Jan 11
TynibelleAir Force, News aircraft model, airplane model, desktop model, F-22, F-22 fighter jet, F-22 jet, f-22 raptor, F-22 Raptor jet, F-22 warplane, f22, Lockheed Martin F-22, Lockheed Martin F22, mahogany model, model aircraft, model airplane, model plane, plane model, raptor, Raptor jet, scale model, warplanes, wood plane model, wooden airplane model
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Last Monday, the U.S. Air Force declared it has not found a “smoking gun” to explain oxygen issues that grounded Lockheed Martin Corp’s F-22 fighter jet for four months last year but has implemented steps to minimize problems.
Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz told Reuters that a subpanel was due to brief the Air Force’s Science Advisory Board this week about recurring problems with the system that supplies oxygen to pilots who fly the radar-evading F-22 warplane, but no single mechanical cause had been found.
He said he expected the advisory board to finalize its report on the issue by the end of January or early February.
The Air Force grounded its fleet of F-22 Raptor fighter jets in May 2011 but allowed flights to resume in September after concluding the planes were safe to fly.
Schwartz said the service installed new equipment to monitor the output from the oxygen producing system on board, as well as the level of oxygen in the blood of the pilots, but would continue to collect data.
“We haven’t found a single mechanical deficiency that addresses some of the symptoms that we’ve seen,” he said in an interview at his Pentagon office. “We’ve taken a range of both engineering and physiological actions to minimize the consequences of what we’ve seen, and continue to collect data so we can nail this down once and for all.”
“The stand-down provides Air Force officials the opportunity to investigate the reports and ensure crews are able to safely accomplish their missions,” the Air Force said in a statement.
The Raptor is the premier U.S. fighter and features cutting-edge shapes, materials and propulsion systems designed to make it appear as small as a swallow on enemy radar screens.
Lockheed rolled the last F-22 fighter out of its Marietta, Georgia facility last month, but the Air Force is preserving the hardware used to build the jet, which would allow it to restart production for about $200 million.
Schwartz said he considered it unlikely that the F22 plane’s production would ever be restarted. “I wouldn’t say never, but I think it very unlikely,” he said.
-wtvr.com
-wikipedia.org
Sep 21
JobelleAir Force, News Air Combat Command, Air Force F22, Air Force Michael Donley, Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, F-22, F-22 fleet, F-22 plane, f-22 raptor, F-22 return, f22, Lockheed F-22, Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, raptor, USAF F-22
The Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz have recently approved an implementation plan developed by Air Combat Command officials that will allow the F-22 Raptor to resume flight operations after a four-month stand down.
“We now have enough insight from recent studies and investigations that a return to flight is prudent and appropriate,” Schwartz said. “We’re managing the risks with our aircrews, and we’re continuing to study the F-22′s oxygen systems and collect data to improve its performance.”
In a task force approach to implementation, Air Combat Command officials developed a comprehensive incremental return-to-fly plan that balances safety and the expedient qualification of pilots against the inherent risks of flying advanced combat aircraft, officials said.
The entire fleet will undergo an extensive inspection of the life support systems before returning to flight, with follow-on daily inspections, officials said. The aircraft is capable and authorized to fly above 50,000 feet.
Pilots will use additional protective equipment and undergo baseline physiological tests. The return-to-fly process will begin with instructor pilots and flight leads regaining their necessary proficiency, then follow with other F-22 wingmen.
The commander of Air Combat Command directed a stand-down of the F-22 fleet May 3 as a safety precaution, following 12 separate reported incidents where pilots experienced hypoxia-like symptoms. The incidents occurred over a three-year period beginning in April 2008. Officials remain focused on the priorities of aircrew safety and combat readiness. The return-to-fly plan implements several risk mitigation actions, to include rigorous inspections, training on life support systems, and continued data collection.
Source: U.S. Air Force
Sep 09
TynibelleArmy, News aircraft model, airplane model, desktop model, F-22, F-22 Crash, f-22 raptor, f22, mahogany model, model aircraft, model airplane, model plane, plane model, scale model, warplanes, wood plane model, wooden airplane model
The November 2010 crash of a U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor was caused by a malfunction with the aircraft engine’s bleed air system, an industry source said. The pilot, Capt. Jeff “Bong” Haney of the 525th Fighter Squadron, was killed in the accident.
Another source, a pilot, confirmed that information. The fighter squadron is based in Alaska.
An Air Force accident report said the F-22, tail number 06-4125, had a bleed air problem that caused both the stealth fighter jet’s Environmental Control System (ECS) and On-Board Oxygen Generating System (OBOGS) to automatically shut down, the sources said.
The report has been released to Air Force officials at Pacific Air Forces, but has not been made public, the industry source said. The F-22 fleet was grounded May 3 after pilots suffered more than a dozen hypoxia-like incidents while flying.
Lt. Col. John Dorrian, an Air Force spokesman wrote in an email, “The information provided by your ‘industry source’ is not a wholly accurate characterization of the crash. However, due to the ongoing Accident Investigation Board process I am not able to provide point-by-point confirmation, as the information is not yet releasable. PACAF is conducting the AIB process and will release appropriate information once the process is complete.”
The bleed air system siphons off air from a jet engine’s compressor section to generate power, supply oxygen and inert gases, and handle heating and cooling.
If the ECS and OBOGS shut down, the pilot would not have air coming into the cockpit, and would have to switch to his emergency oxygen supply and dive to 10,000 feet, another source said.
“If the ECS is out … there is no conditioned air pressure pushing through the OBOGS, so he would be sucking rubber,” the source said. However, as the aircraft descended, “the cabin pressure would be gradually rising as long as the canopy was still intact completely,” he said.
But Haney’s F-22 never recovered from its dive. The twin-engine jet hit the ground, and it is unclear whether the pilot had switched to his emergency oxygen supply, the industry source said.
“The rate at which he descended, though, he would have been at a hypoxia-safe altitude within time to have not fully succumbed to hypoxia and should have only had symptoms versus unconsciousness,” the pilot source said. “The green ring [emergency oxygen bottle] in the Raptor is a tough pull, and it was altered to give the pilot some pressure.”
Activating the emergency oxygen system is tricky in the Raptor, the source continued.
“It is a double pull that has to be practiced and experienced a few times before you end up in that bad situation, or you will panic,” he said.
The industry source said the report declared that the accident was not related to the OBOGS.
But there are skeptics who say the OBOGS can’t be ruled out as a culprit.
“Around May, the aircrew were briefed that the mishap OBOGS unit was operating fine on [Haney's] flight,” the pilot source said.
The source said that if the report’s findings are accurate, though he is not convinced it is, it could be that other physiological factors with pilot’s g-tolerance and the oxygen levels in his body could have played a role in the crash. Haney was attempting a maneuver called a “rejoin” and made a fairly aggressive turn during the procedure, the pilot source said.
“I would have done the same thing with a Raptor in my hands,” he said. “It’s just that if OBOGS and the whole ECS was working nominally, physiological stuff is what might have crept up on him and impaired his normal ability.”
The pilot source said the investigation would have had to determine Haney’s oxygen supply and g-tolerance in that exact instance, but a precise assessment would not have been possible because of the condition of the pilot after the crash.
“I don’t see how you can absolutely rule out OBOGS by checking a smoked and crushed system and using what aircraft data was available based on a lack of an [Integrated Caution and Warning] showing unacceptable [oxygen] concentration or pressure,” the pilot source said. “You have to look at what testing was done to call those concentration and pressure limits as good, and that goes back before the flight of Ship 4001,” the first F-22 test plane.
Questions remain as to the nature and cause of the bleed air system malfunction.
Hans Weber, who owns Tecop International, a San Diego-based aerospace consulting firm, said that while bleed air systems are ubiquitous, they are complex and occasionally malfunction.
“It’s a fairly complicated system,” said Weber, a former member of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s Research, Engineering and Development Advisory Committee. “So there can be failures in it.”
Bleed air is very hot when it is sucked from the compressor; it goes through a series of heat exchangers to cool it to about 450 degrees Fahrenheit, he said. From there, it is further processed and cooled before it is used. Failures are rare, but they do happen, Weber said.
What is particularly worrisome is that aircraft bleed air systems have built-in safety gear, and whatever this malfunction was, it managed to overcome them, he said.
Further, Weber said that even if the OBOGS is exonerated in this incident, there have been more than a dozen hypoxia incidents. It is possible the problem is related to the other oxygen system incidents, he said.
“Might that apply to the others? Is this an outlier or at the core of the problem?” Weber asked.
-defensenews.com
-wikipedia.org
Aug 02
TynibelleNews aircraft models, airplane models, Aviation Wall Clocks, custom models, F-22, f-22 raptor, F-22 Raptor fighter, f22, f22 raptor, helicopter models, Jet Model Planes, model airplanes, model helicopters, model planes, plane models, Raptor F-22, warplanes, wooden airplane models
Blood tests on F-22 Raptor fighter pilots after they reported “hypoxia-like symptoms” during flight have turned up chemicals from oil fumes, burned antifreeze and propane.
But if the Air Force believes that might be a cause of pilots’ symptoms, it’s not saying, reports the Air Force Times. Carbon monoxide also is suspect in the incidents, but it leaves the blood quickly. Many of the troubled flights originated at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
From the Air Force Times:
“There is a lot of nasty stuff getting pumped into the pilots’ bloodstream through what they’re breathing from that OBOGS [On-Board Oxygen Generation System]. That’s fact,” one former F-22 pilot said. “How bad it is, what type it is, exactly how much of it, how long – all these things have not been answered.”
The blood tests were performed after each of the 14 incidents in which pilots reported various cognitive dysfunctions and other symptoms of hypoxia. One couldn’t remember how to change radio frequencies. Another scraped trees on his final approach to the runway – and later could not recall the incident.
“These guys are getting tested for toxins and they’ve [gotten] toxins out of their bloodstreams,” the source said. “One of the guys was expelling propane.”
This source, along with the others, requested anonymity for fear of retribution.
The Raptor fleet was mostly grounded in May, months after Capt. Jeff Haney died in a so far unexplained crash north of Anchorage. The Air Force said it was investigating the F-22s’ onboard oxygen supply system.
Sources said that in Haney’s last few radio calls before his jet disappeared, he sounded drunk, a classic sign of hypoxia. Haney was known as a prodigiously skilled aviator who was in line to attend the elite Air Force Weapons School.
F-22 Raptor pilots have been training in simulators since May, but they will have to be retrained in the actual jets if the grounding extends beyond 210 days, a former pilot said.
-adn.com
Jul 05
TynibelleNews 2011 Thunder Over the Blue Ridge airshow, aircraft model, airplane model, C-5, custom model, custom model plane, custom model ship, custom ship model, display, display model, f-16, F-22, f-22 raptor, f22, f22 raptor, model aircraft, model airplane, model display, model plane, model ship, model vessel, plane model, raptor, ship model, t-28, Trojan Horseman, warplanes, wood, wood model plane, wood plane model, wooden airplane model, wooden model airplanes
MARTINSBURG – The 2011 Thunder Over the Blue Ridge airshow and open house will feature what organizers are calling a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to see the United States Air Force’s F-22 Raptor, a new fighter aircraft that features plenty of power and speed.
Although the F-22 won’t be performing, airshow visitors will have the opportunity to see it up close and learn more about its capabilities from the pilots who fly it.
“Last year we brought you the Thunderbirds and this year we’re going to bring you variety and fire. It’s going to be a different show with a very exciting lineup,” Col. Brian Truman said at the July 1 afternoon press conference, where he and others discussed the free two-day event that is co-sponsored by the 167th Airlift Wing, United Way of the Eastern Panhandle and Eastern Regional Airport Authority.
Truman, who is vice commander of the 167th Airlift Wing and president of Thunder Over the Blue Ridge Inc., said a variety of military and civilian aerial acts will be part of this year’s lineup.
One new addition will be the U.S. Navy’s Trojan Horseman, a T-28 warbird aerobatic formation demonstration team, which is slated to fly six vintage World War II aircrafts, he said. The team is slated to perform its choreographed “Salute to the Armed Forces” to patriotic music.
Also appearing will be the Black Daggers, the official U.S. Army Special Operations command parachute demonstration team, as well as the Viper East F-16 Demonstration Team, Truman said.
First Lt. Nate Mueller, a pilot who flies C-5 transport aircraft, predicted the F-22‘s “premier display” will “bring out the aviator in everyone who gets an up-close look.”
“This is a rare opportunity to see the world’s most sophisticated fighter aircraft up close and personal right in our own backyard. It’ something people won’t want to miss,” Mueller said.
He said this stealth aircraft is assigned to the Air Combat Command’s 1st Fighter Wing based at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.
It has the capacity to cruise at supersonic airspeeds splintering the sound barrier and “boasts being capable of simultaneously conducting air-to-air and air-to-ground combat missions with near impunity,” according to a news release announcing the F-22‘s local appearance.
At some point a jet-powered truck will also “roar down the runway,” Truman said. “And we’re definitely going to blow things up with pyrotecnics. … I can guarantee you it’s going to be exciting.”
Last year’s airshow drew an estimated crowd of about 85,000 over the Labor Day weekend. The event will be held Sept. 17-18 this year when it returns to the Eastern Regional Airport. It will be open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.
A children’s village will again be featured in one of the base’s 80,000-square-foot hangers and will offer lots of “unique hands-on activities” courtesy of NASA and others, said Sr. Master Sgt. Todd Kirkwood, who is organizing it.
Organization Vice President Nic Diehl agreed this year’s program has some real crowd-pleasers.
“Most of the acts are new. … And we have a better civilian lineup than we’ve ever had before,” Diehl said.
Donations collected at the 2010 show generated more than $100,000 from visitors, and that money was given to the United Way. Admission is free, but a $10 donation benefiting the United Way is encouraged.
United Way officials stressed the importance of funding generated by the airshow and how it helps support their work within the community.
President Tom Jones said the partnerships that made it possible were “over the top” last year. It was a cooperative effort that included 24 volunteer vendors at the show – most of them United Way agencies, he added.
“It’s a community effort and we’re happy to be part of it,” Jones said.
Wing Commander Col. Roger Nye said the community is a driving force behind this show.
“It is a great opportunity for the families to come out here. We’re talking about community. We don’t do this because we are trying to show off anything about ourselves. It’s about giving the community an opportunity to come and see what the men and women in uniform, who live and work right here, do for this nation and give them a chance to enjoy it,” Nye said. “We’re also very proud of how much money was raised last year and being able to give back to the United Way.”
United Way Executive Director Jan Callen said the $100,000 was distributed in a number of ways, including helping fund The Journal’s Warm the Children program, which offers clothing to area children; and the Warming Hands and Hearts program, which offers heating assistance to those in need.
Callen said the $100,000 generated by last year’s airshow was an important part of the approximately $300,000 allocated to about 30 agencies this week.
“The money from the airshow is almost one-third of what the board had the discretion to give out, and that’s a big deal to us,” Callen said.
-journal-news.net
Jun 27
TynibelleAir Force, News aircraft model, airplane model, custom model, custom model plane, custom model ship, custom ship model, display, display model, f-15, F-15 fighters, F-22, F-22 fighters, f-22 raptor, F-22 Raptors, f22, model aircraft, model airplane, model display, model plane, model ship, model vessel, plane model, raptor, ship model, warplanes, wood, wood model plane, wood plane model, wooden airplane model, wooden model airplanes
Officials said that the US Air Force has grounded its entire fleet of F-22 fighters, after problems emerged with the plane’s oxygen supply.
The radar-evading F-22 Raptors have been barred from flying since May 3 and Air Force officials could not say when the world’s most advanced fighter planes would return to the air.
“The safety of our airmen is paramount and we will take the necessary time to ensure we perform a thorough investigation,” spokeswoman Captain Jennifer Ferrau said June 25.
The Air Force was probing possible breakdowns in the oxygen supply system for the plane after several pilots reported problems, according to the journal Flight Global.
In one case, an F-22 scraped tree tops before landing and the pilot could not remember the incident, indicating a possible symptom of hypoxia from a lack of air, the magazine reported.
Ferrau said it was too soon to say for certain that the technical problem was related to an onboard oxygen generating system, known as OBOGS.
“We are still working to identify the exact nature of the problem. It is premature to definitively link the current issues to the OBOGS system,” she said.
Since January, F-22 pilots have been barred from flying above 25,000 feet (7600 metres), following the crash of a Raptor jet in Alaska during a training flight.
Officials said that grounding an entire fleet of aircraft is a rare step,.
In November 2007, the Air Force grounded all F-15 fighters after one of the planes broke apart in flight and crashed.
The planes were not allowed back in the air until March 2008, said Major Chad Steffey.
The Air Force has more than 160 F-22 Raptors in its fleet and plans to build a total of 187.
The planes have not been used in the NATO-led air campaign in Libya or the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
-adelaidenow.com.au
Nov 01
TynibelleBlog Articles, News Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, F-22, f-22 raptor, f22, f22 raptor, Lockheed Martin, Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, raptor
Last Oct. 30-31, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor performed its precision aerobatics at the Fort Worth Alliance Air Show, marking the first time the aircraft has demonstrated its aerial capabilities in the skies over the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
F-22 pilot Maj. David ‘Zeke’ Skalicky of the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Demonstration Team from Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base, Va., flew the Raptor during the performance, entertaining an estimated total crowd of 110,000 that attended the air show over the two days.
An F-22 Raptor aircraft
George Shultz, Vice President and General Manager of Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Program, said “Zeke and the F-22 Demonstration Team do an incredible job showcasing the Raptor’s unparalleled aerial maneuverability.” He also said “We are thrilled that the people of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and the employees of Lockheed Martin here in Fort Worth were able to witness this amazing airplane.” The F-22’s appearance proved particularly significant for Lockheed Martin employees working in the F-22 program at the company’s Fort Worth site, where the aircraft’s mid-fuselage is built.
Michael Cawood, Fort Worth site lead for the F-22 program, said “Seeing the Raptor fly at Alliance was a very meaningful opportunity for our program team here.” Cawood also said “This was the first time they were able to enjoy the F-22 aerial demonstration in Fort Worth. Our people take pride in helping to build, sustain and enhance the Raptor, and in providing an unmatched capability to the U.S. Air Force.” The F-22 boasts a unique combination of stealth, speed, agility, situational awareness and lethal long-range air-to-air and air-to-ground weaponry to make it the world’s best air dominance fighter and to enable it to deter and defeat current and emerging threats.
Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 133,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.
- planenews.com
-wikipedia.org
Jul 26
TynibelleBlog Articles, Trivia, Videos 747, A380, b747, Boeing 747, drone aircraft, F-22, f-22 raptor, f22, helicopter, movies
(Mild Spoilers)
Many times have helicopters, fighter planes and other aircraft were used to film movies. Many times have they also appeared or “starred” in these. Here are a few recently shown movies wherein planes were used to add more zing to the moving pictures.
The A-Team movie poster
Directed by Joe Carnahan, The A-Team action film adapted from the popular TV series wouldn’t be a total testosterone-packed movie without the explosions, armament, and cool modes of transportation. An F-22 Raptor destroyed a medical chopper. Unmanned aircraft were CGI-produced. Ground vehicles like a GMC Vandura van and military tanks (unfortunately used in the air, too, thanks to parachutes) were used.
There are talks about the well-received 2010 movie Inception, directed by Christopher Nolan with Leonardo DiCaprio as the main character, using a Boeing 747 passenger jet. Others think it was a Qantas A380 aircraft. Some claim it could have been an NZ aircraft. At the near-end of the film, Leo and his crew board the business-class to do their bidding. The nose seemed like a B747 but issues about the futuristic seats led to being vaguely similar to the seats of an NZ aircraft. It’s still a mystery at this moment but some planes need to be modified when shooting movies.
Inception movie poster
The Losers movie poster
Another adaptation this time from a comic book is the action film directed by Sylvain White called The Losers. A chopper was used but I’m not sure what kind of helicopter it is yet since I have not yet seen this movie and it was hard to judge based on the trailer. I tried researching it online but to no avail. Can anyone tell me? Just leave a comment.
Movie still from The Losers film
- flyertalk.com
-wikipedia.com
-youtube.com
Jun 24
TynibelleBlog Articles, Trivia a10 thunderbolt, ac-130, c-130, c-130 hercules, c-130h, c17, c17 globemaster, cv 22, cv-22 osprey, f117, f117 nighthawk, f14, f15, f15 eagles, f16, f16 falcon, F16 fighter, f22, f22 raptor, hh-53, hh-53 super jolly green giant, mh-53, mh-53 pave low, mq-1, mq-1 predator, raptor, sr-71, sr-71 blackbird, su-27, Sukhoi, super jolly green giant, super valkyrie, tomcat, USS john c. stennis, uss stennis, vf-1s
Transformers movie poster (2007)
Aside from helicopters, other aircraft have been featured and continue to be featured in Hollywood films. Usually, warplanes star in action films to bring more oomph to the films. But these bad boys don’t come cheap because they cost thousands of dollars to “act.” Some go for solely CGI instead. Still, these thousand-dollar aircraft bring in more audiences so no loss but more gain for the producers.
Director Michael Bay on set of Transformers at Holloman Air Force Base
One movie that incorporated both real aircraft and CGI is the blockbuster film Transformers. Other than land vehicles, this film used aircraft like an F-22 Raptor for the character Starscream. Starscream is one of the enemy Decepticons which originally transforms into an F-15 Eagle based on the cartoon movie The Transformers: The Movie which was released on August 8, 1986.
Real airmen as extras on the set of Transformers at Holloman Air Force Base
Other aircraft used were F-117 Nighthawks, CV-22 Osprey, A-10 Thunderbolt II, C-17 Globemaster III, MH-53 Pave Low, HH-53 Super Jolly Green Giant, AC-130 Gunship, C-130 Hercules, MQ-1 Predator, and Air Force One. Looks like these bad boys aren’t just cutout for war but also for “acting”, too, so move aside Herbie.
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen movie poster (2009)
Most of us thought that prominent fighter aircraft used in first Transformers film were mind-blowing but our whole heads got blown off when we saw the sequel Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. Starring again was the C-17 Globemaster III, and new planes like the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the SR-71 Blackbird. The SR-71 Blackbird was used for the character Jetfire. This character was depicted as a VF-1S Super Valkyrie, as an F-14 Tomcat, and as a Sukhoi SU-27 In earlier toy models.
On set of Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen at Smithsonian Air and Space museum
Part of the SR-71 Blackbird on set of the sequel
Autobots logo on the tail fin of Michael Bay's private jet
Though not an aircraft, another bad boy… girl rather, was featured in the sequel. The USS John C. Stennis aircraft also starred in the film making it bigger and better.
The USS John C. Stennis carrier
On board the USS John C. Stennis carrier for Revenge of the Fallen
Actor Josh Duhamel as Capt. William Lenox
Aside from blowing our minds and/or heads off, Hollywood blockbusters keep us asking for more and with Transformers 3 being released on the 1st of July next year, will it finally blow every bit of us away?
-af.mil - transformerslive.blogspot.com
-youtube.com -transformers.moviechronicles.com
-wikipedia.org
RSS
