Produced by Republic Aviation Corporation and in co-operation with Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, “Foreign Object Damage” is a short film presented by the Aeronautical System Division, Air Force Command; Tactical Air Command; and Mobile Air Material Area, Air Force Logistics Command. The film discusses the issues with foreign object damage (FOD) to aircraft and what the US Air Force is doing to combat the problem. The short film begins with a shot of three F-105 Thunderchiefs flying through the sky (00:32), a jet landing (00:48), and a replacement engine being installed (01:17).
The aircraft shown at 1:06 is FH-719, from the 335th TFS/4th TFW “The Chiefs”. Most likely this indicates that the film was shot at Eglin AFB in Florida, since the 335th was based there and operating the Thud starting in May 1959. At that time the unit was the first squadron in the Air Force to receive the F-105 Thunderchief, transitioning from F-100s.
FOD is the number one cause for jet overhaul and is a significant financial burden to the US Air Force. Foreign objects that damage these powerful engines include aircraft and engine hardware (02:45), maintenance tools (02:51), miscellaneous personal effects (02:56), and runway debris including stones and gravel (03:01). Foreign objects move through the engine and can cause significant damage, starting with the compressor blades (03:15). Measures to prevent FOD begin with the manufacturer and aircraft assembly lines (04:13). FOD prevention starts with an initial inspection (04:23), followed by more inspections—such as inserting a borescope tool into an inspection port (04:47)—and preventative measures such as placing covers over the engines (04:38). These measures are taken to keep foreign objects out of not only aircraft engines, but all other parts of the aircraft as well, including wing assemblies (05:27). Efforts are made to prevent FOD during hanger and flight line operations (07:17), and frequent inspections and cleanings of all ramps, taxiways, and runways are standard protocol (07:39). To pinpoint the primary source of FOD, the Air Force establishes a full-scale test program to evaluate suspected causes (08:02). Ground tests (08:32), standard gun-firing tests (09:02), aborted take-off tests (09:18), and vortex tests (10:03) are conducted to evaluate FOD. However, it is the jet wake that is determined to be the primary cause of the problem, as jet exhaust from a lead aircraft sends debris into the engine air intakes (11:20) of a trailing aircraft. By examining the tail-to-duct distance (12:38), the Air Force then determines how to avoid this cause of FOD and restricts jet blasts during ground operations. Other procedures are still in place, such as taking inventory of all maintenance tools (14:57), to avoid any and all FOD so the Air Force can keep its aircraft combat ready.
The Republic F-105 Thunderchief was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it was the only U.S. aircraft to have been removed from combat due to high loss rates. Originally designed as a single-seat, nuclear-attack aircraft, a two-seat Wild Weasel version was later developed for the specialized Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) role against surface-to-air missile sites. The F-105 was commonly known as the “Thud” by its crews.
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