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US DCMA Reveals F-35 Stealth Combat Aircraft Could Have the Wrong Bolts in Critical Areas
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2020-02-14
Loaded with the latest technology, F-35 is considered the most unrivaled combat airplane in the world for its aerospace electronic technology and stealth design. Lockheed Martin Corporation, the maker behind F-35, estimates this airplane will be in service for 50 years and become the best sold stealth combat airplane in the world.
No one would have thought something would go wrong with this high-tech airplane. Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) exposed in an email to Air Force Magazine that all F-35s could have the wrong bolts in critical areas. DCMA says F-35s could have mistakenly used titanium alloy fasteners on positions that call for Inconel fasteners. The former cost USD 20 per piece and the latter is only USD 5 per piece. This leads to a significant impact on the three models of F-35. F-35A has a total of 48,919 fasteners installed, and 1.7% of them are Inconel fasteners (848 pieces). F-35B has 50,603 fasteners, and 1.7% of them are Inconel fasteners (877 pieces). With wings that are 30% larger than the other models, F-35C is heavier and has to take a higher load impact. It has 51,353 fasteners, and 3.5% of them are Inconel fasteners (1,813 pieces).
The fasteners on F-35s, called "Eddie-Bolt 2 Fastening System", are manufactured by Arconic. The mistaken bolts look almost the same in size and appearance as Inconel bolts. The only distinction is the different head marks making it difficult to tell which is which.
Titanium alloy bolts have a shear strength of 95KSI, and Inconel bolts have 108KSI or 125KSI. Although the airplanes' design keeps enough strength capacity, it overlooks the characteristic of Inconel: corrosion resistance. The 400 units of F-35 delivered recently could have a shortened service life due to wrong use of materials, because the compatibility of titanium alloy in use with the airplane's body materials is different from the use of Inconel. Using the wrong one could very well cause corrosion to appear between the materials.
No one would have thought something would go wrong with this high-tech airplane. Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) exposed in an email to Air Force Magazine that all F-35s could have the wrong bolts in critical areas. DCMA says F-35s could have mistakenly used titanium alloy fasteners on positions that call for Inconel fasteners. The former cost USD 20 per piece and the latter is only USD 5 per piece. This leads to a significant impact on the three models of F-35. F-35A has a total of 48,919 fasteners installed, and 1.7% of them are Inconel fasteners (848 pieces). F-35B has 50,603 fasteners, and 1.7% of them are Inconel fasteners (877 pieces). With wings that are 30% larger than the other models, F-35C is heavier and has to take a higher load impact. It has 51,353 fasteners, and 3.5% of them are Inconel fasteners (1,813 pieces).
The fasteners on F-35s, called "Eddie-Bolt 2 Fastening System", are manufactured by Arconic. The mistaken bolts look almost the same in size and appearance as Inconel bolts. The only distinction is the different head marks making it difficult to tell which is which.
Titanium alloy bolts have a shear strength of 95KSI, and Inconel bolts have 108KSI or 125KSI. Although the airplanes' design keeps enough strength capacity, it overlooks the characteristic of Inconel: corrosion resistance. The 400 units of F-35 delivered recently could have a shortened service life due to wrong use of materials, because the compatibility of titanium alloy in use with the airplane's body materials is different from the use of Inconel. Using the wrong one could very well cause corrosion to appear between the materials.
US DCMA
F-35 Stealth Combat Aircraft
wrong bolt installation
corrosion
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