The Air Force Is Stripping a B-1 Bomber Down to Its Bolts to Make a Digital Twin
•October 13, 2020
One B-1B Lancer bomber is having a lengthy breakdown -- but for good reason.
In partnership with Wichita State University's National Institute of Aviation Research, or NIAR, airmen with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center have been stripping the supersonic heavy payload bomber down to its nuts and bolts and then scanning each part into a computer to make a perfect virtual copy of the aircraft, the Air Force said in a recent release.
The effort to make a B-1 digital twin -- which began in April and will take six years to complete -- will help maintainers understand which parts disintegrate fastest given the aircraft's operational wear and tear and how they can be improved."Through the scanning process, we will discover all the places that saw structural failure or damage. It will create a living medical record for the B-1," Lt. Col. Joseph Lay, B-1 Engineering Branch material leader, said in a release.
https://news.yahoo.com/air-force-stripping-b-1-141123274.html