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Boeing has contracts for military application of twin engine airplanes generically identified in this paper as the MX airplane. Unlike previous derivatives, the MX airplanes are produced with a streamlined manufacturing process to improve cost and schedule performance. The final assembly of each MX airplane includes a series of integration tests, called factory functional tests (FFTs), which are modified from those of typical commercial versions and verify correctness of equipment installation and basic functionalities. Two airplanes have been through the production line resulting in a number of FFT lessons learned. Addressed are the power distribution lessons learned: 1) the expanded coverage of the basic automated power-on generation system test, 2) the need for a manual wire continuity test, 3) salient features of the power distribution tests, and 4) keys to make first pass power distribution test smooth and successful.

There have been 17 fuel tank ignition events on commercial airplanes since 1959 that have resulted in 542 fatalities and 11 airplane losses. On the military side there have been 12 airplane losses on military version of the B-707 and the B-52 airplanes. The Most notable accident was the TWA 800 in July 1996 on the Boeing 747 which caused loss of 230 lives. This paper looks at the potential root causes of fuel tank explosions and the corrective actions that industry can undertake to minimize the hazard of fuel tank explosions. Fuel tank flammability and ignition sources are considered. The areas looked at are design, installation, and maintenance. Compliance to Federal Airworthiness Regulation are reviewed.

A series of low-speed static and dynamic wind tunnel tests of a commercial transport configuration over an extended angle of attack/sideslip envelope was conducted at NASA Langley Research Center. The test results are intended for use in the development of an aerodynamic simulation database for determining aircraft flight characteristics at extreme and loss-of-control conditions. This database will be used for the development of loss-of-control prevention or mitigation systems, pilot training for recovery from such conditions, and accident investigations. An overview of the wind-tunnel tests is presented and the results of the tests are evaluated with respect to traditional simulation database development techniques for modeling extreme conditions to identify regions where simulation fidelity should be addressed.

A fundamental part of airplane manufacturing involves hand drilling of holes for fasteners (bolts and rivets). The integrity of a fastener depends on the quality of its hole, which must be properly positioned, have a circular diameter of correct dimension, and be free of surface flaws and contaminants. A common method of drilling training is for a student to drill holes under the supervision of an instructor who inspects or measures the holes and makes suggestions for improving technique. This training method has proven to be effective, but it is time-consuming and requires considerable personal attention. We have devised instrumentation to monitor critical parameters (drill orientation and forces) so that a student can receive instantaneous visual feedback. This real-time feedback provides the student a better understanding of the drilling process and allows him or her to quickly make improvements.