We use blinds all the time in the inlets. Always NAS1921 or MS90353 types here.
I always thought it was a bit weird how a corporate mentality about certain fasteners develops. When in the Air Force working on B-52G's, we used CherryMax and CherryLock in the inlets all the time. Here at the...
wktaylor, Thanks for the tip, I just signed up.
Because of the design, when we replace rivets in the Tomcat's wing, we almost never get the FOD out. This is a wet wing design, but the fuel pickups have screens to catch this stuff. We just let it rattle around until it gets to a screen, then...
Just for background, I am the lead structures engineer for the F-14 Tomcat at the Naval Air Depot (NADEP) in Jacksonville Florida. Almost all of our emphasis is on repair versus manufacture.
There are several reasons for using solids over blinds, besides the strength and durability issues...
