Forum: F-16 Procedures

Joe
While I got you. You dont happen to have a reference for dummy panels.

Say when we send a jet to depot. And need to pull out all of the classified. We have the standard flat closeout plates. But what I was looking for was ones with connectors to hold the plugs. Instead of putting them in screw bags.

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That sounds like a very interesting research project. Let me know which panels you are talking about.

Joe
Send me an email.

MC5Wes@gmail.com

here at the aor, we've been having a repeating issue on one of our vipers. Intermittent/erratic totalizer readings. I am a fuel troop, and back home, we don't deal with quantity indicating, only the maintenance that results from the Avionics t/s. The bird has ground aborted 3 times (possibly now constituting an impoundment) for the same issue. What we have: a full jet, 2 bags. Issue : Totalizer needles raise together at startup, soon after A/L needle drops to 1500 lbs. WHats been checked: Quantity indicating system. Avionics did Wet Cal, Dry Cal, they say they checked harnesses. WHats been changed: FQCU, A/A/L probe, Totalizer Guage.

Short of a wiring issue, this is puzzling. I should note, between the first ground abort, and [Link pending approval] has flown about 3-4 successful sorties. So this is an intermittent issue, which leads me to believe maybe some vibration is jarring something lose, or a wire is chafed. Any thoughts?

It very well could be a wiring issue. You should consider contacting LM Aero F-16 Product Support Engineering. You can do that in one of two ways - either by calling 800-316-5672 or by email to F16.help@lmtas.lmco.com.

Download the CSFDR, see if you are seeing the same totalizer fluctuation. This will narrow down the possibilities of a wiring problem to one area of the jet. While you are at it, check that the harness from the SAU is not chafing on the VHF R/T.

Wouldn't hurt to call Lockheed. Be as specific as you can be with the information.

Best Regards,

Thank youguys for the response. Since the last post, we ended up bringing the jet in to our barn and noticed something strange. One of the probes in the F2 had one screw which was tight, but loose on ther terminal, if that makes any [Link pending approval] swapped it out, sent her back up. 2 days flying no issue. Today, bam, issue returns, now with flux in flight after AR. Needless to say she's coming back in. We were fans of depaneling and checking for chfing since the beginning, but higher ups want the quick fix. Again thank you both for the helpful links, will most likely be talking to Lockheed if we don't see anything obious in fwd or aft res. Will post back in due time.

Good luck! Hope you find the problem soon. FYI - LM Aero shuts down for the holidays and you most likely won't reach anyone there until the 2nd of Jan.
Merry Christmas!

exflt,

thanks for the heads up. I ended up calling the 800 number after my last post. Oops! I think I woke the guy up. Remember him saying "It's 3 in the morning! E-Mail me! "

Well, I didn't follow up with an e-mail. We ended up getting inside the Fwd/Aft res, and found chaffing on the harnesses. Swapped the harnesses, gassed her back up, and the next time she taxi'd out, A/L Needle dropped again.

The bird is now impounded. Depaneled from Aft/Fwd Res back to a-1. Yesterday, installed new a-1 harness, no chaffing noticed on old one. Additionally, swapped 4 probes, waiting on one more to come in to change it. (aft res, 2 a-1 fwd, 1 a-1 center, 1 aft aft [Link pending approval] already changed)

after we get that last one in, the plan is to have avionics do another dry cap (which keeps checking fine, don't know if their equipment has been pmel'd lately) Upon another successful dry dap, the plan is to have the jet texi around a few times with gas and watch the [Link pending approval] to come!

Did you also download the external tanks to ensure one of them isn't the culprit? (I'm not a subject matter expert in this area; just remember events like this in the past that gave folks headaches for a period of time.)

Also learned today that LM Aero doesn't go back to work until Tuesday, Jan 3rd.

If you had just washed the jet or taxied through water, the wheel well connectors may be your problem. Years ago, we found some FOD had gotten stuck between a fuel probe and the aircraft skin causing an intermittant problem.

Thank you for your service and have a safe and Happy New Year!

Yesterday marked the end of the Totalizer Fluctuation issue. Hoorah! After nearly 2 weeks of impoundment (mostly becuase it became a CANN bird) we ended up swapping out every probe in the Aft system, including the Aft Harness (I mentioned this in last post) and the Jet sat for quite some time, until they recently installed the Stab that was cann'd. They went ahead and taxi'd the jet around a few times, and noticed some flux. Afterwards, they dropped the tanks (exfltsafety, right on the money) and taxi'd. No flux. Hung new tanks, and she flew 3 sorties yesterday code 1.

With no tank certifier, I am sure these tanks were probably never properly cap checked before being hung initially (which was before we got here).... Well, alas, the problem has been solved and after many man hours of probe swapping, hareness routing, and panel pulling, the fuel shop has now made a good case for a federal technician WG pay increase to match that of Avionics (joking). Kudos to all who had input. Guardbaby, interesting point, the unit before us had a similiar quantity issue on a different jet and it was the connector in the wheel well that caused the problem, which they had their fair share of trouble pin pointing.

That's good news! Stay safe and I hope you and your unit get home soon!

Forum: F-16 Procedures

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