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I worked on six aircraft by my mid-20s, if you count internships. I'm 31 now. Rich was more referring to sprawling military programs with legislative delays. Yo

by nether 10y ago

I worked on six aircraft by my mid-20s, if you count internships. I'm 31 now. Rich was more referring to sprawling military programs with legislative delays. You can change programs within a company, or change companies. Also, you're kidding yourself if you think any a/c from the '50s is flying with all original parts. Like any machine, it can run indefinitely as long as you replace components. At my first company out of college, we were updating aircraft put into service in the '60s. We did new engineering to redesign parts, for example replacing an assembly of three primary components with a single CNC machined piece of aluminum. It just was not possible to fabricate the geometry with tools of that era. The new assy was simpler and stronger. Advances and upkeep like these are what keep old machines flying.

drawnwren 10y ago
Not only would it be highly improbable, it would be highly illegal. The FAA mandates inspections and part replacements/engine rebuilds at certain hour intervals. That said, here's a C130 that flew for 52 years: http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/usafs-oldest-c-130-hercules-iron-horse-has-been-sent-1689811797 http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/usafs-oldest-c-130-hercules...
- debergalis 10y ago
  Engine manufacturers typically specify a TBO -- Time Before Overhaul, which is the number of hours in service an engine can run before it needs to be torn down, inspected, and overhauled according to the manufacturer's procedure. For the most part, commercial operators must adhere to these recommended times, but aircraft operated under FAR Part 91 (roughly, those that aren't used for commercial transportation) aren't required to follow the TBO recommendation. You can run it as long as you want. In practice, most operators do follow those guidelines. I've never heard of any engine doing much more than 2x the TBO before requiring major overhaul. And you'll often need various repairs to cylinders and engine accessories along the way. Interestingly, manufacturers also specify calendar time limits on TBO, but private operators commonly ignore these. Lots of airplanes only fly 25 hours or so a year.

by nether 10y ago

drawnwren 10y ago

Not only would it be highly improbable, it would be highly illegal. The FAA mandates inspections and part replacements/engine rebuilds at certain hour intervals. That said, here's a C130 that flew for 52 years: http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/usafs-oldest-c-130-hercules-iron-horse-has-been-sent-1689811797 http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/usafs-oldest-c-130-hercules...

debergalis 10y ago
Engine manufacturers typically specify a TBO -- Time Before Overhaul, which is the number of hours in service an engine can run before it needs to be torn down, inspected, and overhauled according to the manufacturer's procedure. For the most part, commercial operators must adhere to these recommended times, but aircraft operated under FAR Part 91 (roughly, those that aren't used for commercial transportation) aren't required to follow the TBO recommendation. You can run it as long as you want. In practice, most operators do follow those guidelines. I've never heard of any engine doing much more than 2x the TBO before requiring major overhaul. And you'll often need various repairs to cylinders and engine accessories along the way. Interestingly, manufacturers also specify calendar time limits on TBO, but private operators commonly ignore these. Lots of airplanes only fly 25 hours or so a year.