Photo By Staff Sgt. Christopher Sparks | An Airman assigned to the 48th Equipment Maintenance Squadron’s Nondestructive...... read more read more
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Attention to detail is vital to the success of the 48th Fighter Wing’s mission.
At the 48th Equipment Maintenance Squadron, one shop specializes in the smallest of details. It’s these details that ensure the Liberty Wing continues to provide worldwide responsive combat airpower and support.
The Nondestructive Inspection flight uses various scientific methods and diagnostic equipment to inspect the Liberty Wing’s F-15s for internal and external defects to include X-Rays, electrical currents and heavy chemicals.
“From the engines to the support equipment, we’re a preventative measure for our flying missions,” said Master Sgt. Kimberly S. Williams, 48th EMS NDI section chief.
In addition to servicing the Liberty Wing’s fleet of F-15s, the shop also inspects supporting equipment for various agencies across the 48th EMS and the wing.
One of their main tools they use for inspection is the eddy current. These machines allow them to inspect various aircraft parts by using an electric current. The electrical current sends readings to the monitor to identify any disruptions, which shows evidence of a cracks in any item they are inspecting.
The most frequent inspection the NDI shop conducts is the testing of oil samples. These samples are taken directly from the F-15 and analyzed after every flight.
“Oil is crucial,” Williams said. “We analyze samples every day including the oil carts used to top up the aircraft, as well as the barrels the oils are housed in.”
In any given year, the shop analyzes anywhere between 9,000 to 11,000 oil samples used to track and prevent catastrophic aircraft failures.
Oil sampling isn’t all the NDI flight does for the Liberty Wing, they also make sure the structural integrity of the aircraft remains intact. One of those methods is the use of X-Ray technology.
“We use radiography to be able to check the internal components of the jet,” Staff Sgt. Jeri Brown, 48th EMS NDI inspector. “With the X-rays we can ensure there aren’t any foreign objects or cracks in the aircraft.”
For smaller requirements that require close inspection and finer detail, they use chemicals called magnetic particle or penetrant. For magnetic particle the NDI inspectors use magnets to draw the fluorescent chemical toward the crack and the penetrant seeps into the crack while the excess chemical is wiped away. Each part in brought under a black light to reveal any potential cracks.
The NDI shop also conducts more than 9,000 inspections a year on their own equipment to make sure all tools and methods are performing efficiently and accurately.
“We can’t do any of these inspections without verifying the serviceability of our equipment,” Williams said.
The NDI shop’s constant effort in attention to detail and frequent inspections help the 48th Fighter Wing continue to be the United States Air Force Europe Air Forces Africa’s premier combat wing, ensuring its readiness and capability to dominate any adversary.
| Date Taken: | 11.18.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 11.18.2019 10:48 |
| Story ID: | 352132 |
| Location: | BRANDON, SUFFOLK, GB |
| Web Views: | 58 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NDI: It’s all in the details, by SSgt Christopher Sparks, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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