New flaperon ribs are being installed on Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptors at the US Air Force's Edwards AFB, California, flight-test centre. The action follows discovery of a damaged rib during static testing.
Delamination of a composite rib in the left-hand flaperon was discovered late last month, during ultimate-load testing of the F-22 static-test article at Lockheed Martin's Marietta, Georgia, plant. The damage was caused by excessive strain, the company says.
Lockheed Martin will replace the affected component with a titanium rib in the left- and right-hand flaperons. F-22 flight testing has been halted as a precaution until the new ribs are installed. The first aircraft is due to be back in the air on 23 March, followed a few days later by the second aircraft.
The third F-22 arrived at Edwards on 15 March, after a cross-country ferry flight from Marietta, and will be fitted with the new ribs before entering the flight test programme. Lockheed Martin says the rib problem has had no impact on schedule or cost.
• The US General Accounting Office says F-22 development can stay within budget provided that there are no more programme extensions or cost increases.
The Congressional watchdog says the USAF and contractors have found $860 million in savings to offset potential cost increases of $757 million. This will allow development to stay within the increased Congressional cost cap of $20.4 billion.
Source: Flight International
