F-16 Fighting Falcon News

January 12, 2006 (by G. A. Volb) - The body sat in the hangar - a grotesquely disfigured torso of an F-16 minus the extremities once providing clues to its origin or the history behind its recent demise.
Yet, to the crew of Air Force "surgeons" looking over little more than an F-16 shell, it was a challenge they'd soon conquer.

For a month, the crippled F-16 sat on "blocks" as structural maintenance specialists of the 649th Combat Logistics Support Squadron here worked their magic on the damage. In this case, according to 1st Lt. Joshua Holmes, the squadron's maintenance flight officer in charge, "there was an inch-long crack around one of the wing's attach bolt holes."

This meant the left wing closure beam, which is where the wing attaches to the aircraft fuselage, would have to be replaced. Lieutenant Holmes said the squadron's role was pivotal since they are the only active duty maintenance unit capable of making such repairs.

"The aircraft had to be placed in a production fixture to prevent any shifting of the fuselage when critical load bearing panels are removed," he said, "and we're the only facility that has that capability."

A production fixture is a support stand cemented into the ground that attaches to key places on the aircraft. But that isn't the only reason customers find themselves looking to the CLSS for help.
"We're also the only Air Force maintenance unit with the tooling and equipment necessary to perform repairs on aircraft that would otherwise be removed from the active inventory," Lieutenant Holmes said.

In repairing this jet, which was crated and shipped to Hill from Cannon AFB, N.M., in November, the crew had to remove the old closure beam from the wing.

"We used a blank template, called a drill blanket, to insure proper hole location on the new closure beam," said Master Sgt. Eric Harkness, production dock chief. "After the holes were drilled, we prepped the aircraft for installation of the new part."

Sergeant Harkness said they not only saved the jet's host wing several thousand dollars in repair costs, but completed the work two weeks ahead of schedule. Typically, such work takes 45-60 days, but in this case the jet's already prepared to head back to Cannon.

The repair process was a slight deviation from the normal challenges presented the CLSS team, as their primary reason for being is to perform aircraft battle damage repairs world wide.

"This basically means putting a patch over any damage caused by enemy fire to make the aircraft flight and fight worthy again," said Lt. Col. Dan Sny, commander of the 649th CLSS. "We also provide depot field teams, which are sent in support of units who need depot assistance with repairs. And, we provide crash damage repairs here at Hill, which is a good way for us to hone our skills and maintain proficiency for future aircraft battle damage repairs and depot field team tasks."

In 2005, according to Colonel Sny, the CLSS sent 59 depot field teams on the road, repaired 125 aircraft and deployed an expeditionary depot maintenance team in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.