Evening star., 1962-04-11
Computer Use
Brings Slash
In AT Costs
By RICHARD FRYKLUND
Star Staff Writer

chanic reached deep into the
tail of the B-52 bomber, put a
wrench on a nut and gave it
tug. The nut was already tight.
In fact, every time that me-
chanic and hundreds Of other
mechanics all over the world
had taken B-52 tails apart to
check those nuts they had nev-
er found a loose one.
This raises a question: Why
should the Air Force spend 40
man hours every couple Of
months taking apart each Of
more than 600 bomber tails to
look at nuts which have never
been loose?
The question was answered
proudly today by a spokesman
who announced that new man
agement techniques have per-
mitted the Air Force to stop
making these and other routine
but unnecessary inspections.
And by reducing inspections,
the Air Force said:
The Nation has gained the
equivalent Of rs more B-52
bomberS.
The Air Force and other
services probably will save hun
dredS of millions Of dollars a
year.
An improved ground alert
for the big bombers has been
staged without adding more
men.
And safety and effectiveness
have not been impaired.
Keyed to Computers
Defense Secretary McNam-
ara'S eyes, this is one example |
of Improvements made possible
by better management proce-
dures. 1t shows how modern,
computerized analysis Of prob
lens can help achieve the "bet-
ter defense for the least pos
Sible cost" that Mr.. McNamara |
talks about.
The change in Air Force |
maintenance procedures was
not a Mcnamara idea. It de-
veloped slowly over a period of |
years, according to a Defense
Department spokesman. But
the program began to bear full
fruit just last year.
The problem was simply to
get the best use of men and
materials in the $11-billion-a-
year military repair and upkeep
program.
Airplanes - and all other
weapons and military gadgetS
must be taken apart periodi-
cally and inspected. Also, all
machines break down OCCASION
ally.
The Air Force wanted to
know exactly how many man
hours are needed to repair each
part of each weapon and what
parts are inclined to fail and
how often.
Mechanics to COmputers
In the old days you could ask
any flight-line mechanic what
the maintenance probe S
were. Today, the Air Force
found, it doesn't even know
what it's vast number Of me-
chanics are doing unless the
mechanics report" regularly
to electronic computers, and
the computers compile huge
amounts of maintenance facts |
for analysis by each air base
and by top Air Force officers.
These information gathering
and processing systems were |
perfected during the last year. |
1t was through these techni- !
queS that the Air Force found |
it was a taking B-52 tails apart |
for no apparent good reason.
Now these bombers, and other
Air Force equipment, have gone |
on different schedule Of regular !
checks-usually fewer of them |
- and the checks are aimed |
more precisely at the real trou-
ble-SpotS.
Hangar Time" Reduced
BY cutting inspection time
and improving maintenance,
planes normally in the hangar |
for repair are now in the air
flying. This is why the Air
Force says it has gained a full !
wing of heavy bombers.
The same techniqueS now
permit KC-135 tanker planes
to be kept in repair in only
three to four work days out of |
go rather than the previous
seven to nine hangar" days.
Use of the F-106 fighter
plane has been increased be-
cause the computers found that |.
the synchronizing box on the
fire-control system was using
up 48 per cent of the time of |
mechanics working on the plane |
at some bases. The boxes are
being changed.
The Air Force was concerned,
according to spokesman, that |
safety might suffer while
money was being saved. The
records show there has been no
effect on safety, however. ac-
cording to the Air Force.
It all works so we'll that Mr.. |
Mcnamara has told the other |
services to study the Air Force |
technique and see If it can be
adapted to their needs.
The Air Force estimates 1t
saved about $155 million last |
year. The other services, Mr.. |
Mcnamara hopes, may do
proportionately as well.