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An F135 engine maintenance and borescope trainer and a first-stage blade blend trainer have arrived at RAAF Base Williamtown earlier this year to assist in F-35A maintenance training.
Technicians can practice true-to-life engine maintenance including module splits, borescope inspections of the turbine and diagnose induced faults with pre-damaged components on the new equipment at the base’s Integrated Training Centre.
Technicians are able to train in repair techniques for F-35 parts, such as damaged fan blades. An F135 engine specialist course, borescope course and first-stage blade blend course have been developed for the new equipment.
Corporal Daniel Jackson, an ITC instructor and aviation technician (ATECH) with seven years of F-35A experience, said the equipment is almost identical to the real thing.
“If you didn’t know what you were looking at, you’d think it was a real engine. A lot of the materials are genuine,” Corporal Jackson said.
“The internals are mock but they are so realistic, down to the point where they have airbrushed wear pattern details to match a reference image of a real engine. It’s pretty incredible.
“We blend the blades with files back into a conformed aerofoil design. It’s titanium so it takes a bit to get the material off and if you go out of limits you’ll make it unserviceable.
“That’s why it’s such an important piece to train, because we want people to be confident and comfortable actually doing it in a real job.”
The new purpose-built training aids arrived at the base in April this year.
Officer in Command of the Integrated Training Centre Squadron Leader Damian Richardson said having the equipment in Australia would result in better and more timely training.
“We build up experience in the ITC and the ATECHs take that back out to the squadrons, so when the operational squadrons need to do engine changes or module splits on deployment, it’s not the first time doing that task,” SQNLDR Richardson said.
“It’s not too often in a command role that you get to see new capability delivered on time and without any issues.”
This is the last significant maintenance training device delivery from the AIR 6000 PH2A/B project, responsible for the acquisition of the F-35A.
