AF Engineers repair battle damaged A-10 from home

Virtual assessment of local repairs. Good stuff.

Here are more versions of the same story.

https://www.aflcmc.af.mil/news/article-display/article/2171594/a-10-continues-operations-after-engineers-assess-battlefield-repair/
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/33253/battle-damaged-a-10-warthog-gets-back-in-the-fight-with-help-from-a-little-telemedicine

 

I heard they pop riveted beer cans over holes in Desert Storm

 

We had plenty of sheet aluminum in Desert Storm. As a matter of fact, we had the best parts availability and mission capable rates in Desert Storm that I have ever seen.

 

Not the first time that major repairs were done remotely. When the airlines were busting up 707's every week, we worked with the AOG crews to provide them with 3 dimensional structural illustrations with the engineering drawings to repair major damage when we received photos and and marked production illustration drawings of areas that were destroyed. So, all the part numbers were noted and the parts were sent by air to the repair site, some assemblies were pulled from the production line. Usually the airplanes were back in the air in 30 days and I don't think that there was or ever will be anything to match this amazing operation. Most of the time the rebuilding was done in the open with wooden jigs and alignment tools designed on the spot by the mechanics and engineers. Boeing was at it's finest.

 

Same process used in 1984. The A-10 (82-0651) that I maintained at Suwon AB (ROK) had a main tire blow out upon landing. Damage was mostly to the gear pod but about two inches of the flap track was broken off as well. So, as it was, the flaps could not fully extend. The [toothed] flap track itself is a feature of the wing spar so replacement at the field level wasn't possible at the time. However, we had a brilliant sheet-metal tech (A1C - two striper) who, in tune with our Flight Safety Officer and the depot/manufacturer, was able to graft on a replacement piece. When completed, an permanent entry was made in the aircraft's forms so that everyone knew about this repair and its need for inspection during every pre-flight and post-flight. Until, of course, the aircraft could be rotated back to the U.S. for a final depot-level repair i.e. wing replacement.

The red circle highlights the area that was repaired.

Image Unavailable, Please Login




Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

You do whatever it takes to make it work. Some of the B-17's that I saw in 1945 had numerous" boiler plate" patches over flak damage.

 

I have read where the lack of the parent company's structural illustrations has forced repair crews and maintenance people to rely on third party cutaway drawings, like this one from Avia Graphica, to fix airplanes. On the B-52, KC-135, 707, we drew 1/10 scale 3 dimensional drawings of all major and sub assembly parts of the airplane. Planning offices, engineering bays, and production line areas had those drawings plastered on the walls. I saved some and I will try to have them reduced so that I can attempt to post one.