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Crafting flight: Blades and Gearboxes crew managing components for seven different engines, specific work done by hand

  • Published
  • By Brandice J. Armstrong
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla., --  Nearly 150 personnel man and support the 547th Propulsion Maintenance Squadron's Blades and Gearboxes Flight. Together they oversee and repair seven different engine turbine and compressor blades, vanes and gearboxes.

The blades and vanes are part of an engine's fan. Operating like a vacuum, an aircraft engine fan draws in large amounts of air. The blades, which are traditionally made of titanium, cut the air into two parts, sending it off to other parts of the engine. Gearboxes are an aircraft's transmission.

In an average year, the flight manages up to 450,000 blades and vanes, and 425 gearboxes. Despite advances in technology, officials said it is unlikely personnel will ever rely on machines for actual labor.

"Our engine blades shops provide timely repair of engine blades and vanes in the build-up of engine components for our engine line and warfighters," said Floyd Craft, 547th PMXS RDS director. "The 547th Blades and Gearboxes Flight utilize unique skills in the repair of engine components, which can't be replaced by equipment." Mark Williams, 547th Blades and Gearboxes Flight director, agreed.

"It takes very talented, patient people to do the job," Mr. Williams said. "There are tolerances they have to deal with to do it by hand rather than a piece of equipment." The flight receives a blade, vane or gearbox when damaged. The parts are sent to Bldg. 3221 from Bldg. 3001's front or rotor shop. The rotor shops build an engine's machinery and the front shops assemble those components for the engines.

Once a blade, vane or gearbox is received, the part is subjected to a nondestructive inspection to determine the damage and the best way to fix it. Blades and vanes are received as individual pieces, already dismantled from their respective rotors. They are cleaned, inspected and repaired. After being assorted by where a specific blade or vane goes in the rotor, it is returned to the rotor shop.

Gearboxes are often dismantled and rebuilt. Once rebuilt, they are cleaned, tested internally and returned to the front shop or a supply shop.

"We actually have almost every repair process in this building that the 76th Propulsion Maintenance Group does over in Bldg. 3001," Mr. Williams said. "We are a miniature 3001."

Mr. Williams said skills performed using manpower include the NDI process and hand-grinding the blades and vanes with a bench grinder, which smoothes rough edges. Because the jobs require a certain amount of precision, he doesn't foresee the manpower being replaced by machines.

Blades, vanes and gearboxes are typically in the flight between four and 14 days, depending on the part and the severity of damage.

While the flight doesn't have a motto of its own, Mr. Williams reiterated its importance. "[It's about] repair cost versus new parts," Mr. Williams said. "We're doing it cheaper and faster and better than anyone out there. And if were easy, anybody could do it, that's why they ask us to do it."

Components from engines overseen by the flight include TF33, F100, F110-100, F110-129, F101, F118 and F108. Added in December, the F108 gearbox initially offered a challenge as the technical data was written in French. These engines support the B-52 Stratofortress, F-15 Eagle, F-15E Striking Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit and KC-135 Stratotanker.