PICTURES: Finnish F-18 engine check reveals effects of volcanic dust

[Subdivisions]

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/04/16/340727/pictures-finnish-f-18-engine-check-reveals-effects-of-volcanic.html

The Finnish air force has released images showing the effects of volcanic dust ingestion from inside the engines of a Boeing F-18 Hornet fighter, while it prepares to make inspections on several additional aircraft.

Five of the air force’s Hornets were involved in a training exercise on the morning of 15 April, just hours before the imposition of airspace restrictions due to the ash cloud spreading from a major volcanic eruption in Iceland.

One aircraft’s engines have been inspected so far using a boroscope, with melted ash clearly visible on its inside surface. The air force decided to release the images to show the potentially damaging effects of current flight activities, says chief information officer Joni Malkamäki.

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http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/04/16/340727/pictures-finnish-f-18-engine-check-reveals-effects-of-volcanic.html

[habitual]

1. working link:

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/04/16/340727/pictures-finnish-f-18-engine-check-reveals-effects-of-volcanic.html

[anigbrowl]

2. +1 for excellent factual data

[Canuckistanian]

3. Volcanic ash does two things to aircraft engines

First, it's extremely corrosive. It's like a sandblaster that's being aimed at fine moving parts and bearings.

Second, the melting point of ash is about the same as the temperature of the combustion chamber. Thus, the chamber and turbines get coated in a solid, glasslike shell.

[wtmusic]

4. So if you want to protect a city from air attack

just send up some dispersion bombs filled with volcanic ash.

Would probably work pretty well on cruise missiles, too.