F-15 Airframe Teardown Research and Data Management

S&K Engineering and Research personnel worked to support fleet structural risk assessment and fleet management decisions through the teardown and analysis of decommissioned F-15C/D aircraft. Under this contract, S&K Engineering and Research personnel provided program management, technical, and engineering support to collect data for the Aircraft Structural Integrity Program (ASIP). By examining the structural health of sample aircraft and verifying existing analysis predictions, current inspection intervals can be validated and modified as necessary.

S&K Engineering and Research personnel executed all aspects of the teardowns including planning, transportation of aircraft, disassembly, subcontractor management, inspection, and documentation of findings. S&K Engineering and Research technicians, engineers, and metallurgists followed detailed protocols to perform complete forensic aircraft analysis including the microscopic evaluation of excised specimens to detect minute flaws that may eventually grow into structurally significant damage.

The teardown data allowed the System Program Office (SPO) to ensure continued technical and economic feasibility of the F-15 mission and anticipate structural issues that may affect continued airworthiness and safety. Inspection findings were used for further damage tolerance analysis and structural integrity to reassess the airframe’s service life, ascertain the viability of future investment and upgrades, and support management decisions regarding the USAF F-15 fleet and F-15 fleets operated by Israel, Japan, Korea, and Saudi Arabia.