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Lost the blueprints? B-2 Load Heat Exchanger Reverse Engineering Effort

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Lost the blueprints? B-2 Load Heat Exchanger Reverse Engineering Effort

Old 18th Mar 2021, 13:35
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Smile Lost the blueprints? B-2 Load Heat Exchanger Reverse Engineering Effort

This made me smile. Will someone have been standing on a carpet sans cap and coffee or just lifting it to brush things under it?

Stories of similar 'initiatives' welcome.

B-2 Load Heat Exchanger Reverse Engineering Effort

Notice ID FA8118-21-R-0009
Related Notice Department/Ind. Agency DEPT OF DEFENSE
Sub-tier DEPT OF THE AIR FORCE
Major Command AFMC
Sub Command AIR FORCE SUSTAINMENT CENTER

This engineering effort is to reverse engineer the core of the B‐2 Load Heat Exchangers, develop disassembly process to remove defective cores, develop a stacking, vacuum brazing and welding process to manufacture new heat exchanger cores and to develop a welding process to install the new cores on existing B‐2 Load Heat Exchangers. The requirement includes reverse engineering the re‐core process for the B‐2 Load Heat Exchangers. The B‐2 Load Heat Exchanger (NSN 1660‐01‐350‐8209FW) uses air and Ethylene Glycol Water (EGW) liquid to produce cold air for the cooling system.

Source: https://beta.sam.gov/opp/6c1026f4986...bfeef1687/view
I admit I saw the story first on The Drive. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39537/the-air-force-needs-to-reverse-engineer-parts-of-its-own-stealth-bomber
SLXOwft is offline  
Old 18th Mar 2021, 15:28
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Maybe they're not lost. Maybe the Original Equipment Mfr either doesn't want to play ball any more or wants a King's Ransom to do the work?

​​​​Reverse engineering of parts by rivals can produce more cost-effective solutions, witness the large number of PMA equivalent parts approved by the Feds on the civilian side of the street.
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Old 18th Mar 2021, 21:08
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If memory serves, the initial B-2 force plan was for around 140 aircraft.
The canny Northrop contract negotiators insisted on language that obligated the USAF to pay for all non recurring program expenditures, irrespective of the number of aircraft actually purchased.
While that ballooned the unit cost to $2.2B as the quantity was slashed to 20, it also saved Northrop from financial disaster.
It is probable that various suppliers were not as foresighted and priced their parts on the assumption of a larger buy. They might be excused for declining to repeat the experience.
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Old 19th Mar 2021, 13:25
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Well if their computer experts were any good, they could hack the Russian/Chinese computers and get the information from there.
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Old 19th Mar 2021, 18:20
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This is reminiscent of FOGBANK, the aerogel supposedly used in fusion weapons, which they forgot the manufacturing process.
The problem being that when they later found the way of making it, it was too pure.
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Old 14th Aug 2021, 15:59
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Hi, new on the forum, so I start here. I have a Canberra elevator or rudder actuator, so any idea where to get information as regards to the electrical wiring schematic, and any mechanical diagrams as I wish to apply some power to it and get it working for display purposes. Have emailed a few likely candidates, but non have got back to be as yet.

Thanks.
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