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Show March 14, 1980 HILL TOP TIMES Page 10 '"f? :v ti - thhIim ,iM I, i iiiw..ii.iiiiiM f f "" mt" ti, ill iiliillfflr An 6 stands ready to roll off tho maintenance line after completion of the first modifications performed on the aircraft at depot level maintenance. (U.S. Air Force Photo) F-1- ' :" iii rt ii.nr in " r Mechanics begin work on the tenth and final 6 modifications for MOT&E. (U.S. Air Force Photo) F-1- work Depot If you've been asking yourself how long it will take for depot level maintenance on the new 6 aircraft to become a reality, the answer is easy, Now! Maintenance personnel are in the process of F-1- some instrumentation performing modifications on ten Operational Test and Evaluation (MOT&E) aircraft. 'The modifications," said Capt. Donald Newman, MOT&E Flight Test Engineer, "will provide us with more information about where we are and what the aircraft is doing at all times during a test sortie." The 6 is equipped with a video recording Multi-Nation- al ' F-1- system to provide information for analyzing data about the aircraft inflight. The captain said the purpose of the mod is to provide more instrumentation information for testing and evaluation of the aircraft. One of the modifications will be put on the n video recording system and will enable the pilot to record information on both the heads-u- p display and radar electro-optic- s display at the same time.' Also a range measurement system has been installed in the aircraft to assist in tracking it over the High Accuracy Multiple Object Tracking System range near the base and a Beacon will be used to acquire and split-scree- nd Fuel control modified l -- " V' soVs , , optically track an aircraft throughout flight . during missile test firing. The plans called for these modifications to be accomplished on base instead of sending the aircraft back to the General Dynamics plant: Planning Supervisor, Kenneth Adams, said with any new aircraft, the new systems mean a change in training procedures and F-1- 6 maintenance The next time you hear the crisp power of an 6 during takeoff, powering it might be one of the newly modified engines from Hill's depot repair shop. The base depot maintenance engine shop is now in the process of modifying 21 engines for the The purpose of the modification is to install a backup fuel control (BUC) system and give the pilot selected fuel control. San Antonio ALC has responsibility for the 6 engines but asked if Hill could help with 21 engine Class IV permanent modifications. Ken Adams, 6 Planning Supervisor, said Hill people were eager to work on the engine to give maintenance personnel some experience. He said the modified system will give the pilot manual control of the aircraft system, which is normally controlled by the system, in the event of certain malfunctions in the engine controls system. "If anything happens to the aircraft fuel system, the pilot will have a manual feed control," Adams said. The engine modification is only necessary on 42 Block I aircraft because the BUC system is being installed on all new 6 engines. Newell Anderson, 6 planner for the mod, added that Mike Humphries, MAQBS and Melvin Keller, MABOT, were sent to West Palm Beach, Fla. to the Pratt & Whitney Engineering and Manufacturing Division, F-1- F-1- 6. Maintenance , .,,, urMnmilllwaiimwiiiwui going through Instrumentation &m: F46 accompany a new system. The modified aircraft were worked on conjunction with previous scheduling which helps keep training on the new aircraft systems current, Adams added. The modification program took six weeks to complete and officials said they were excited about the way things went with the first glimpse of the new workload. Depot level maintenance on the multirole fighter is scheduled to begin in April 1981 following prototyping and kit proofs on proposed mods, to update block I aircraft to block 1A status. , Mylfirole fighfer y programs. planning officials said they wanted to perform the work on the new fighter to give them and maintenance personnel the chance to work out the necessary changes that iiri , sysve ges backup manufacturers of the engine, to help with prototyping the modification. He said the two brought back valuable information on the modification procedure. This was the first time any depot level maintenance had been performed on the engine at this base. F-1- 00 Adams noted the modification kit proof on power pack was accomplished here and said, "Our mechanics deserve a pat on the back for the impressive job they've been doing." Ten engines have been modified and tested by the 388 Tactical Fighter Wing engine shop, and the rest will be completed in the next few months, Adams said. the F-1- 6 hydro-mechanic- al F-1- F-1- fly-by-w- ire F-1- ;:: S Ken Snider (standing) and Dave Chambers Install brackets, lines and clamps completing modification of the 6 engine. (U.S. Air Force Photo) F-1- F-1- Stories by Bront T. Aguirro LJi vi' a i Mike Humphries, Keith Nelson and Art Boren Install the back-u- p fuel control valve, held by Humphries, to the unified fuel control system on the stand. The valve Is part of the new fuel control system modification of the 6 engine. (U.S. Air Force Photo) (l-- r) F-1- I |