Fairchild Airmen fix 60 year old maintenance flaw

Airmen working in the Fairchild AFB hydraulics shop have fixed a 60 year old maintenance flaw in the boom of the KC-135. Earlier this year, while working on a boom write up, they found a bell crank that was installed incorrectly within the torque tube that controls the boom ruddervators. Upon inspection of the T.O. they found incorrect verbage that would allow the improper installation.

When installed the way that the bell crank was, it would allow the ruddervators to move more, allowing excessive movement on the boom, making refueling harder. If a problem developed, it could make refueling more dangerous for both aircraft. In this case, the torque tube was rotating within the bell crank. The T.O. wasn't clear on how the crank should have been attached, and didn't show images of the proper attachment.

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash.-- Team Fairchild Airmen may have saved all 396 KC-135 Stratotankers in the Air Force.

This spring, Airmen from the 92nd Maintenance Squadron hydraulics shop were called to fix a KC-135 with an improperly installed boom ruddervator torque tube, which secures the ruddervators to the tanker’s refueling boom. The boom operator uses the ruddervators to guide the boom to another jet during refueling operations. If the bell crank is installed improperly, like it was in this case, the boom would be too difficult to control, making aerial refueling nearly impossible and risking the lives of the aircrews and both airframes.

www.amc.af.mil...

originally posted by: Zaphod58
Airmen working in the Fairchild AFB hydraulics shop have fixed a 60 year old design flaw in the boom of the KC-135. Earlier this year, while working on a boom write up, they found a bell crank that was installed incorrectly within the torque tube that controls the boom ruddervators. Upon inspection of the T.O. they found incorrect verbage that would allow the improper installation.

When installed the way that the bell crank was, it would allow the ruddervators to move more, allowing excessive movement on the boom, making refueling harder. If a problem developed, it could make refueling more dangerous for both aircraft. In this case, the torque tube was rotating within the bell crank. The T.O. wasn't clear on how the crank should have been attached, and didn't show images of the proper attachment.

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash.-- Team Fairchild Airmen may have saved all 396 KC-135 Stratotankers in the Air Force.

This spring, Airmen from the 92nd Maintenance Squadron hydraulics shop were called to fix a KC-135 with an improperly installed boom ruddervator torque tube, which secures the ruddervators to the tanker’s refueling boom. The boom operator uses the ruddervators to guide the boom to another jet during refueling operations. If the bell crank is installed improperly, like it was in this case, the boom would be too difficult to control, making aerial refueling nearly impossible and risking the lives of the aircrews and both airframes.

www.amc.af.mil...

That kid is on the right path.

Haha, not one picture of the Hydro shop, it is all in the ISO dock in hanger 2. 92nd is my old unit good bunch of airmen, we had some of the best hydro troops I even had the pleasure of working with. Good to see they continue that trend.

Manual designer didn,t work as a model diagram draughtsman for Monogram did he?

a reply to: Blackfinger

Yeah, he probably did.