The aileron actuator lever on a T-38 Talon aircraft weighs only a few ounces, but it is critical to safely flying the twin-engined jet.

That importance was tragically underscored in April when a T-38 crashed on takeoff from Columbus Air Force Base, Miss., killing instructor pilot Maj. Blair Faulkner and his student 2nd Lt. Matthew Emmons.

 The Air Force accident investigation board concluded - in a report released Aug. 7 - that the lever controlling the right wing aileron likely broke as the aircrew performed final flight checks. Once airborne, the pilot could not control an uncommanded roll to the left.

Reaction to that fatal crash has quickly involved fast-turnaround manufacturing teams at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center and the two other Air Force depots in Utah and Oklahoma. Air Education and Training Command, the primary user of the Northrop-produced aircraft, has decided to replace levers - one on each side of the wing - on about 500 aircraft by November.

Robins' job is to manufacture 500 levers - 250 right, 250 left - as soon as possible to prevent grounding of the trainer fleet. Few private industry options existed for an aircraft that first flew in 1959. And negotiations with private sources and production ramp-up time likely would have extended well past AETC's November deadline.

But that's why the Air Force has depots, stressed Tommie Hunnicut, deputy director of the 573rd Commodities Maintenance Squadron at Robins, the manufacturing heart of the local center.

"We're here for rapid demand requirements when there is not enough time to tool up private industry," Hunnicut said. "In this case, private industry could not meet the demand and the urgency. (The Air Force) always goes organic when they have an urgent, compelling need."

To this point, the 573rd has manufactured a right-side first article for testing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Those tests revealed two minor discrepancies. A left-side first article will be completed by Sept. 11 or 12.

"We sent them our corrective action on the right-side first article but the engineers there have not given us the final word as yet," reported Danny Ware, a 573rd work planner. "If he agrees, we'll include those corrective actions on the opposite side and there should be no issues whatsoever."

Making the aileron lever is no simple task. It has intricate angles, curves and spline holes that must meet tolerances as tight as a thousandth of an inch.

Original levers were made from aluminum forgings, but the forgings are no longer available. "So the engineers gave us permission to manufacture levers out of a certain type of plate stock aluminum," Ware said. "We use aluminum here but a different type, so our vendors had to scramble to get it for us."

Preparing the squadron's five-axis, computer numerically controlled cutting machines also was not easy.

"We received a programming model," said Mike Estes, lead CNC programmer, "then David Devore went into the blueprints and made refinements both to the model and the specifications. He also wrote the final program to manufacture the item."

The CNC machine takes about 90 minutes to "hog out" or fabricate the lever from an aluminum ingot. Then a Lancer four-axis machine applies the finishing touches and engraves a timing mark, part number, manufacturing identification and Julian date.

Once cleared for production, the Robins squadron will produce about 40 levers per week - 20 left and 20 right.

Stephanie Hardin, 573rd director, and Hunnicut said the project has a long list of heroes: Ware, Estes, Devore along with Barney Chandler, CNC programming supervisor; Brian Smith, CNC shop supervisor; Todd Griffin, programmer; and Gaylord Reule and George Cheek, machinists.

Ware also praised the center's backshops - particularly plating and shot peening - for playing a huge role. "They came through with flying colors," he said. Hunnicut said Devore was particularly instrumental. "He told us he would work on his wedding anniversary, but we told him he had been with his wife longer than he had been with us," the deputy director said with a chuckle. "Our guys just live for an opportunity like this."

http://www.macon.com/197/story/457359.html