F-35 transported via C-17

[SpudmanWP]

Airmen and civilians from the 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron secure an F-35 Lightning II inside a C-17 Globemaster May 8 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. This was the first ever F-35 wing removal and shipment via air transport. The $200,000 four-year project culminated in the transport of the aircraft to Hill AFB, Utah. There is will become the Air Force’s first F-35 aircraft battle damage trainer. (U.S. Air Force photo/2nd Lt. Monica Lubis)

https://www.eglin.af.mil/News/Article-D ... -via-c-17/

[ChippyHo]

Why exactly did it take 4 years(?!?!?!?) and 200K to figure out how to stuff a Stubby in a '17 and transport it?

$200K buys a lot of expensive whiskey and t-bones

[quicksilver]

I’m guessing they had to figure out how to disassemble structure that was not designed to be disassembled.

[ChippyHo]

The "structure" was not taken apart. The wings and Fins were removed.
AND 4 years to figure that out - sorry it doesn't make any practical sense.

[sferrin]

The "structure" was not taken apart. The wings and Fins were removed.
AND 4 years to figure that out - sorry it doesn't make any practical sense.

If it wasn't designed that way from the start, wasn't a high priority, and required a lot of NRE to pull off. . .yeah, it might.

[marauder2048]

$200K buys a lot of expensive whiskey and t-bones

Nearly half of that is just C-17 reimbursable rate.

[quicksilver]

The "structure" was not taken apart. The wings and Fins were removed.
AND 4 years to figure that out - sorry it doesn't make any practical sense.

It does if you’re an engineer. I suspect it had something to do with candidate aircraft availability also (since it was once a flyable aircraft?).

I’m also disinclined to think something or someone is afu just because I don’t know or yet understand all the details.

Looking at the straight lines where the wings were removed, and recalling the shape and size of some of the fuselage bulkheads that extend into the wing, I’ll bet they had to figure out where to make that separation.

[outlaw162]

There is will become the Air Force’s first F-35 aircraft battle damage trainer. (U.S. Air Force photo/2nd Lt. Monica Lubis)

Purportedly some quotes from the people involved in this historic undertaking:

"It looks pretty damaged to me already."

"I hope they don't damage it in transit."

"Do we have to put it back together again? That'll take 4 years."

"Be careful with that screwdriver, you could damage it."

and from the C-17 pilot, "I think we got premium pay for this flight."

[quicksilver]

There is will become the Air Force’s first F-35 aircraft battle damage trainer. (U.S. Air Force photo/2nd Lt. Monica Lubis)

Purportedly some quotes from the people involved in this historic undertaking:

"It looks pretty damaged to me already."

"I hope they don't damage it in transit."

"Do we have to put it back together again? That'll take 4 years."

"Be careful with that screwdriver, you could damage it."

and from the C-17 pilot, "I think we got premium pay for this flight."

Maybe it is a carcass from one of the ground mishaps. There was the one that burned when an LPC rotor blade liberated itself thru the top of the fuselage (2014), and another more recent which had a NLG collapse.

[smsgtmac]

The "structure" was not taken apart. The wings and Fins were removed.

Taking the outer parts of a wing built as a single load bearing structure requires structure to be taken apart.

straight-wing.jpg (205.22 KiB) Viewed 11700 times

$200K is chump change for engineering and disassembly tasks needed to remove the outer wing portions from the carry through structure -- if you want to be able to put it back together later.