The first two F-35A stealth fighters part of the limited numbers temporarily grounded following coolant line issue have started flying ...
The first two F-35A stealth fighters part of the limited numbers temporarily grounded following coolant line issue have started flying again after repair.
U.S. Air Force ordered grounding of 57 F-35A fighters in September following discovery of faulty insulation on avionics cooling lines installed in the fuel tank.
The two aircraft returned to flight line on October 24 from Hill Air Force Base. All the 10 affected aircraft based at Hill AFB will be repaired before the year end.
The repair was carried out by first draining the fuel and removing the panel from the jet. A field-team of contract maintainers cuts pre-engineered holes in the aircraft skin to access specific points in the fuel tank.
The team then strips the faulty coating from the coolant lines and installs screens to prevent any foreign object from clogging the fuel siphon-tubes.
After the repair, the aircraft skin and low-observable coating is restored and Airmen complete operational checks on the aircraft before returning it to service.
Hill AFB received its first operational F-35 in September 2015 and is slated for three operational F-35 squadrons and a total of 78 aircraft by the end of 2019.
USAF says maintainers have been able to provide operational F-35s for 95 percent of scheduled sorties, compared to 87 percent for legacy fighters.
