This was probably my biggest challenge to edit so far, with so much video from one camera angle as we worked on this relay. I know a lot of you are wanting to see this relay fixed and the jet returned to flying status, so do we, and we thank you all for the support and encouragement!

@theprofessorfate6184

4 ай бұрын

REally appreciate the videos. I have a question I've been meaning to ask; why don't you guys build or have built a generator that runs off of hanger power that can produce the necessary 400hz required instead of having to start an APU every time you want to test something?

@DieselThunderAviation

4 ай бұрын

@@theprofessorfate6184 Our pleasure with the videos, and excellent question! There are power converters available that can convert 60 Hz AC utility power into the 120/208 Volt 400 Hz power that aircraft require. Those usually require 3 phase utility service, and we only have single phase service in the hangar. We would have to buy a power converter and also pay to have three phase service installed at the hangar, both of which are expensive. An alternative is an electric motor-generator set which would do the same thing. We might have one in the back of one of the hangars, condition unknown. Thankfully the NC8 and dash 60 are reliable for us, and the NC8 is better on fuel consumption.

@trespire

4 ай бұрын

@@theprofessorfate6184 Such devices do exist, not only for aviation (400hz), but also in industry. Some US/Japanese industrial machines have to have 60Hz, for example in Europe. So they are often soled together with an electrical converter that converts the phase frequency. Depending of the power rating, such converters can be expensive, esepecially MIL-T grade.

@theprofessorfate6184

4 ай бұрын

@@DieselThunderAviation I wouldn't have guessed that you only had single phase in a hanger of that size. Thanks for responding.

@theprofessorfate6184

4 ай бұрын

@@trespire Hi. I'm familiar with those, but I figured an airport of this size would have had 3phase power to the hangers. Apparently not. Thanks for responding.

I feel your pain. Having spent many hours in door 19 in the mojave desert sun and the monsoons of sea. I have always wondered if the designers had made a best place install list and a worst place install list and then got the lists mixed up. I would fill the bottom with rags to catch dropped parts. I would tie lacing twine onto my tools so if dropped i had them on a leash. Keep up the great work

It really drives home the problems the guys had on the pitching carrier hangar decks and on the steamy jungle hangar tarmac doing this type of maintenance, with a captain or colonel screaming at them to get it done NOW! And they did this every day for their entire tour.

@DieselThunderAviation

4 ай бұрын

You know, that very thought came to mind as I was working on this, and that we have the luxury of being able to stop for lunch and come back to it on our time.

I swear, there were days working on the Skyhawks when I'd look at the skin and just wonder how hard it would be to remove it. Couldn't be much harder than getting to a part the proper way. 🙂 Fortunately, the Skyhawk didn't have too many of those cases. Best wishes to you and the gang for maintaining your sanity and not skinning the knuckles too much!

I spent a few years on RAF Phantoms, they are built for war fighting, ease of maintenance is way down the design list!!

@trespire

4 ай бұрын

Do you still carry the scars when the engine access doors let go and chew you up ?😬 I was a Kurnass structural technician, still miss working on them.

@baileyparadis1815

4 ай бұрын

I work on modern fighters, and watching these videos definitely make me appreciate how much hard work went into maintaining these older birds

@millycarrington

4 ай бұрын

@@baileyparadis1815 Spent many hours on nightshift hanging upside down in the rear cockpit wire-locking the radios / mounting trays under the lefthand console. In those days wire-locking often had to be done one-handed, in the dark, or by using a mirror (or all three!!)

@trespire

4 ай бұрын

@@millycarrington Sounds familiar. I've often spent 2 to 3 hours sitting on a stool inder the wing tanks, checking / replacing the Torqset screws in the under wing skin to the correct leagths in the TO drawings, then refreshing the blue sealant till it's a clean blue. Often in the late hours sitting exposed in the open QRA HAS to the cold wind. Phantoms have leaky wings when flown hard.

Ohhh FUN stuff. Wheeeeee??? 🙂 Stick with it and, as always, thanks for sharing.

Humbling when you think about those of us who did this on a daily/nightly basis, the plane is on the schedule the next day. When I think about it after watching you, I wonder what and how kind of sorcery we did to get the job done?

@DieselThunderAviation

4 ай бұрын

Sure is! I feel lucky to be able to work on this jet. As frustrating as it seems sometimes, I know others had to do this either in the blazing sun, freezing cold, maybe even in combat conditions to keep them running. I bet you guys could really work some magic!

Have you thought of putting longer wires on the replacement relay and hooking them up to the jet before you tried to take the old relay out? It probably would save some time making sure it works before fighting with the current one.

@DieselThunderAviation

4 ай бұрын

Thought about it yes, and there isn't a lot of slack on the forward three terminals. Especially with the old one still in place. Not to mention the added complication of keep everything insulated from each other.

Can you not get to the bolt with either an open end or box end wrench rather than a ratchet and socket? Yes it would be slower and a bit of a pain, but easier than moving that wire bundle.

@trespire

4 ай бұрын

The bigest concern is dropping hardware into the inaccessable bowels of the plane. FOD is serious and should always be front and formost. Better to take the time to prepare good access and vissability. " Do it right, do it once. "

@earlchapman8729

4 ай бұрын

With 36 years of working on jets and warbirds, I’m very familiar with the risks of FOD and the frustration of retrieving dropped hardware……. Believe me!!

Was just wondering if anybody has figured out which relay is the older one, the white one in the jet, or the back one you’re replacing it with. The “white” one (which looks kind of discolored due either to age or repeated heating/cooling cycles) or the back one

@DieselThunderAviation

4 ай бұрын

Unknown with that as to which is the older part. Please don't let the white part fool you. That is a separate piece that is installed on top of the relay and helps insulate the terminals from each other since that is made of plastic.

@simtaylor61

4 ай бұрын

@@DieselThunderAviation ahhhh. Thought it was part of the relay itself. The two relays on your wiring diagram look like the two relays you have

Will this plane ever fly? Is that the expected outcome? If so, when?

@DieselThunderAviation

4 ай бұрын

Yes, that should be the outcome of all of this work! Last time she flew was in 2019

@letsridehard

4 ай бұрын

@@DieselThunderAviation awesome! Look forward to seeing this bird fly.

@DieselThunderAviation

4 ай бұрын

Us too!