Aging Aircraft: Cracks in USA’s F/A-18 fleet
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The USA’s is watching the average age of its fighter fleet rise, and will continue to do so even if all F-22s and F-35s envisioned in current Pentagon plans are purchased. “Aging Aircraft: USAF F-15 Fleet Grounded” covered the long saga of the USA’s F-15A-D fleet, which is culminating in early retirement for a number of its aircraft. The A-10C re-winging program acquired added urgency with the recent revelation that wing cracks had been found in active aircraft. Now the US Navy’s long-serving F/A-18A-D Hornet fleet can be added to the list. Earlier in October 2008, a routine post-flight maintenance inspection found a crack in an aileron hinge, which led to inspections of Hornets from various squadrons. Similar cracks were found on 14 other planes, which prompted a fleet-wide inspection bulletin on Oct 23/08.
The tests required about 15 days, and priority was given to the 112 deployed Hornets within the 636-plane fleet.
Aileron hinge replacement requires service back at a depot, however, and outer wing panel replacement is a 4-day exercise. Unlike the newer F/A-18 E/F super Hornets, the Hornets under scrutiny have 5,000 – 7,500 light hours on their airframes, in an aircraft initially designed for 6,000 hours. Life extension programs have extended that limit to 8,000 hours, and structural improvements that include center barrel replacements are expected to extend that to 10,000 hours.
Nevertheless, unforeseen problems can and do arise, as this incident illustrates. They will need to be manageable, because the US Navy already projects a shortage of strike aircraft from 2015-2025, due to forced Hornet retirements and slower replacement via Super Hornet and F-35C deliveries. 2017 is currently pegged as the nadir, with a shortage of 69 aircraft. Aero News Network | Flight International | CNN | Virginian-Pilot.
UPDATES
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Dec 9/08: The crash of an F/A-18D Hornet in San Diego appears to be the result of engine failure rather than structural failure, though investigations will continue. Despite the pilot’s best attempts to steer the stricken jet away from populated areas, it crashed into several homes and killed 4 people. San Diego Union Tribune | The Times.
Nov 9/08: Inspections find aileron hinge cracks that result in the grounding of 10 F/A-18 Hornets, 2 of which were deployed overseas. Another 20 planes will remain in service pending repairs, but they will be under flight restrictions. Stars and Stripes.
