- 23 -
In late October 1983, just 6 months after GENDYN began delivering
aircraft under the multiyear contract (2034), cracks began
appearing in a critical structural element of the airframe known
as the 446 bulkhead (so designated because it is located 446
inches from the nose of the aircraft). The 446 bulkhead is a
large aluminum ring that encircles the aircraft's engine and
supports the engine's weight, thrust, and torque. The 446
bulkhead also bears some of the loads created by the tail wing
and the fuel tanks, and the cracks could expand with catastrophic
consequences.
When the cracks appeared, the Air Force began to inspect the
aircraft following every 25 hours of flight time to ensure the
cracks had not reached a critical length. The Air Force issued a
notice of deficiency to GENDYN and began withholding progress
payments. After extensive engineering analysis, GENDYN developed
a new design for the 446 bulkhead which GENDYN believed would
prevent the cracking. Developing this solution took more than 1
year, much longer than GENDYN expected.
Minor problems in performance were common, and most aircraft
delivered to the Air Force under Contract 2034 were accepted with
deviations from and waivers of various aspects of the aircraft's
specification. Depending upon the nature and seriousness of the
deviation, the Air Force might accept or refuse a nonconforming
aircraft. In some cases, the Air Force would accept the aircraft
but withhold some portion of the consideration due GENDYN until
Page: Previous 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 NextLast modified: May 25, 2011