Page 3 - Aerotech News and Review 5-6-16

Armstrong engine shop is one-of-a-kind
NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center changed and igniters viewed.
No matter what the challenge with an aircraft engine, Enrique The U.S. Air Force Flight Test Center on Edwards Air Force Base “There are always issues where XYZ parts are ordered and we
in California is a key NASA Armstrong partner. The Air Force
“Henry” Hernandez at the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Cen- shares its capability to tests engines, like this F-100-220, which do the work,” he said.
ter Engine Shop can fix it. is similar to the F-404 engines the Air Force tests for NASA. However, Hernandez and his crew are up to the challenges.

Along with long-time engine shop technician Bill McCarty and For example, the center flies up to four missions a week on the Hernandez worked on engines at General Electric prior to accept-
Rich Souza, the shop at the California NASA center saves millions workhorse Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, a ing his current position about two decades ago. His knowledge
in repairs for engines that don’t have to be sent to other facilities NASA 747SP with the world’s largest flying telescope. Keeping of powerplants is vast, as are his partnerships with other govern-
or to manufacturers, Hernandez said. In fact, other U.S. govern- up with inspections, maintenance and spare engine parts are some ment agencies and industry partners. It is through some of those
ment agencies and a few international partners have sought help of the ongoing challenges. alliances that he has secured parts at no cost when he has seen
from Hernandez. opportunities, saving millions in the process, he explained.
In addition, Hernandez and his crew are responsible for the
The engine shop’s expertise recently was tapped to make sure engine inspections and repairs for NASA’s aircraft at Armstrong A key partnership is with the U.S. Air Force Test Center on
engines for an Air Force C-17 engine test were ready to go. Called including the F-15Ds and F/A-18s, used for research and to ob- Edwards Air Force Base. Hernandez explained he works closely
the Vehicle Integrated Propulsion Research (VIPR) program, the serve experiments in flight, and a DC-8, Global Hawks and high- with the Air Force engine staff that is co-located in the same area.
engine degradation research included feeding volcanic ash into flying ER-2 aircraft used for science missions. Hernandez can bring engines to the adjoining test cell facilities
the engine. to test engines like the GE 400 engines used in F/A-18 aircraft.
In fact, before the DC-8 leaves for deployments, the engine Armstrong is the only NASA center engine shop capable of work-
Hernandez and his crew made sure the engines were ready for shop crew examines the engines. On a recent DC-8 mission to ing with that engine, he added. The engine facility can handle the
the research tests by inspecting them on the Edwards Air Force Florida, the DC-8 crew was concerned that the moisture from 26,000 pounds of thrust generated when the engine is tested, he
Base ramp with visual inspection cameras called borescopes, he a hurricane could have caused damage. Hernandez flew down said.
explained. Every night for two to three weeks Hernandez and his to Florida to determine the condition of the engines. Everything
crew performed the inspections. They also assisted in some of the checked out and the mission continued, he recalled. Hernandez is willing to share his vast knowledge and occasion-
modifications and instrumentation of the VIPR engines. ally has requests for engineers who want to learn more about the
The shelves of the facility Hernandez operates house compo- engine shop’s work. In fact, a few years ago there were six-week
Fixing and maintaining engines offers daily challenges, Her- nents for combustors and fuel nozzles, parts needed for overhaul mentorships where engineers were welcomed to learn how the
nandez explained. That is especially true at NASA Armstrong, when the powerplant reaches a milestone number of flight hours, engines work.
where the center’s fleet of aircraft are diverse and some of the he said. Inspections are completed prior to any aircraft mission
aging powerplants require parts that are becoming harder to locate. and the engine shop has the capabilities to take out and put back No matter what the challenges, Hernandez and his crew will
together engines and run them in the test cell to make sure they be ready to meet them.
NASA photographa by Lauren Hughes are mission ready.
Henry Hernandez shows Alex Ray and Tami McCoy an engine
Left to right: Bill McCarty, Enrique “Henry” Hernandez and Rich Hernandez’ team can complete an engine inspection in a day used in the recent Vehicle Integrated Propulsion Research project
Souza save NASA Armstrong millions in repairs and inspections depending on the type, he said. It is required that an engine un- during a tour of the NASA Armstrong Engine Shop. The most
that are completed in house. dergo inspection every 100 hours of operation, where the key recent phase of VIPR research included volcanic ash being fed
components will be inspected with a borescope, filters will be into a C-17 engine to observe the degradation of the powerplant.
OSPREY, from 1

F-35 ground refueling allows the Ma- aircraft would require U.S. Marine Air Force photograph by Christian Turner
rine Corps to employ assets in austere Corps KC-130s to provide air-to-air
environments on a short notice with- refueling capabilities. However, they A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey (left) descended on Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to link up with a Marine F-35B
out having to rely on long-term plan- are limited to land and when the am- Joint Strike Fighter April 28. Both aircraft are assigned to Marine Operational Test & Evaluation Squadron 22 (VMX-22)
ning and fixed facilities,” Geitner said. phibious assault ships are operating out of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona. The Osprey dropped by for a test to validate ground refueling from
in either blue water operations, or an MV-22 to an F-35B.
The one-hour test consisted of in regions that deny them access to
hooking up fuel transfer lines between land-based air facilities, as it limits
the two aircraft with the MV-22 fuel- air-to-air refueling capabilities, Geit-
ing up the F-35B. The test validated ner added.
the equipment and procedures on both
the F-35B and MV-22. “With the MV-22 being on the ship,
co-located with the F-35, all of those
Geitner said the MV-22 Osprey constraints with the KC-130 no longer
has the ability to carry approximate- apply.”
ly 10,000 pounds of fuel in its fuel
containers loaded in the back of the The MV-22B Osprey is a tiltrotor
aircraft. This is coupled with approxi- vertical and/or short take-off and land-
mately 12,000 pounds carried inter- ing aircraft that serves as the medi-
nally, which can either provide fuel to um-lift assault support aircraft for the
its own aircraft or to external aircraft Marines. The Osprey can operate as a
in air-to-air refueling operations. helicopter or a turboprop aircraft. It
can transport troops, equipment and
Fuel was successfully transferred to supplies from ships and land bases for
the F-35, which taxied off back to the combat assault and support.
Joint Operation Test Team area.
Edwards AFB hasn’t seen an Os-
“The next step will be air-to-air re- prey in the skies regularly since 2007.
fueling from an MV-22. This is even That’s the year the 418th Flight Test
more significant for the MAGTF Squadron said goodbye to the CV-22
when operating F-35s from [amphibi- Integrated Test Team after completing
ous assault ships] because it provides developmental test of the aircraft.
organic air-to-air refueling capability
that vastly extends the range of the
aircraft and also provides operational
flexibility,” said Geitner.

Previously, Marine AV-8B Harrier

May 6, 2016 Aerotech News and Review 3

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