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Little Engine Shop That Does

  • Published
  • By Kimberly Woodruff
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Tucked away in Bldg. 214 is another of Tinker's best kept secrets -- the Cruise Missile Shop. There, a small group of talented 550th Commodities Maintenance Squadron personnel work on the F107 engine that drives cruise missiles, the F-22 Vapor Cycle System and the Ethyl Glycol and Water pumps for the B-2 bomber.
The F107 engine is built, overhauled, maintained and tested in this one-of-a-kind shop, which directly supports the Air Force's nuclear deterrence mission.
"We're the only facility in the Air Force. The last of its kind," said Mike Harris, the work leader in the Cruise Missile Shop, who has worked in the shop since 1984 and is considered the subject matter expert here.
With just eight mechanics -- five for cruise missile, two for VCS and B-2 and one non-destructive inspector -- working in the Cruise Missile Shop, they prove they are the "Little Engine Shop That Does."
"This is a very specialized office, with unique functions, the biggest of which is working on an engine that has a one-time use," said Thomas Spicuzza, Cruise Missile and Oxygen Shop section chief. "It has to perform. There is no room for mistakes."
There are two types of overhaul for the F107 engine: a limited overhaul that is performed every six years and the full overhaul, done every 12 years. The F107 is no longer manufactured, so overhauls are the only way to keep them flying. A limited overhaul runs about $20,000, while the full overhaul is $80,000. New, the engines would cost approximately $185,000.
When an engine comes in, it gets disarmed, drained of fluids and goes through the non-destructive inspection line to check all the metal parts for cracks, according to Mr. Spicuzza.
Mr. Harris -- who is also the Special Skill Qualifications, safety munitions expert, explosives expert and trainer -- said after the NDI line, the seals and bearings are replaced, put back together and the engine is run through a test cell.
"With the few men we have left to do it, this fleet is well maintained," he said. "The technology is from the 1960s, originally designed for a hovercraft. We do well, even with old technology."
The engine puts out 63,000 rpm and 600 pounds of thrust.
"In the test cell, the engine is trimmed to efficiency because the higher the thrust, the more fuel is burned, so we have trimmed it to 100-103 percent," Mr. Harris said.
In addition to the F107 engine, the Cruise Missile Shop also runs the Vapor Cycle System, breathing air for the F-22 Raptor. VCS is the motor that regulates the flow of air. It also cools all of the electronics on board the F-22.
"Every F-22 that flies is supported by our shop," said John Shrabel, pneudraulic mechanic.
According to Kimberly Stramski, first line supervisor in the Cruise Missile Shop, there are only two men on base with the refrigerant license qualifying them to work on the VCS: Mr. Shrabel and Harley Stanfield.
"The refrigerant is much like what is used in refrigerators and new cars," said Mr. Stanfield, who pointed out that the shop strictly follows Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Environmental Protection Agency standards for handling, storage and disposal. The fine for intentionally releasing refrigerant is $37,000.
According to Mr. Shrabel, the F-22 onboard electronics won't work properly if they become overheated, and that wouldn't be good for the aircraft or for the pilot.
"PAO [Polyalphaolefin] liquid is chilled and looped throughout the aircraft to reduce heat," said Mr. Shrabel. "PAO is durable and resistant to high temperatures."
Mr. Shrabel said that to test the VCS system, they can simulate the aircraft here in a test cell to see how it functions. Along with the VCS, and the Vapor Cycle Controller, the system can cool the onboard electronics to a comfortable 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
"Tinker is unique in that we have the ability to run both sides, the VCS and VCC simultaneously," Mr. Harris. There are only two other facilities in the world that can run the VCS tests together, one is in Torrence, Calif., and the other is in Canada.
Looking to the future with the
MQ-9 TPE 331 engine for the Predator coming on board for testing and overhaul, Mr. Spicuzza said his shop can "do everything here."
"The way we do business, we secure future workloads," he said. "We don't turn down work."