Design flaw puts F-22s in shop for repairs

[unhappycamper]

Design flaw puts F-22s in shop for repairs
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Oct 22, 2007 8:15:34 EDT

SALT LAKE CITY — The Air Force is speeding up its timeline for bringing the F-22 Raptor to Hill Air Force Base for repairs after a design flaw that military officials have known about for years has reappeared.

The problem with the Air Force’s newest fighter jet is that the composition of some mechanical access panels makes the Raptor susceptible to corrosion. Military officials changed the design to fix the problem, but it is back and about two-thirds of the military’s fleet of the planes is suffering from corrosion.

“So the world’s most expensive, most advanced aircraft is in the shop for repairs for something simple that someone figured out a long time ago?” said Nick Schwellenbach, national security investigator for the Project On Government Oversight. “I’d like to say I was outraged, and it is outrageous, but it’s all too common.”

The Project on Government Oversight has exposed numerous other problems with the Raptor, which costs more than $130 million per plane. Those costs triple when research, development and other costs are factored in.

The plane is advertised as the world’s most advanced fighter jet. It was intended to be ready for combat by 1997, but the Raptor has yet to fly a single combat mission because of cost overruns and delays.

It’s unclear how much the corrosion issue will cost the Air Force to fix. Brig. Gen. C.D. Moore, who is leading production and sustainment efforts for the F-22 at Ohio’s Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, said the “cleanup and mitigation” of already-identified corrosion problems could cost nearly a half-million dollars in labor costs alone.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2007/10/ap_f22repairs_071022/



uhc comment: On October 4th, I said

We should start hearing about a 'need' to update this $339,000,000 aircraft.


In case you're not familiar with the F-22 --> http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=259&topic_id=4847