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Author Topic: Hours of Boredom puncutated by....  (Read 343 times)

Offline Toad

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Hours of Boredom puncutated by....
« on: February 20, 2007, 08:37:31 PM »
Just got this from my old WingKing. It's unclassified.

Exciting times in the F-22!


Quote
Subject:  F-22 AEF Deployment

Date:  12 Feb 07

To:  CC

Info:  CV, DS

Narrative:


1.  A 1st Fighter Wing AEF 6-ship (Petro 91) departed Hickam AFB enroute to AEF location on 10 Feb.  Approximately 4 hours into the mission and coincidental with crossing over the International Date Line, all six aircraft experienced a significant avionics failure including:

            Both GINS 1 and 2 Fail

            FLCS Degrade

            Radar Fail

            Fuel Degrade

            Loss of all attitude references

            Loss of Flight Path marker

            Loss of all navigation aides (TACAN, ILS, Computed, etc.)

            Loss of all heading indications

2.  Aircraft communications were available via backup radio only.  Only navigation available was via cockpit airspeed and altitude indications (both deemed accurate).  All other aircraft systems, to include engines, electrical system and air refueling, were nominal.

3.  Flight Lead, Lt Col Tolliver, initiated via the tanker a CONFERENCE HOTEL (CH) call with LM Aero.  All CH team recommended workarounds (avionics restarts, date and time resets, etc.) did not resolve the problem.

4.  Lt Col Tolliver assessed pressing to the AEF location but decided to turn back and return to Hickam.  He also directed the second deployment cell, a 2-ship approximately one hour behind him, to return to Hickam.  NOTE:  This 2-ship never crossed the International Date Line.

5.  Enroute back to Hickam, after crossing back over the International Date Line, avionics restarts were unsuccessfully attempted.  

6.  All aircraft successfully recovered at Hickam, shut down (cold iron), restarted engines and all avionics malfunctions cleared.

7.  An F-22 Crisis Management Team (CMT) has convened.  Two telecoms (1300 and 1700 EST) were conducted on 11 Feb.  Participants included F-22 Program Office, LM, Boeing, NG and A8F personnel.

8.  The F-22 Program is working 24/7 to resolve this issue.  Both F-22 avionics integration labs (RAIL and AIL) have successfully duplicated the problem.  The problem resides within the GINS software when the aircraft transitions between East/West Longitude.  NOTE:  Most RAIL and AIL testing simulate GINS inputs and past testing discovered no issues with over flying the Dateline or Poles.  It took testing this weekend using actual GINS hardware and software to duplicate this problem.

9.  A fix for this software problem has been developed at NG and currently is being evaluated in the RAIL.  We should find out at our 1300 CMT telecom today if this fix works.    

10.  This fix will require an OFP update to be loaded on the aircraft.  Currently no IMIS OFP loading support is on-site at Hickam.  1 FW IMIS was previously deployed to AEF location.

11.  F-22 Program currently expects software fix, OFP loading hardware and LM support team in place at Hickam by mid-week.  Aircraft possibly will be able to depart Hickam for their AEF location by the end of the week.  

12.  Updates to this issue will be provided as additional information becomes available.    

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Offline Mini D

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Hours of Boredom puncutated by....
« Reply #1 on: February 20, 2007, 08:53:08 PM »
LOL! I wonder if daylight savings would screw them up  too.
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Offline rpm

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Hours of Boredom puncutated by....
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2007, 09:35:20 PM »
Yikes! Good thing the backup radio still worked.
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Offline Maverick

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Hours of Boredom puncutated by....
« Reply #3 on: February 20, 2007, 09:38:07 PM »
There's something to be said for the old fashioned "steam gages" and a simple oil bath compass. I'm not a fan of all glass cockpits where a single point failure (electrical) can do away with all of the intrumentation.
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Offline Sparks

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Hours of Boredom puncutated by....
« Reply #4 on: February 21, 2007, 06:30:56 AM »
Quote
... NOTE: Most RAIL and AIL testing simulate GINS inputs and past testing discovered no issues with over flying the Dateline or Poles. It took testing this weekend using actual GINS hardware and software to duplicate this problem. ..

System Test Director "Oh so you think we should test the system with REAL hardware .... like the aircarft stuff ... Naahhh - costs too much"

I see this sooooo often.  Testing systems with different hardware, PC simulations, anything but the real thing. Then when we get a problem on the aircraft ......
System Eng "Well it works in the Lab"
Me "With our hardware ?"
System ENg " Well no because we don't have any - it costs too much and production don't have spares - but it works in the Lab fine"
Me "Go get some actual hardware - same rev and everything"

System Engineer next day " Hi - it doesn't work - we're working on a fix"
Me
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