La flotta di Raptor è stata messa a terra per problemi all'impianto d'ossigeno del pilota.

 

http://defensetech.org/2011/05/06/f-22-fleet-grounded-indefinitely/

 

Il provvedimento è in atto da ieri a tempo indefinito.

 

Secondo me,quell'incidente avvenuto in Alaska rientra in questo tipo di guasto.

La messa a terra degli F-22 .... un grosso guaio per i piloti .... una vera manna per i "manutentori" .....

 

Un lungo ed interessante articolo apparso sull'ultimo numero del mensile "Air Force Magazine" (organo ufficiale dell' U.S. Air Force Association) ....

 

http://www.airforce-magazine.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2011/December%202011/1211raptor.aspx

 

.

Intanto slitta di alcuni mesi il rilascio del rapporto del comitato scientifico ....

 

The US Air Force has extended by several months a self-imposed deadline for releasing a scientific analysis of the oxygen problems blamed for two groundings of the Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/f-22-oxygen-report-delayed-for-months-365356/

Da .... ci sono novità ....

 

"F-22 oxygen system malfunctioned moments before crash" ....

 

 

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/f-22-oxygen-system-malfunctioned-moments-before-crash-366028/

Da ....

 

Qui trovate anche un link con il testo del rapporto ....

 

 

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2011/12/f-22-crash-mystery-finally-exp.html

mi pare strano...il ghiaccio nel carburante,,,e trale la escludo al 98% perchè sia il jp-4; jp8 ...alias f34; f-40 ecc...hanno una componente antighiaccio oltre -40°C.....

 

semmai è più probabile che; sia stato il fenomeno del carburante inquinato...da acqua; che dopo tempo si trasforma in acido solforico.....e corrode le tubatire; guarnizioni....anche perchè il motore avio ..ha il funzionamento garantito con anche in circa il 40% di acqua respirata dal compressore...

 

comunque il fenomeno del ghiaccio al carburante ....mi suona altamente improbabile.....

Secondo l'Air Force, è del pilota la colpa di uno degli incidenti occorsi all'aereo per mancanza di ossigeno, con la perdita di pilota e aereo.

 

La colpa del pilota è di aver focalizzato la sua attenzione sulla mancanza d'ossigeno, anzichè cercare di riprendere l'aereo.

 

Fonte ABC News

Ma il CSM dell'USAF solleva il pilota dalla responsabilità dell'incidente ....

 

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/us-air-force-chief-rejects-pilot-blame-in-f-22-crash-369194/

Il che è un bene direi.

La moglie del pilota deceduto intenta un'azione legale nei confronti delle aziende costruttrici dell'aereo ....

 

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/f-22-crash-prompts-lawsuit-by-pilots-widow-369479/

 

http://www.airforce-magazine.com/DRArchive/Pages/2012/March%202012/March%2016%202012/WidowofF-22PilotSuesAircraftMaker.aspx

Segnalo che la US Air Force, ha ordinato una riprogettazione dei comandi dell'ossigeno.

 

http://defensetech.org/2012/03/15/air-force-redesigns-f-22-emergency-oxygen-handles/

Dal "Daily Report" dell' AFA (U.S. Air Force Association) - Friday March 30, 2012

 

No Root Cause In Hand

 

Despite an extensive investigation, the Air Force has yet to pinpoint the cause of a series of "physiological incidents" with F-22 pilots that led to the grounding of the Raptor fleet last year, stated service officials Thursday.

"We do not have a root cause in hand," said Gregory Martin, retired Air Force general, in presenting the findings of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board's seven-month study into the F-22's oxygen-generation system during a Pentagon briefing.

Martin led this effort, which tried to determine why Raptor pilots have experienced symptoms akin to insufficient oxygen supply in flight.

Among its findings, the study concluded that contaminants identified in the pilots' air supply have not risen to levels known to cause health risks or impaired performance.

 

Further, it highlighted that the F-22's on-board oxygen-generation system, backup system, and emergency oxygen system are not classified as "safety-critical items."

The study recommended installing a backup oxygen supply for the aircraft's life-support system and adding a ground collision-avoidance system to the aircraft.

The study panel also recommended continued data collection and pilot monitoring, an activity that Air Combat Command is now leading.

(F-22 briefing transcript)

 

—Marc V. Schanz

Raptor Fleet Taking a "911 Approach"

 

Air Combat Command continues taking measures to closely track conditions in the F-22 cockpit to ensure the safety of Raptor pilots, some of whom have experienced hypoxia-like symptoms—as if they have insufficient oxygen in flight—in certain environments.

Maj. Gen. Charles Lyon, ACC's director of operations, told reporters at the Pentagon on Thursday that there have been more than 10,000 Raptor sorties since last fall when F-22s returned to flight after a fleet standdown in May.

To increase confidence in the safety of flight operations, the command added equipment in Raptor cockpits to measure the rate of oxygen to the pilot and the pilot's heart rate and oxygen levels. Further, air quality is inspected via filters, said Lyons. Officials are also in the process of replacing the small ring formerly used by pilots to access the aircraft's emergency oxygen system with a large handle, he said.

The latter is more user friendly.

"We have taken a '911-call approach,'" said Lyon of current F-22 flight operations.

Whenever a pilot gets an indication that something is wrong, he is to terminate the sortie, land immediately, and meet a medical team for a battery of tests, he said.

(F-22 briefing transcript)

 

—Marc V. Schanz

Links ....

 

http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=6314

 

http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=8309

 

http://www.defense.gov/utility/printitem.aspx?print=http://www.defense.gov/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=5001

 

 

A margine del "caso" F-22 ....

 

USAF to rebuild its aerospace physiology expertise

Fonte .... .... http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/usaf-to-rebuild-its-aerospace-physiology-expertise-370521/

 

 

Bene, il cambiamento che si propongono di fare è interessante. Aspettiamoci di vedere i problemi del Raptor risolti in cinque anni allora.

USAF secretary confident in F-22 despite 'lingering uncertainty'

The top US Air Force (USAF) civilian says uncertainty remains about the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter after an inconclusive investigation into 'in-flight physiological events', but he is confident in the aircraft's safety. Pilots flying the F-22 have reported physiological incidents in which they experienced 'hypoxia-like' symptoms, or oxygen deprivation

 

[first posted to http://jdw.janes.com - 05 April 2012]

 

 

non il massimo della vita.....

Refuseniks ....

 

Some F-22 pilots decline to fly ....

 

A "very small number" of Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor pilots are refusing to fly the jet, a top US Air Force official says.

 

Fonte .... .... http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/some-f-22-pilots-decline-to-fly-371339/

 

 

Francamente, questa è una notizia gravissima.

 

Significa che nella USAF sanno benissimo che il problema è molto, molto grave. Io non ricordo, a memoria, altri casi del genere, fra l'altro gestiti in questa maniera, con grande accondiscendenza (il che significa che anche i vertici sanno che il problema è grave).

Se il comandante in persona dell'Air Combat Command si sente in dovere di dividere il rischio con i suoi piloti ("non mi sento di chiedere ai miei uomini di fare qualcosa che non sarei disposto a fare io stesso", quasi si trattasse di affrontare il fuoco nemico) e anzichè stroncare un inammissibile insoburdinazione parlla di evitare forzature, la situazione deve sembrare, con grande imbarazzo, pressochè irrisolvibile.

Niente male per un gioiello teconologico dal costo astronomico......, il gigante dai piedi di argilla?

Dal "Daily Report" dell' AFA (Air Force Association) di questa mattina ....

 

Final Raptor for Langley-Eustis

 

The 1st Fighter Wing at JB Langley-Eustis, Va., received its final F-22 Raptor, leaving only JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, that has yet to fill its full Raptor complement.

 

Aircraft 4194 arrived at Langley-Eustis on April 27, completing the base's F-22 force at 46 aircraft, said service officials.

 

The Air Force is scheduled to take delivery of aircraft 4195, its final F-22, on May 2 at Lockheed Martin's production facility in Marietta, Ga., before its flight to Elmendorf-Richardson for beddown, according to the officials.

 

The momentous deliveries come as uncertainties still loom (1) regarding the fifth generation aircraft's onboard oxygen supply.

 

Air Force leaders maintain that the F-22 is safe to fly.

 

Still, Air Combat Command boss Gen. Mike Hostage told reporters at Langley-Eustis on April 30 that a "very small" number of F-22 pilots have asked for reassignment until the problem is resolved.

 

He did not provide any additional details, according to media reports.

 

"Obviously, it's a very sensitive thing because we are trying to ensure that the community fully understands all that we're doing to try to get to a solution," stated Hostage reported (2) ABC News.

 

( See also CBS Money Watch report (3) )

Links ....

 

(1) .... http://www.airforce-magazine.com/DRArchive/Pages/2012/March%202012/March%2030%202012/NoRootCauseInHand.aspx

 

(2) .... http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/22-fighter-pilots-fly-troubled-79-billion-jets/story?id=16250417#.T6Aq9-jO0SE

 

(3) .... http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57424854/air-force-leader-some-pilots-want-to-avoid-f-22/

Si studiano nuove ipotesi ....

 

U.S. Air Force officials are narrowing their focus on new combinations of factors ....

 

 

Amy Butler su .... .... http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/awx_05_02_2012_p0-453509.xml

Questo è un tipo di approccio interessante, rivolgere l'attenzione all'equipaggiamento del pilota:"In some cases, if the "fit is off by what would seem to be an insufficient amount,” it could impact the physiological support for the pilot. “It could be things such as the gear we are wearing and how it is assembled,”

La "rivolta" dei piloti ....

 

Two F-22 pilots make public outing: “not comfortable” flying the Raptor right now ....

 

Fonte .... .... http://theaviationist.com/2012/05/04/f22-outing/

 

Mi chiedo però se, usando il termine "rivolta" .... sia pure fra virgolette .... io non stia alquanto esagerando ....

L'USAF protesta ....

 

ABC News "either omitted or glossed over" specific information provided it on the F-22 in its May 2, 2012, televised report on the aircraft, said Air Force officials ....

 

Fonte .... .... http://www.airforce-magazine.com/Features/security/Pages/box050712.aspx

Continua la ricerca della "pistola fumante" ....

 

USAF Still Lacks ‘Smoking Gun’ For F-22 Hypoxic Events ....

 

Fonte .... .... http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_05_07_2012_p31-454218.xml

Ultime dall ' AFA ....

 

Two F-22 pilots from the Virginia Air National Guard don't believe the F-22 is currently safe to fly, but the Air Force maintains that it is and it's sparing no effort to resolve an issue with the air that Raptor pilots breathe in flight ....

 

 

http://www.airforce-magazine.com/Features/security/Pages/box050812raptor.aspx

Where no men, has gone before. Volendo riassumere in una frase, i problemi del Raptor potrebbero essere dovuti alle sue eccezionali prestazioni. Volare alto a considerevole forza G, potrebbe essere una combinazione nuova per l'Air Force e l'OBOGS sarebbe spinto oltre i suoi limiti.

Ma è presto per dirlo con certezza.