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What is the useful life of military trainer aircraft?
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2021 4:55 pm
by Burning Petard
I just read a news story of an Air Force jet that went down over Alabama about sundown yesterday, killing the two experienced pilots aboard.
The plane was a T38. The last one left the factory 49 years ago. I would expect a trainer to do more takeoffs and landings than other similar military planes. Thus I would expect the airframe to have a shorter time before failure. Then again, perhaps the T38 is designed to take more routine stress.
But still? More than 49 years in use and they are scheduled to be phased out in 2023!?
snailgate
Re: What is the useful life of military trainer aircraft?
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2021 5:31 pm
by Long Run
Reminds me of Jackie Stewart, the great auto racer, talking about getting out alive. I don't know about the useful life of training planes, but I was glad that a few years ago my good neighbor, a USAF pilot, retired in excellent health.
Re: What is the useful life of military trainer aircraft?
Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2021 1:13 am
by Jarlaxle
Burning Petard wrote: ↑Sat Feb 20, 2021 4:55 pm
I just read a news story of an Air Force jet that went down over Alabama about sundown yesterday, killing the two experienced pilots aboard.
The plane was a T38. The last one left the factory 49 years ago. I would expect a trainer to do more takeoffs and landings than other similar military planes. Thus I would expect the airframe to have a shorter time before failure. Then again, perhaps the T38 is designed to take more routine stress.
But still? More than 49 years in use and they are scheduled to be phased out in 2023!?
snailgate
Isn't the newest B-52 about 60 years old?
Re: What is the useful life of military trainer aircraft?
Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2021 1:28 am
by Burning Petard
I think they put carbon-fiber wings on all the B52s--that is a major overhaul.
Back when those birds were the latest and greatest I loved to see movies the B-52 taking off. It looked like their wings were flaping. I wondered if the tips ever brushed the runway.
snailgate
Re: What is the useful life of military trainer aircraft?
Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2021 3:18 am
by Jarlaxle
Burning Petard wrote: ↑Sun Feb 21, 2021 1:28 am
I think they put carbon-fiber wings on all the B52s--that is a major overhaul.
Back when those birds were the latest and greatest I loved to see movies the B-52 taking off. It looked like their wings were flaping. I wondered if the tips ever brushed the runway.
snailgate
No. They sag enough on the ground when loaded that there are landing wheels on the wingtips; they touch by design.
Re: What is the useful life of military trainer aircraft?
Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2021 11:33 am
by liberty
Tinker AFB base has a section that does nothing but rehab B-52 constantly, or at least they did in the 1980s. The answer to the question, "how long can aircraft be flown"; the answer is forever if you are willing to spend the money to make it happen.
Re: What is the useful life of military trainer aircraft?
Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2021 2:06 pm
by Methuselah
I was stationed near an Army Air Force depot maintenance squadron at Fort Benning, in the 1950’s. They would rebuild damaged aircraft that were in really bad shape. The joke was they’d rebuild from a name tag if that is all that was left. Getting a new aircraft required a Congressional approval. Rebuilding old aircraft came out of a different budget that could be tapped with local approval.
Re: What is the useful life of military trainer aircraft?
Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2021 5:02 pm
by Jarlaxle
Still no official cause of the crash.
Re: What is the useful life of military trainer aircraft?
Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2021 7:55 pm
by Burning Petard
Methuselah, I have heard the same thing about Ferrari, as long as you have the id sill plate and enuff money.
snailgate
Re: What is the useful life of military trainer aircraft?
Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2021 8:25 pm
by Econoline
Re: What is the useful life of military trainer aircraft?
Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2021 10:28 pm
by Jarlaxle
Burning Petard wrote: ↑Thu Feb 25, 2021 7:55 pm
Methuselah, I have heard the same thing about Ferrari, as long as you have the id sill plate and enuff money.
snailgate
Not just Ferrari...any car, really, if the restorer is dedicated enough. At least one 'Cuda started so rotted that it had "DON'T OPEN DOORS!" crayoned on the windshield when it was delivered to the shop.
Rick Ehrenberg and the Mopar Action crew placed second overall(!) in the One Lap Of America in their 1984/85/87 Dodge Omni. (Yes, it was built from three wrecked cars.)
Re: What is the useful life of military trainer aircraft?
Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2021 5:55 am
by dales
It's kind of like the old adage:
Speed costs money, how much do you want spend?