Weber State University seniors David Ashton and Ryan Tidwell have worked for more than 300 hours each on replacing 10-year-old memory board components that collect data from simulated combat fighting exercises. The two took on the project as a senior project for the university.
“We needed to take an old system and make it work with new technology,” said Ashton.
They said the project ended up being more difficult than they originally thought. WSU computer and electronics engineering technology professor Bill Clapp served as the faculty mentor to Ashton and Tidwell. Clapp is also a retired Air Force colonel. He has worked with other CEET graduates who now work at HAFB.
The project involved working with planes used for training exercises. Those planes have pods placed under the wings that record data from missions, including location and velocity. It also records whether the plane was shot or sustained damage.
“This information tells the pilots how well they did during the exercise and helps them hone their skills,” said Clapp.
“We needed to research the old systems sand find ways for the new circuitry to interface with the older technologies surrounding it,” said Ashton. He also works as a civilian mechanic on base and has served in the Air Force.
While the two were working on the project, a team of base engineers were upgrading separate pod components. The simultaneous work made the project more complex, but also added needed communication between the two teams. Both seniors agreed they learned a lot about the importance of decent communication.
Throughout the project, Ashton and Tidwell hit various snags that showed limitations of what they were creating. It helped to try and exact the components the plane pods will be using.
Clapp said he was proud that the students at WSU could contribute to the work done at HAFB. “As an Air Force depot, the role of Hill Air Force Base is to replace and upgrade equipment and systems on these aircraft,” he said.
Ashton said he applies a lot of his work at school to his work on the base. “If you put your mind to something, you can really do it,”he said.
sroberts@davisclipper.com
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