a ten year old video system, and 3d video technology has gotten a lot better in the last 10 years.
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It's always hilarious when your local radio shack is more advanced than classified military technology. Nice to know that it stll happens in 2019.
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KC-46 Category 1 fault, indefinite restriction on passengers, cargo
WASHINGTON — In a move that could have major impacts on the already-delayed tanker program, the U.S. Air Force hasindefinitely barred the KC-46from carrying cargo and passengers, Defense News has learned.
The decision was made after an incident occurred where the cargo locks on the bottom of the floor of the aircraft became unlocked during a recent flight, creating concerns that airmen could potentially be hurt or even killed by heavy equipment that suddenly bursts free during a flight.
The decision was made after an incident occurred where the cargo locks on the bottom of the floor of the aircraft became unlocked during a recent flight, creating concerns that airmen could potentially be hurt or even killed by heavy equipment that suddenly bursts free during a flight.
The service uses the term Category 1 describe serious technical issues that could endanger the aircrew and aircraft or have other major effects.
IG.
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Frankentanker (I doubt whoever penned that did not realise how apt it was to become) will not go quietly into service!!!
Last edited by weemonkey; 12th Sep 2019 at 18:47.