The US Air Force (USAF) has completed a major ISO inspection on a C-5M Space Cargo Modified (SCM) Super Galaxy aircraft at Dover Air Force Base (AFB), Delaware.
During the two-month-long inspection, aircraft maintainers of the 436th Maintenance Squadron at Dover AFB looked for deficiencies, faults, cracks or any other problem in every system of the aircraft.
436th MXS production controller John Greim said: “A bridge had to be built to allow access into the hayloft of the aircraft due to the lack of the normal troop compartment.
“ISO personnel brainstormed how to build a bridge and with the use of a B-2 stand prepositioned into the cargo bay we gained access to the hayloft.
"This had to go through wing safety approval, quality assurance approval, engineering assist and finally maintenance group approval to allow use of the bridge to complete our inspections and repairs.”
Originally a C-5A model assigned to Travis AFB, California, the C-5M SCM was modified into a C-5C model to carry large cargo, such as satellites.
The main difference between the C-5C and others is its lack of a troop compartment and it has different aft doors. It also has two places to plug in external power, for both the aircraft and a payload canister, USAF said in a statement.
Greim further added: “The aircraft has different aft doors than any other C-5.
“We had to pre-coordinate with Travis to ensure they sent us a qualified maintainer that could operate the aft doors for reconfiguring of the aircraft for our process.”
The inspection forms a part of an eight-year maintenance schedule that all C-5s undergo.
The Dover AFB has a fleet of 18 C-5M Super Galaxy intercontinental-range strategic airlifters.
Image: A C-5M Space Cargo Modified Super Galaxy sits on the flightline at Dover Air Force Base. Photo: courtesy of US Air Force photo / Senior Airman Zachary Cacicia.
