That statement is not true. I've been working in structural composites for A/C for over 40 years a we've repaired damage similar to this multiple times using a bonded scarf - no fasteners.

(Written on 03/03/2023)(Permalink)

Wrong

(Written on 03/03/2023)(Permalink)

Structural composites are repaired using what we call a "scarf" repair. Basically, we remove the damaged area by creating a tapered scarf in the composite structure. Afterwards the scarfed area is filled in with a composite patch that is either secondarily bonded or co-cured to the remaining structure. The repair is then inspected using ultrasonics to make sure there's no voids or remaining delaminations. This repair will also have to include some lightning strike material on the outer ply of the repair patch which is tied into the the existing copper mesh on the fuselage - to create the required electrical bond for potential future lightning strikes.

(Written on 02/25/2023)(Permalink)

That's gonna be an expensive repair.

(Written on 02/25/2023)(Permalink)

Why am I not surprised the Union doesn't want to play ball?

(Written on 02/17/2023)(Permalink)

Thank you sir. DM News has had a paywall for years so I knew that clicking the original link would be futile.

(Written on 02/17/2023)(Permalink)

Unions doing what they do.

(Written on 01/27/2023)(Permalink)

The V22 is one program that was cancel-proof. I remember in the early days when it seemed like fatal crashes were kinda common. I kept expecting it to get cancelled but it never did.

(Written on 08/20/2022)(Permalink)

Corrosion of the composite structure is a non-issue as composites don't really corrode. However, corrosion of the copper mesh, used for lightning strike protection - essentially electrical grounding - is another issue. In the end I think it's just a cosmetic issue but I believe Airbus should be held accountable. Customers typically don't like it when their brand new airplane's paint job starts looking like crap after a couple of months. Hopefully they'll figure it out and get things settled. To me... it sounds like it's a production/quality issue for the final finishes folks at Airbus.

(Written on 08/07/2022)(Permalink)

Finally!

(Written on 04/22/2022)(Permalink)