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Investigation into F-35 fighter jet fire nears completion
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2014/09/16/investigation-into-f-35-fighter-jet-fire-close-to-complete/
Investigation into F-35 fighter jet fire nears completion
By Christian Davenport September 16 at 7:00 AM
Officials investigating the F-35 fire that temporarily caused the fleet of fighter planes to be grounded this summer should determine the “root cause” by the end of the month and should have a fix for the planes by the end of the year, officials said Monday.
Since the fire on June 23, investigators have determined that there was excessive rubbing between a seal that’s part of an engine rotor and a piece of hard plastic designed to absorb the contact. Because the engine expands when it gets hot and shifts during flights — especially during severe maneuvers — some rubbing between the parts is expected.
But speaking to reporters at the annual Air Force Association Conference at National Harbor, Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan said, referring to the amount of rubbing: “Quite frankly it was underestimated. It’s as simple as that.”
The rubbing caused the temperature of the metal to rise to 1,900 degrees, Bogdan said, well above the normal 1,000 degrees. That caused micro-cracking in the engine, which eventually grew.
