B1-B - What I did for 8 years.

[ReconRat]

Photos of B-1B innards are hard to come by, but here's a pic of an air base flight mechanic working on engine nacelle bay 3. One of the main fluid lines right there was notorious for vibration and cracking.

Strange, because bay 1 and 3 were nearly identical, and bay 2 and 4 were basically mirror images for layout.

Those fluid lines he has his hands on are main pressure supply and return for pump 5 of 8 attached to generator/APU/pump assemblies. With a trans axle attached to the engine.

I was an engineering liaison on the mock up, development and installation of nacelle systems for all 100 aircraft built. I still see this stuff in dreams...

Isochronal inspections keep B1-B hydraulic lines functioning well

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/rapidcityjournal.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/99/c99fb5f6-58bd-11e1-95ad-0019bb2963f4/4f3d32ede1516.preview-300.jpg

edit: Next week maybe some stories about the Super Conducting Super Collider.

edit: And yeah,it's actually a B-1B, not B1-B. I'm always messing that up.

Edited December 25, 2012 by ReconRat

[vf1000ride]

I've never worked on the military stuff. Got tons of time on commuter airliners and smaller. Looks all the same to me, an engine/pump/apu/whatever surrounded by a ton of lines so you can barely see it let alone work on it. :-)

[Kent2406]

Ah yes, the B1 Bomber! I was stationed at Grand Forks A.F.B. from 90-93. Saw my share of these taking off and landing. Nothing like seeing the after-burners from one of these at night! I was actually part of the history making event at G.F.A.F.B. of removing all B1s from nuclear standby. I was an AMMO troop, and actually had the opportunity to touch every type of nuclear warhead, the military had of the time.

On a side note, my cousin Brian Wallace, who grew up in the tiny little town of Deersville, OH, flew one of 3 flights from the Time-To-Climb record breaking events held April 29, 30 and May 1, 2010. http://www.dyess.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123203104

Edited December 25, 2012 by Kent2406

[Tigerpaw]

I got to Grand Forks AFB in '98. The B-1Bs were all gone by then. We used their old hangars for the KC-135R. I started in the 3-bay and ended up on the alert pad. Some of my coworkers had experinece on the B-1Bs and said they preferred the tankers:p I am always amazed how big they are...because in most pictures they aren't near anything for a size reference. Definitely a cool aircraft.

[Tigerpaw]

http://www.af.mil/photos/mediagallery.asp?galleryID=13

27 pages of high-res Lancer pics

[max power]

You've lived an interesting life, Tom.

[Gixxus Christ!]

I used to make the titanium torque tubes (brake component) for these. My company is working on a steel-to-carbon retrofit program for this aircraft so they must plan on using them for a while.