The service life of military aircraft is being extended beyond original design intents. When the C-130 is eventually retired, it will have been in service for 79 years, well beyond its planned life expectancy of 40 years. Similarly, the KC-135s are presently expected to remain operational for 86 years, and the B-52 for 94 years. Not only are inventories of parts in short supply, but it is necessary to acquire parts no one expected to replace. The first step in any resupply activity is the creation of a data package. If nor computer-aided design (CAD) model exists, the demands of modern electronic commerce dictate than one be created. Creating a CAD model of an existing part is referred to as 'reverse engineering.' Computed tomography (CT) offers an ideal way to obtain metrology data critical to reveres engineering activities. Industrial CT systems have progressed to the point where they can nondestructively measure part dimensions at an accuracy competitive with coordinate measuring machines and a speed competitive with laser scanners. However, of the existing methods, only CT can nondestructively dimension interior surfaces, and only CT has the ability to densitometrically quantify the internal state of materials. The use of CT to help create CAD models for resupply efforts will be described and examples presented. Additionally, examples will be presented how the CT-created CAD models were then sued to fabricate replacement parts for aging systems.


    Access

    Check access

    Check availability in my library

    Order at Subito €


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    CT-assisted reverse engineering for aging aircraft resupply


    Contributors:

    Conference:

    Nondestructive Evaluation of Aging Aircraft, Airports, and Aerospace Hardware II ; 1998 ; San Antonio,TX,USA


    Published in:

    Publication date :

    1998-03-31





    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English



    CT-assisted reverse engineering for aging aircraft resupply [3397-32]

    Yancey, R. N. / SPIE | British Library Conference Proceedings | 1998


    Systems and methods for aerial aircraft resupply

    NISSEN JEFFREY PAUL / SCHANK TROY CYRIL / ROSS BRENT CHADWICK et al. | European Patent Office | 2023

    Free access

    MODULAR AUTONOMOUS AIRCRAFT CONTROL AND RESUPPLY STATION

    LE LANN OLIVIER | European Patent Office | 2021

    Free access

    SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AERIAL AIRCRAFT RESUPPLY

    NISSEN JEFFREY PAUL / SCHANK TROY CYRIL / ROSS BRENT CHADWICK et al. | European Patent Office | 2021

    Free access

    Space Station fluid resupply

    Winters, AL | NTRS | 1990