F-16.net

smsgtmac wrote:

spazsinbad wrote:

Most F-35s return to flight operations after fuel tube problem
15 Oct 2018 Valerie Insinna

... “Pratt & Whitney is rapidly procuring more parts to minimize the overall repair timeline for the remaining jets. Current inventory will restore about half of the impacted jets to flight operations [10%], and the remaining aircraft [10%] are expected to be cleared for flight over the coming weeks.”..."

Source: https://www.defensenews.com/air/2018/10 ... e-problem/

Thanks Spaz, I've been sitting on info for days wanting to scream "it was a (relatively) easy-to-replace engine fuel tube!" (which still may not be the root cause BTW). Sounds like Pratt is stepping right up to the problematic tube.

Just think. if it had been a twin engine jet the lot buys would have been twice as large doubling the number of problematic tubes and perhaps the number of fuel leaks. What kind of cascading power failures would have been experienced? (Power transfers can be a hard problem) And NOT to "troll" or anything like that but what was the number of F-22's that couldn't be flown out of Tyndall were there because of something needed for one engine? Just Asking.

As part of the inspection process, F-35s maintenance crews removed and replaced faulty fuel tubes. Garbarino said maintainers at the 388th FW completed their inspections the same day flights were suspended and resumed flying operations later that afternoon.

Two of Australia’s new $100 million F-35 strike fighters have been found to contain “suspect hydraulic fuel tubes” requiring replacement, Defence has confirmed.

Two new fighter jets with faults still grounded, seven cleared: ADF
17 Oct 2019 Rory Callinan

"Two of Australia’s new $100 million F-35 strike fighters have been found to contain “suspect hydraulic fuel tubes” requiring replacement, Defence has confirmed.

The problems were uncovered as a result of the crash of a US Marine Corps operated F-35B aircraft in the United States on September 28. All operational planes had been grounded after the crash including Australia’s small US-based fleet.

An investigation was then undertaken into the cause of the South Carolina crash which involved the pilot ejecting safely and the aircraft being destroyed.

US authorities then concluded the crash was likely related to faulty tube causing fuel supply problems and all aircraft were then subject to an inspection of the fuel tubes.

An Australian Defence Force spokesman today said two out of Australia’s nine F-35 aircraft were found to have been fitted with suspect hydraulic fuel tubes which would be replaced.

He said all non-affected Australian aircraft had now been cleared to fly and the safety inspections have not affected the delivery of the first two aircraft to Australia in December.

The spokesman did not provide any detail as to how much the fix might cost or who would be paying for the repair.

The Australian has sought comment on this issue from the F-35 Joint Program Office in the US.

US military authorities have previously declined to say exactly how many of their aircraft were affected by the problem but local defence media sources estimated the numbers could be about 60 planes.

Earlier this week the US authorities cleared about 80 per cent of the military’s F-35s to return to flying...."

Source: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/n ... a343676f8d

Gums wrote:Wondering if it was a connection versus an actual split in a tube. And what was the exact gizmo? Nozzle opening for AB or for rotation and deflection in the Bee? And so forth.

The F-35 Joint Program Office temporarily has halted flight operations for a number of F-35s with higher flight hours after finding two new parts that will require inspection on older models of the jets.

A spokesman for the F-35 JPO, who confirmed the issue exclusively to Defense News and Marine Corps Times, declined to detail exactly how many jets may possibly be grounded as a result of the inspections. However, one source close to the program said that only a couple dozen F-35Bs meet the criteria where an operational pause would be necessary.

“The joint government and industry technical team has completed their assessment of the fuel supply tubes within the Pratt & Whitney engine on F-35 aircraft,” the F-35 Joint Program Office announced in a statement. “In addition to the previously identified failed tube, the analysis has identified two additional fuel supply tubes that require inspection.”

Some of the older engines with higher flight hours may require additional fuel tube replacements.