MOW
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Post by MOW on Apr 7, 2004 8:09:08 GMT 9
What all did this mod include and when was it staretd/finished?
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Post by jimpadgett on May 14, 2009 22:04:44 GMT 9
I am a little foggy on this (normal for an AGE puke) but, The PUP (power upgrade program) eliminated the need to supply the six with 8 different voltages (HAC and CVAC) from the ground power unit during maintenance. A TR (transformer rectifier) pack was installed in the aircraft and with only 115 volt, 3 phase, 400 cycle supplied via MD-3 after the mod the other 7 voltages were derived in the TR pack. The multi-pin cable head was eliminated and a standard AC recepticle installed in its place to make the connection from the MD-3. Other stuff happened to the six at the time so weight and balance was maintained. PS: HAC=Hughes aircraft voltages and CVAC=Convair aircraft voltages MA-1. Not sure of the date but, I think 1975-76. Jim
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Post by dude on May 15, 2009 0:00:29 GMT 9
That date sounds pretty close. I got to Langley in the fall of '73 and PUP happened within a year or so of that. On the MA-1 side: I'm sure someone will correct me, but I think it got rid of about two dozen black power boxes dispersed throughout the electronics bays and that god awful circuit breaker panel over the left wing. The result was two new boxes in the 05 compartment: the 918 unit for ac distribution and the 518 unit for dc. A third box (926) was installed in the radar rack. When it was complete the MA-1 system had the unique distinction of encompassing all three generations of electronics. It had a radar subsystem based on vacuum tubes, a computer subsystem based on true DTL/TTL logic (discreet transitors), and a power subsytem based on integrated circuits (microchips).
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Post by lindel on May 15, 2009 6:28:20 GMT 9
That sounds about right, on all counts. The PUP mod was before my time, but that fits what I heard.
Yup, all the electronics goodies, all in one place.
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Post by dude on May 15, 2009 8:28:10 GMT 9
Then you missed all the fun of climbing up on the wing during a red ball for an MA-1 power dump and pulling the panel to check the circuit breakers while the aircraft was running. Speaking of breakers, one thing I forgot. I believe PUP also added a row of circuit breakers in the nose wheel well.
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Post by lindel on May 15, 2009 10:23:30 GMT 9
I was in the Mock Up, climbing on wings wasn't allowed...
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sixerviper
F-106 Skilled
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Posts: 209
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Post by sixerviper on May 19, 2009 3:02:08 GMT 9
Circuit breakers? In a Six? When did they get rid of those wonderful ceramic fuses with the bayonets in them?
I left the jet before PUP--wish I'd seen it. Was totally unaware of PUP until I took one of our rookies out to our flightline where a Langley Six was sitting there and said "check out this oddball power receptacle" and opened it up to see the same receptacle as we had on the Thud.
Wasn't PUP done about the same time they took the attitude gyro system out of the jet and hooked the ADI and HSI up to the stable table?
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Post by dude on May 19, 2009 10:47:24 GMT 9
Circuit breakers? In a Six? When did they get rid of those wonderful ceramic fuses with the bayonets in them? I left the jet before PUP--wish I'd seen it. Was totally unaware of PUP until I took one of our rookies out to our flightline where a Langley Six was sitting there and said "check out this oddball power receptacle" and opened it up to see the same receptacle as we had on the Thud. Wasn't PUP done about the same time they took the attitude gyro system out of the jet and hooked the ADI and HSI up to the stable table? There was still plenty of fuses in the cockpit. I think PUP was actually the tail end of an overall reliability improvement program started maybe circa 1969. When I got to Langley in Sept '73, they were getting their PUPs back from depot one at a time. I think the ADI/HSI change must have happened before my time because I don't remember them ever not having some interface to the SCRG for heading, etc.
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Post by lindel on May 19, 2009 19:25:38 GMT 9
The SCRG amps were aptly nick-named. We ended up completely rebuilding them, even to the point of having new circuit boards built.
It was a happy day in the mock up when the last INS mod was completed!!
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Post by dude on May 19, 2009 21:26:19 GMT 9
The SCRG amps were aptly nick-named. We ended up completely rebuilding them, even to the point of having new circuit boards built. It was a happy day in the mock up when the last INS mod was completed!! Looking back it's truly remarkable to me all the things they tried to do with the MA-1 and how they just kept banging away at it year after year. I don't think there has ever been a more ambitious system put in an aircraft. I really have a great appreciation for those that had to work it in the early days because the follow-on mods did a lot for helping the reliability of the system. Would love to hear some details about the original computer subsystem if anyone knows.
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