4950th Field Maintenance Squadron

4950th FMS

Source: Perl Bryslan

The 4950th Field Maintenance Squadron (FMS) was responsible for the multiple specialized technical systems of the aircraft. The squadron was broken down into several branches and each branch was composed of several specialty shops that were primarily responsible for aircraft support.

The specialists from these shops performed maintenance both on and off aircraft. These shops were additionally responsible for fabrication, maintenance, and repair of experimental modifications that were frequently added as a test bed to the variety of unique and sometimes peculiar aircraft operated out of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and other test sites.

FMS operated shops that performed maintenance duties as follows:

- Basic cleaning of aircraft components
- Corrosion repair and control
- Painting
- Fabrication and repair panels and radomes using composite and honeycomb materials
- Battery maintenance
- Jet and turbo prop engines maintenance and repair
- Fuel cells and systems maintenance and repair
- Upholstery
- Parachute maintenance and packing
- Repair and maintenance of hydraulics and cables related to flight controls, landing gears, and related subsystems
- Aerospace ground support equipment and liquid oxygen supply
- Machine shop
- Welding shop
- Tire shop

There were support shops dedicated to flight line/hanger dispatch for on-aircraft repairs in addition to down-range deployment personnel for the repair of critical systems on aircraft that were broken off-station.

FMS boasted a Reparable Processing Center (RPC) that was second to none. The RPC seemed to be chronically under-manned but it was always a first-class operation. The RPC was responsible for collecting, routing, tracking, and delivery of all aircraft related assets that were in the system being refurbished, repaired, inspected, swapped-out for spares, forwarded to a depot for disposition, or condemned.

Being a unique organization that required tools and materials that were peculiar to the mission requirements they supported, FMS also operated a tool crib and HAZMAT program (hazardous materials/hazardous waste) that became the model and standard for other organizations throughout the command.

Source: Perl Bryslan