4/6/2010 5:00:05 AM #

The Bonded Repair feature might not have been used so far, but with the 787 nearing to enter the service, it should be expected to be used in the near future. From this end, I'd suggest to keep it.

Eui I. Lim

4/6/2010 6:12:36 AM #

I have been out of the military loop since Katrina dried up funding and have been spending time on FAA projects. Unfortunately, the FAA has not to date approved a general cold bond process. In addition, most of the repair facilities I have been working with do not have the capability for hot vacuum bonding composites to metallic. It therefore is difficult for me to fashion a repair doubler out of composite and glue it on an aircraft and get it approved. As a consequence, I personally do not have a need for this capability.

Tom Deiters

4/6/2010 6:44:42 AM #

I think that the lack of use is the result of not having AFGROW as an Air Force network-approved piece of software. F-15 jets still make use of boron composites and could benefit greatly from the continued support of the bonded repair analysis capability. Now that the software is approved, we plan on using this feature.

Lucas Garza

4/6/2010 1:47:41 PM #

Delta did successfully certify a bonded door surround repair maybe a decade ago, but never really caught on. A peel 'n stick doubler seems to have such an appeal that I am surprised it didn't go further. You could certainly delete from AFGROW, but hang on to the code, what goes around comes around.

Tom Knott