lenochs%drcoa1.decnet@drcvax.af.mil (DRCOA1::LENOCHS) (02/21/91)
From: "DRCOA1::LENOCHS" <lenochs%drcoa1.decnet@drcvax.af.mil>
Several postings have been seen recently discussing aircraft
maintenance policies and procedures. I thought I'd throw my two cents
in.
I have been working in the computerized record keeping of aircraft
maintenance for the AF both in an out of the service for about 10 years
now. Some of the standard things recorded for a single flight are:
- start and stop times
- type mission
- number of landing gear cycles
- rounds fired
- discrepancies noted by the pilot/GIB (guy in back)
- engine statistics (some are high temp of flight, flameouts, high
RPM of flight
- number of landings (touch and go counts one each time - tracked
for tire and landing gear wear)
- number of full-stop landings (brake pads, drogue parachute wear)
- for a prototype system built for AH-64As, we also tracked the
number of hours the crew wore night vision devices and the job
description of the crew members (IP, etc), because we also would
print the flight crew records.
Other things tracked are:
- maintenance action start and stop times
- how malfunctioned codes
- when discovered codes
- action taken
- crew size
- serially controlled parts removed/installed
- bits and pieces removed/installed
- cannibalization
- phased maintenance accomplishment (overhaul)
- support general actions (washing, pre-flight, post-flight,
thru-flight inspections, fueling, etc)
- time change requirements (replace the engine oil after 50 hours,
or replace gun barrel after 10000 rounds fired, as examples)
- inspection requirements
- emergency actions (ground the fleet, inspect wings for cracks).
Some of the systems I've worked with (I worked with six different
systems) are more sophisticated than others; some will schedule the
next inspection when you report you've completed the current one, for
example.
Some systems perform the same maintenance tracking for the ground
support equipment used on the aircraft (tracking maintenance on
avionics test stations).
But the goal of all of these systems is trend and failure analysis.
These systems use the collected data to determine if particular items
are performing as expected. One system was used by General Dynamics to
fix an F-16 problem. The manager at GD looked at a months worth of
'RTOK' results (re-test OK), and determined that the socket the black
box is plugged into on the test station and the socket on the aircraft
had different failure thresholds (the test station was designed to take
more abuse, since boxes are plugged in and out all day long).
Currently, only the F-117As and the F-16s from Torrejon AB in Spain
have online data reporting and analysis in the Gulf (that I know of).
All the other aircraft depend on mailing the paper forms back to their
units for data entry.
Well, now that I've bored everybody...........
Loyd M. Enochs (ex-USAF)
Dynamics Research Corp
Andover, MA 01810chidsey@smoke.brl.mil (Irving Chidsey) (02/23/91)
From: Irving Chidsey <chidsey@smoke.brl.mil>
In article <1991Feb21.030659.12033@cbnews.att.com> lenochs%drcoa1.decnet@drcvax.af.mil (DRCOA1::LENOCHS) writes:
Much deleted.
< But the goal of all of these systems is trend and failure analysis.
< These systems use the collected data to determine if particular items
< are performing as expected. One system was used by General Dynamics to
< fix an F-16 problem. The manager at GD looked at a months worth of
< 'RTOK' results (re-test OK), and determined that the socket the black
< box is plugged into on the test station and the socket on the aircraft
< had different failure thresholds (the test station was designed to take
< more abuse, since boxes are plugged in and out all day long).
<
< Currently, only the F-117As and the F-16s from Torrejon AB in Spain
< have online data reporting and analysis in the Gulf (that I know of).
< All the other aircraft depend on mailing the paper forms back to their
< units for data entry.
Fifteen-twenty years ago I had a friend working on a similar
program for tracking maintainance of jeeps & trucks to get a handle on
what their replacement life might be. Data had to be transcribed from
paper records to punched cards. Stock numbers and mileage were a big
problem, either ellegible or wrong. At that time they had not succeeded
in tracking a vehicle to junking before the records were so messed up
they had to abandon the effort.
Irv
--
I do not have signature authority. I am not authorized to sign anything.
I am not authorized to commit the BRL, the DOA, the DOD, or the US Government
to anything, not even by implication. The do not tell me what their policy is.
Irving L. Chidsey <chidsey@brl.mil>wallfesh@drcvax.af.mil (SANDE WALLFESH) (02/26/91)
From: "SANDE WALLFESH" <wallfesh@drcvax.af.mil> Irv Chidsey (chidsey@smoke.brl.mil) writes: > [Quotes from Loyd Enochs (lenochs%drcoa1.decnet@drcvax.af.mil) on systems > for trend and failure analysis deleted.] > > Fifteen-twenty years ago I had a friend working on a similar > program for tracking maintainance of jeeps & trucks to get a handle on > what their replacement life might be. Data had to be transcribed from > paper records to punched cards. Stock numbers and mileage were a big > problem, either ellegible or wrong. At that time they had not succeeded > in tracking a vehicle to junking before the records were so messed up > they had to abandon the effort. That sounds like it was quite an effort! Irv's friend would have undoubtedly benefitted from barcode scanning, small handheld computers (CALS compliant, of course), and other technologies that weren't available in the days when punched cards reigned. For instance, many artificial intelligence techniques have moved from the laboratory to the depot (and to other places!) where they can save time, trouble, and paperwork. Recently, I received an announcement for an upcoming conference, Artificial Intelligence Applications for Military Logistics. The conference features a session just on maintenance diagnostics and it includes: - Knowledge Based Systems Role in Maintenance Diagnostics - A Data Fusion Approach to Integrated Diagnostics - A Poor Performance Item Expert - Expert Systems for Military Hardware Diagnostics - Integration of Neural Network and Expert Systems for Diagnostics and Prognostics - Application of Multimedia Expert Systems to the Test Environment Knowledge Based Systems Role in Maintenance Diagnostics, presented by WPAFB, is going to discuss reducing "retest OK" and "can not duplicate" problems with model based systems technology. During the conference's session on technology, there's a presentation on Applications of Neural Networks to Onboard Maintenance Diagnostics. It will describe a method for employing neural nets to address intermittent in-flight failures which often result in "can not duplicate" or "retest OK". Solutions to these problems, they say, can eliminate up to 50% of the maintenance activity for high performance fighters. Sande P.S. Readers of sci.military might be interested in "Artificial Intelligence and National Defense: Applications to C3I and Beyond," edited by Stephen J. Andriole, published by AFCEA International Press in 1987. Saundra K. Wallfesh | "If it's stupid but works, it isn't Dynamics Research | stupid." -- Amphibious Warfare wallfesh@drcvax.af.mil | Review, Spring 1989
lenochs%drcoa1.decnet@drcvax.af.mil (DRCOA1::LENOCHS) (03/01/91)
From: "DRCOA1::LENOCHS" <lenochs%drcoa1.decnet@drcvax.af.mil>
While the war was going on, several postings were made concerning the
organization of various military units. I didn't see one for the USAF,
so I thought I'd post this.
MAJCOM - Major Air Command. These are functionally based groupings of
units. They are:
AFCC AF Communications Command - provides, operates and maintains
telecommunications and air traffic control facilities for the
AF and other agencies. Also provides software and hardware
support for data processing equipment. Does programming for
day-to-day business functions at the Standard Systems Center
in Montgomery, AL.
AFLC AF Logistics Command - provide logistics support for the AF
and the military assistance program. Controls procurement and
acquisitions. Acts as program manager for mature systems.
Control movement of supplies. Repair assets. (If on the
Fortune 500, AFLC would be number 3.)
AFSC AF Systems Command - R&D arm of the AF. Take technology and
make it practical. Acts as program manager for developing
systems. Runs Edwards (aircraft development) and Eglin
(armament development).
ATC Air Training Command - guess what? These folks do the
training! ATC is responsible for Basic Training (held in
beautiful, metropolitain, downtown San Antonio), and technical
training (done both at 'schools' and in the field. They also
do the recruiting and run ROTC.
AU Air University - AU runs the professional military education
programs for NCOs and officers. AU runs the OJT program for
all job descriptions AF-wide (including printing - they have
an *enormous* printing plant in Montgomery AL). AU also does
the in-house think tank stuff.
AAC Alaskan Air Command - self explanatory
ESC Electronic Security Command - all the electronic warfare types
work for ESC, including crypto and intercept types.
MAC Military Airlift Command - transport, weather, rescue, special
ops, medevac and the Aerospace Audiovisual service (I have no
clue as to how MAC relates to that).
PACAF Pacific Air Forces - self-explanatory.
SPACECMD Space Command - formed to control US military space
activities. Commander is also CinC NORAD.
SAC Strategic Air Command - the big bomber and recce folks (peace
our profession, war is just our hobby).
TAC Tactical Air Command - the fighters not assigned to PACAF, AAC
or USAFE and all tankers (and boy, did TAC and SAC duke it out
over *THAT* one!!)
USAFE United States Air Forces, Europe - you guessed it!!
In order of precedence:
MAJCOM
NUMBERED AIR FORCE
WING
GROUP
SQUADRON
FLIGHT
ELEMENT
I'd love to explain how things are organized on a generic basis, but
there are too many variations to let me do so (besides, others are
knowledgable on the subject and I don't like to get *too* badly
flamed), but this is how the 'typical' fighter wing looked in 1987:
50 TFW, Hahn AB, Germany
|
---> Deputy Commander for Maintenance (DCM)
| |
| ---> 50th Equipment Maintenance Squadron (50 EMS)
| ---> 50th Componant Repair Squadron (50 CRS)
| ---> 50th Aircraft Generation Squadron (50 AGS)
| |
| |--> 10th Aircraft Maintenance Unit (10 AMU)
| |--> 313th Aircraft Maintenance Unit (313 AMU)
| ---> 496th Aircraft Maintenance Unit (496 AMU)
|
---> Deputy Commander for Operations (DO)
|--> 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron (10 TFS)
|--> 313th Tactical Fighter Squadron (313 TFS)
---> 496th Tactical Fighter Squadron (496 TFS)
Other squadrons also exist on base, such as Supply, the Combat Support
Group (personnel, finance, etc), Transportation, which "belong" to the
wing and are numbered 50th.
Communications is handled by AFCC, so the comm squadron has a different
number (1976th??).
Anyhow, there it is.
Loyd M. Enochs (ex-USAF) - Dynamics Research Corporation - Andover, MA