Aerospace Careers: Sheet Metal Shop
When a NASA aircraft is being prepared for a major research program, the
Sheet Metal Shop of the
Dryden Flight Research Center's Aircraft Modification Branch is likely to
be involved.
The Sheet Metal Shop is the organization at Dryden that carries out all
modification
and repair work on aircraft, ranging from the creation of something
as small
as an aluminum bracket to which electrical wires will be attached all the
way
up to replacing or modifying wing spars, fuselage ribs, control surfaces,
and
large areas of exterior skin.
Materials and Equipment
The metals that the shop works with the most are aluminum and titanium and
they come in a variety of
configurations such as sheets, bars, and straps. Aluminum is the most
common metal found on aircraft because
it is light in weight and is easy to bend and form into the many shapes
common to sleek,
high-performance aircraft. Titanium is normally used in areas on aircraft
where greater strength is needed or high
temperatures are reached.
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| Hydraulic shear |
Hydraulic punch |
Many different types of equipment are needed to cut, form, and bend the
metal to support the needs of
the various aircraft research and support projects at Dryden. One of the
units used the most is a hydraulic
shear that can cut a piece of metal up to five-eighths of an inch thick and
as much as eight feet wide with the ease
of a table knife cutting butter.
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Hydraulic press brake
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Computer operated turret punch
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Other big, powerful hydraulic and electrically operated machines can
bend, roll, punch, and press
metal sheets, bars, and straps into all kinds of irregular and curved
shapes depending on the project
requirements. Pressures of as much as 2500 pounds per square inch (PSI) are
common on some of the machines used in
the Sheet Metal Shop.
New equipment obtained by facilities like the Dryden Sheet Metal Shop is
computer
operated and allows craftsmen to perform tasks faster and with greater
precision.
Special schooling is required to operate some of the computer-operated
equipment.
Work Requests
Requests for work to be performed by the Sheet Metal Shop can originate
at several levels, but all are
channeled through the Aircraft Maintenance Branch for final approval and
coordination. Work requests may be
initiated by an engineer assigned to an aircraft project office at Dryden
if the modification is necessary for the
flight project. An example could be making a small aluminum housing for a
miniature video camera, to be
installed on the aircraft's wingtip for recording the movement of the
flight control surfaces (ailerons, spoilers, and
flaps). Requests that are unique to the research project may also originate
with engineers from participating
organizations such as the commercial aircraft manufacturer, another NASA
center, or another agency of the
federal government such as the U.S. Air Force.
Some requests for modification work originate within the Dryden
maintenance organization when the work
is part of the normal maintenance process to keep the aircraft in perfect
flying condition. An example is making
a new fuselage inspection panel to replace one that shows signs of wear and
could become a safety hazard.
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F-104 with pylon attached
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Pylon
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Other requests for modification work may originate with U.S. Air Force
or U.S. Navy aircraft
maintenance departments. Most of the aircraft flown by NASA were originally
obtained from these military
organizations, and they issue periodic notices to perform certain work to
keep the aircraft safe and reliable.
Modification requests are also issued by the aircraft manufacturer, as part
of the continuing process of keeping the
aircraft safe and reliable. An example of this request could be making and
adding a tiny band of metal to a flight
control surface to dampen possible vibrations during certain speed and
flight conditions.
Past Projects
The craftsmen in the Sheet Metal Shop, at one time or another, work on
every research and support
aircraft flown at the center.
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CV990 aircraft landing gear
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Shuttle landing gear
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Among the most unique projects the shop has been associated with are:
- Fabricating the belly-mounted F-104 pylon used to test space shuttle tiles for water resistance and aerodynamic loads.
- Modifying a large Convair 990 jetliner fuselage so it could be used as a landing gear testbed to evaluate space shuttle tires for wear under varying landing and load condition.
- Fabricating a "chin-mounted" periscope system on an F-104 research aircraft to evaluate an external forward vision device that could be used in future high-speed aircraft or spacecraft where traditional cockpit windscreens limit forward crew vision.
- Building a crew emergency escape slide in the modified Boeing 747 used to carry the space shuttle prototype Enterprise during space shuttle glide and landing tests in 1977. The crew slide extended from the cockpit down and out the 747's belly and would have been used by the 747 crew to aid in parachuting from the aircraft if an emergency arose during the test program.
- Modifying the rear fuselage area surrounding the engine exhaust nozzles on a specialized F-15 being flown at Dryden to evaluate directional engine thrust as a way of improving maneuverability.
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Periscope
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F-15 aircraft rear fuselage
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Experience
The Dryden Sheet Metal Shop operates with approximately six people, all
of them experienced and
highly trained craftsmen. Skills required to work in the Sheet Metal Shop
can be obtained in several ways.
Many vocational schools offer training in sheet metal work, and skills can
also be acquired by on-the-job training
at some of the larger civilian aviation repair facilities. At Dryden,
nearly all of the shop specialists served in
the armed forces and gained skills through schooling and work experience
while in the military. NASA does
not require formal school training to work in the Sheet Metal Shop.
Applicants must, however, possess and
demonstrate adequate levels of skill to read and comprehend engineering
plans and make required parts or
components from those plans, and operate the shop equipment competently and
safely.
The personnel of the Sheet Metal Shop face different and challenging
work every day and enjoy a wide
variety of tasks in their occupation. With their combined experience and
equipment, they have the capability of
building a complete aircraft.
Document Number: IS-97/08-DFRC-01
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