Airmen are using Velcro to fix the emergency doors on the Air Force’s problem-prone new tanker
Boeing's got some more 'splainin to do
BY DAVID ROZA | PUBLISHED APR 4, 2022 9:23 AM
If you ever feel like your life’s a mess, remember that it could be worse: you could be an air-to-air refueling tanker that’s already five years late, billions of dollars over budget, and still racking up problems that will take years to fix.
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If that sounds like you, you’re probably the KC-46 Pegasus, a beleaguered tanker the Air Force is counting on to replace its aging KC-135 and KC-10 tankers.
The KC-46 is riddled with issues: like the fact that the remote vision system crew members use to steer the plane’s refueling boom doesn’t work in changing lighting conditions, or the fact that its lavatory leaks shit when in a steep climb or dive. And now the latest trouble: the tanker’s over-wing emergency exit doors can’t open without crews installing a makeshift modification.
Those doors have a trim that prevents the door from opening inward, which can make it hard to get out of the plane during an emergency, explained Maj. Hope Cronin, a spokesperson for Air Mobility Command. The problem was identified in March, and Air Force engineers worked quickly with Boeing to develop a temporary fix: stick some Velcro on it.
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/air-force-kc-46-pegasus-velcro/
