THE US AIR FORCE HAS suspended training flights of the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bomber after discovering a cracked engine clamp during an inspection.
The grounding began on 10 May, but it was not announced until the USAF began receiving enquiries. The ten B-2s operated by the 509th Bomber Wing at Whiteman AFB, Missouri are being inspected and flying is expected to resume shortly. The USAF plans to field 20 B-2s.
The USAF says that the crack, in a clamp which connects the exhaust duct to the General Electric F118-100 turbofan, was not a safety hazard, but the service admits that it could have caused internal damage to the bomber.
The clamp has also failed on test aircraft and on one other production stealth bomber.
The USAF believes that incorrect installation of the GE-produced clamp caused stress cracks, but the long-term solution will be the retrofit of stronger clamps. It is understood that the existing clamp fails because of higher-than-expected loads. The B-2 is powered by four F-118s
Source: Flight International
