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2007-11-06 Home Front: WoT

Air Force Grounds F-15 Fleet on Safety Concerns

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Posted by Steve White 2007-11-06 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11132 views ] Top

#1 Reported on the radio this morning as "all jets" were grounded after a plane "disintegrated" in flight.

Well, it is a more exiting story, that way.

Posted by Bobby 2007-11-06 06:49|| 2007-11-06 06:49|| Front Page Top

#2 So is it really a safety concern behind the grounding? Or a bit of salesmanship for the F-22? Or some of each?

Posted by Glenmore">Glenmore 2007-11-06 08:40|| 2007-11-06 08:40|| Front Page Top

#3 Reported on the radio this morning as "all jets" were grounded after a plane "disintegrated" in flight.

At one point some near new Spitfires desintegrated in flight. It was found they were unstable longitudinally and that stressed the cell. Adding a few pounds of weight in the right place solved the problem.

Of course it could be that the F15 airframes are showing their age.

Posted by JFM">JFM 2007-11-06 08:58|| 2007-11-06 08:58|| Front Page Top

#4 It's the Haliburton Death Ray.

Posted by wxjames 2007-11-06 10:00|| 2007-11-06 10:00|| Front Page Top

#5 If the problem cannot be addressed in a timely fashion are these numbers sufficient to forestall an attack to remove Iran's nuclear program? Does anyone know if the Israeli's have grounded their F-15s?

Posted by Excalibur 2007-11-06 10:23|| 2007-11-06 10:23|| Front Page Top

#6 Saw a picture of the wreckage...looks like the right V-stab was not present. Structural failure related to age, in-flight cyclic stress? Losing a stabilizer in flight is a quick way to ruin your day, glad the pilot got out. Go go ACES-2.

Posted by Scotty 2007-11-06 11:47|| 2007-11-06 11:47|| Front Page Top

#7 So there was a problem with the F-15C. What was the age of that particular airframe? When were the last F-15E's built? I don't think that long ago, unless I am very mistaken. You have to think that there is some "we really need to replace all these planes" pressure going on here, but I am not one to make any determination about this.

Posted by remoteman 2007-11-06 13:21|| 2007-11-06 13:21|| Front Page Top

#8 When the A6E Intruders started showing wing fatigue ( after VA-128 lost a wing over a bombing range) all a/c were grounded for inspections. cracks were detected and fixes created, and the birds flew for several more years, but maintenace manhours went through the roof due to increased inspection requirements. Did not lose another bird to a failed wing however. The USAF will work through this problem and the Eagles will be in the air again soon.

Posted by USN,Ret. 2007-11-06 15:17|| 2007-11-06 15:17|| Front Page Top

#9 I believe the Prowler variant of the A-6 (EA-6B electronic warfare platform) is still in service.

Posted by Glenmore">Glenmore 2007-11-06 15:54|| 2007-11-06 15:54|| Front Page Top

#10 Glenmore; yes it is and is suffering the same wing fatigue as my much loved Intruders. by 2013 they will all be retired, replaced by the (spit) EF-18G ( Growler, aka Electric Lawn Dart)

Posted by USN,Ret. 2007-11-06 16:47|| 2007-11-06 16:47|| Front Page Top

#11 and then there is this from Newsmax:http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/old_Air_force/2007/11/06/47113.html

Posted by USN,Ret. 2007-11-06 17:41|| 2007-11-06 17:41|| Front Page Top

#12 Appropriation vote on the F-22 must be coming up.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2007-11-06 18:31|| 2007-11-06 18:31|| Front Page Top

#13 'Flight of the Intruder' was a pretty good movie, and really sets the time frame for how long the A-6 was in service.

Of course the venerable UH-1 (Huey) continues to serve after 44 years (in upgraded versions HERE, but older ones are still flying elsewhere).

Then there's the C-47 - last I heard some were still flying in Africa and South America and I don't even think they've BUILT any in about 60 years.

Posted by Glenmore">Glenmore 2007-11-06 19:49|| 2007-11-06 19:49|| Front Page Top

#14 NS IIRC the F-15s racked up a LOT of airtime during the no fly zone enforcement days pre 9/11. Planes and pilots both suffered some metal fatigue ....

Posted by lotp 2007-11-06 20:00|| 2007-11-06 20:00|| Front Page Top

#15 Can't even be snarky any more? You're getting tough teach.

P. S. They weren't all on No-Fly were they?

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2007-11-06 20:03|| 2007-11-06 20:03|| Front Page Top

#16 ;-)

Seriously, most folks don't realize just how much we overworked our planes & pilots enforcing Saddam's nofly bit. The air force academy had trouble filling faculty positions with rated officers for a number of years because the pilots kept being sent to duty there or in the balkans.

Posted by lotp 2007-11-06 20:15|| 2007-11-06 20:15|| Front Page Top

#17 PS: snark away!

Posted by lotp 2007-11-06 20:19|| 2007-11-06 20:19|| Front Page Top

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