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AACL Hosts Critical Design Review
(8/30/2010)
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AACL hosted the C-5 MSD Reverse Engineering Critical Design Review, (CDR) in support of the Pitch Trim Actuator, (PTA). Participants from United States Air Force C-5 SPO and EDMO offices, Triumph Gear Systems, and Aging Aircraft Consulting, LLC attended the two day symposium. The group worked through numerous engineering tasks; identifying five recommended improvements to the C-5 flight control system. Additionally over 160 engineering drawings were reviewed for accuracy and completeness. At the conclusion of the CDR, permission was granted by the C-5 SPO’s office to proceed to the next phase of the project, which includes incorporating the five recommended improvements into the PTA and updating various flight control manuals as appropriate.
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AACL Participates in 2010 JSWAG
(8/26/2010)
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AACL Participates in 2010 Joint Service Wiring Action Group. AACL personnel Cheryl Brotherton, Julie Moore, and Fred Caddell recently played a key role organizing and participating in the first Joint Service Wiring Action Group (JSWAG) forum to be held in Georgia near Robins AFB. The focus of this Training event was on the Electrical Wiring Interconnect System (EWIS). This training benefited aircraft maintainers, engineers, and equipment specialists by focusing on presentations and hands on demonstrations of the latest in EWIS maintenance technology, tools, and techniques. The JSWAG was attended by over 300 people and is a technical work group established and charted to collectively provide advancement in the safety, reliability, maintainability, and readiness of Department of Defense aircraft by improving their conductive paths. The group also acts to inform participants on the latest related technologies under development, updates on regulations, training procedures, and joint requisitions.
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AACL Completes Pre-Induction Inspections on U.S. Navy C-130 Aircraft (7/25/
(7/23/2010)
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AACL recently concluded a joint venture between the Air Force’s Ogden Air Logistics
Center (OO-ALC) and NAVAIR in performing non-invasive Pre-depot Induction
Inspections (PII’s) on two unique U.S. Navy C-130 aircraft variants. The first, a KC-
130R that was selected for reconstitution from the “Bone Yard” (AMARG, Davis
Monthan AFB, AZ) as a future U.S. Marines air refueler. Deploying to the Arizona
desert, AACL engineering technology experts assessed the condition of the cocooned
airframe sitting dormant and exposed to the elements since 2008. The crew validated the
aircraft’s selection for reconstitution while also identifying required replacement parts
and necessary repairs. This early identification effort will allow OO-ALC to significantly
reduce unplanned work during their upcoming Programmed Depot Maintenance (PDM)
cycle.
The second aircraft inspected was the U.S. Navy’s “one-of-a-kind” EC-130V rotodome
airframe stationed at NAS Patuxent River, MD. AACL successfully employed advanced
remote videoscopic inspection technology to completely analyze the sub-floor structure
without the need to remove over 50 feet of installed precision avionics equipment from
the cargo bay—saving depot maintenance from six-months of additional workload. The
inspection data gave planners full confidence in the structural integrity of the aircraft,
leading to development of a streamlined and customized PDM maintenance cycle,
enhancing availability of this critical low-density/high-demand (LDHD) asset. AACL is
proud to have contributed to the mission of the U.S. Navy and is working towards future
collaboration efforts.
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AACL at Helo Week
(7/15/2010)
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AACL supported the 580ACSG Rotary Wing and engineering staff and L-3/TCS at the 2010 Helo Week conference. The event was held at Stone Mountain GA and was sponsored by URS Corporation, Bell Helicopter, Systems Engineering Services, and Sikorsky Aerospace to name a few. Topics included Joint Depot Level Maintenance briefs, Low Cost Mods, and specific systems for HH60G, UH-1N, and TH-1H airframes, in both open and closed sessions. AACL specifically supported Reliability and Maintainability discussions with the maintenance driver analysis charts developed during the contract period.
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AACL C-5 Force Management Support Contract First Option Exercised
(7/1/2010)
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C-5 Force Management Support Year of Success
As the C-5 Force Management Support contract moves into the second year of its four year sustainment engineering effort, AACL would like to highlight several of our diverse and outstanding achievements supporting the 730 Aircraft Sustainment Group (ACSG) in sustaining C-5 fleet reliability. At the core of AACL’s success is the Aging Fleet Integrity and Reliability Management (AFIRM) program. AFIRM combines the following integrity programs into one management tool, comprised of: Aircraft Structural Integrity Program (ASIP), Functional System Integrity Program (FSIP), Mechanical Integrity Program (MECIP) and leading the way in development of the new Wiring Information Guide and Termination Optimized Program (WIGTOP). FSIP is the corner stone from which C-5 fleet reliability research starts. Work Unit Codes are analyzed against a 10 year Mean Acceptable Performance (MAP). Components with low MAP percentages appear on the FSIP Alerts Page and are selected for Preview Analysis. Over 30 Preview Analysis have been completed this past year with five going forward for a more detailed In-depth investigation. Results from the preview analysis have identified supply issues, maintenance practices and documentation errors, and gaps in overall system performance caused by depot documentation practices.
Precise Aircraft Systems historical research is conducted with the help of our teaming partners at Southwest Research Institute who maintain the Joint Reliability Availability Management System (JRAMS). J-RAMS provides in-depth analysis, complex reporting, statistical process control, and decision support capabilities to those responsible for managing Air Force weapon systems. J-RAMS facilitates integrated web-access to wholesale supply, distribution, maintenance, and operations data residing on AF legacy systems, including a direct on-line connection the Air Force Knowledge Services (AFKS) enterprise data warehouse. J-RAMS features an analysis tool suite to perform user directed data access, automatic report generation, trend analysis, background monitoring of critical aircraft support process metrics, system reliability analysis, predictive health analysis, and proposed modification analysis. J-RAMS, delivers the ability to perform analysis and reporting from the AF fleet down to a single aircraft.
Wire Integrity Reliability Enhancement Strategy (WIRES) program is leading the way for other weapon systems at Robins AFB. Wires are now being treated as a system in aging aircraft. AACL, working with 730th engineers are putting the framework in place through the WIGTOP program to quantify wires as a system and develop new trouble shooting programs and equipment that will enhance the tool box that maintainers are badly in need of. Following are some of the efforts the C-5 WIRES Team has pursued over the past year.
The C-5 WIRES Team has partnered with C-5 Corrosion Program office currently on two projects and is placing corrosion sensors in Severe Weather and Moisture Prone (SWAMP) areas and also, Corrosion Prevention Compounds (CPC’s) for C-5’s Main Landing Gear (MLG) and Nose Landing Gear (NLG) Control Panel and MLG Tester.
C-5 WIRES Team is beginning an Analytical Condition Inspection on the C-5 RF transmission lines. Radio Frequency Transmission Lines Test Set (RFTLTS) are being adapted to test eight aircraft to base line the condition of the RF transmission lines on the C-5 Fleet.
EWIS Project II is in the process of development of Test Programming Software (TPS) used on Eclypse Automated Wiring Test Set (AWTS). The Eclypse AWTS is being used to test wires on the Main Landing Gear (MLG), MLG strut, and anti-skid braking system. The Eclypse tester has demonstrated the ability to identify faults in a fraction of the time it would take a technician using a fault isolation procedure.
AACL has a vital role in the Configuration Management (CM) of the C-5 fleet. The 730th CM program has become the template for other weapon systems to follow. AACL has a CM Level II certified employee working with the C-5 CM manager. Together they have standardized the CM process and maintain vital documentation needed to retain the C-5’s airworthiness certification.
C-5 Force Management contract also handles the administration and Data Analysis of the C-5 Automated AFMC Form 202 (Nonconforming Technical Assistance Request and Reply) Systems for aircraft at Robins AFB PDM facility and as administrator of the C-5 T.O. 00-25-107 (Maintenance Assistance/Waiver Request Worksheet) Automated System for aircraft in the field. With over 3000 users of these two systems, AACL tracks and processes over 3600 depot and field engineering disposition requests each year. AACL also analyzes the data base for repeating dispositions request that can be included into Maintenance T.O. providing better repair information to the field.
AACL also provided support in managing and further defining the Systems Engineering Assessment Model (SEAM). AACL employees produced an ideal product that set the assessment standard for the 330th Wing to follow in preparation for an upcoming Unit Compliance Inspection (UCI). C-5 Force Management team also met the challenge of a Department of Defense and Federal Aviation Administration tasking to identify all titanium parts used on the C-5 aircraft and the manufacturing standards for each part. Over 1600 engineering drawings were reviewed to determine manufacturing standards called for in the drawings and determine if the part was manufactured to specifications.
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AACL Participates in Technology Showcase
(6/29/2010)
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The Technology Showcase at the MCLB - Albany Maintenance Center was presented by the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) in partnership with the Office of the Secretary of Defense. This Technology Showcase provided industry with critical face time in front of Depot leaders, maintenance personnel and other support entities to learn firsthand what the Marine Corps needs, followed by a display of state-of-art private sector solutions. During the two day event, AACL demonstrated their technologies in an open house format available to all base personnel. Solutions included Pre-Induction Inspection techniques, Wiring Analysis, and FOM Storage Solutions. Attendees also had the opportunity to tour the maintenance facility and speak with the engineering and technical staff. Several areas were identified as possible outlets for the solutions AACL offers.
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