Keeping Reagan-era F-15s in the Air Via CNC Mills and 3D Printing
It’s hard to believe, but the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a Vietnam-era aircraft that first flew over 51 years ago on 27 July 1972, although the first Eagle bound for a combat squadron wasn’t delivered until January 1976.
U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagles assigned to the 44th and 67th Fighter Squadrons await clearance for their last take-off from Kadena Air Base, Japan, on Dec. 1, 2022. As a part of its modernization plan, the 18th Wing is retiring its aging fleet of F-15C/D Eagles that have been in service for more than four decades. (U.S. Air Force photo 221201-F-PW483-0008 by Senior Airman Jessi Roth)
click to big up. You have to admit, the F-15C was, with the possible exception of the F-14, one of the sexiest air superiority fighters of the past 40 years.
However, with the last USAF F-15C/Ds leaving the assembly line in 1985, those classic air superiority fighters are now all pushing 40 years on their airframe with many being even older and the Air Force is moving full speed ahead with retiring the type on active duty.
Keeping those legacy birds flying until the new F-15EXs arrive starting in 2025 requires out-of-the-box solutions.
Tech. Sgt. Nate Brown, a 142nd Maintenance Squadron metals technology craftsman, observes a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) mill as it carves a piece of solid aluminum into a stringer, an essential aircraft part, Nov. 4, 2023, Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon. U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Sean Campbell
Via Air & Space Forces:
The average age for America’s fleet of F-15C Eagles is about 38 years old, and many of the aircraft’s spare parts are no longer produced or can take days to order from a manufacturer. Luckily, the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing has a metals technology shop at Portland Air National Guard Base where Airmen fabricate parts in-house to keep the wing’s elder Eagles flying.