I was to an air show awhile back. I was inspecting a Navy A6 Intruder.
It must have been WAY back- no A-6E Intruders are flying anymore since
VA-196 sent the last to the desert in the mid 90's. What you saw was likely
an EA-6B Prowler, easily recognizable by the two canopy (four seat)
configuration.

I caught the exhaust end of the tail pipe and noticed a circumference of
mesh "feathers" on the inner ID, that honestly looked like dragonfly
wings, gossamer in texture. I wonder what the function of this is,
The exhaust ducts hang suspended away from the heat shield in the rear of
the engine cavity to facilitate movement of cooling air around the engine.
These "turkey feathers" (the official nickname by the way) you saw, make up
the rear barrier of this ventilated area. They are some high-temp alloy, but
I'm not sure if it titanium or not.

When I worked QA in the Prowler community, a detailed inspection of this
area was required during every engine change or drop. The "turkey feathers"
also help keep the tailpipe centered, which is essential for safe flight.



Larry
AECS (AW/SW/MTS)
Disabled Combat Veteran
USN Retired

20 years of Navy in my rear view mirror
and getting further away every day ;-)







"Kurt {:{" wrote in message
...
Hi,
-
I was to an air show awhile back. I was inspecting a Navy A6 Intruder. I
caught the exhaust end of the tail pipe and noticed a circumference of
mesh "feathers" on the inner ID, that honestly looked like dragonfly
wings, gossamer in texture. I wonder what the function of this is, what
the material is, and how is it produced? A stamping process is a guess.
Material---titanium?
-
Thanks.
-
Kurt
{:{