No More BONE-Jarring Stops

Maintainers at Ellsworth AFB, S.D., are modifying the brakes on the base’s B-1 bombers. The new brake system, costing $15,787 per airframe, offers enhanced safety, maintainability, and effectiveness. It features a flexible hose that exerts less strain on components compared to the original, rigid brake swivels, while also easing maintenance demands. The new system also “greatly reduces the risk of a brake fire,” said Justin Curtis of Ellsworth’s 28th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. “That kind of security can be a real weight off the minds of the aircrew, especially during a mission,” he said. The Air Force first tested the brake system on a B-1 in 2009 and subsequently conducted high-speed taxi trials with it in January 2010. Ellsworth maintainers began modifying the 28th Bomb Wing’s B-1s last October, with the goal of converting all 28 of them by mid May. (Ellsworth report by SrA. Jarad Denton)