Hyper-modern jets kept flying by RAF trainees using old-fashioned technical skills

Trainee metal smiths have been practising knocking parts together the old-fashioned way, with skills dating back years that could see hand-made parts fitted to fighter jets.

The RAF's Number Four School of Technical Training is part of the Defence College of Technical Training in Wiltshire, with aeronautical, electronic and mechanical engineers from all three services learning their trade here.

Air Specialist Class 1 Sam Wiggin, a Phase 3 trainee at the college, said it is a "very hands-on trade".

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"Not many people know about this trade either," he said.

The trainee explained how personnel will hone their skills using techniques such as the English wheel, which sees personnel bend sheet metal to the shape of aircraft skin. 

It takes time and care to get right, but it's worth it to keep the RAF flying.

"Using it on the different platforms, when you take it back to your… unit, you're doing stuff for fighter jets like Typhoon, or at Lossiemouth… on the P-8 as well," he said.

It is not just the outside of aircraft that can be crafted by hand.

Under the skin of each aircraft, engines are maintained and kept operational by engineering teams, with trainees in the test bay made to strip an engine down before rebuilding it – proving they know it inside out.

Air Recruit Joshua Francis, Trainee General Technician, explained they are being taught all the basics of two and four-stroke engines so they can work on any vehicle with a level of expertise.

"You'd at least know what's going on, you're not just reading off a piece of paper," he said.

"Obviously when you get deployed, you might have limited tools, limited resources, so you need to know what's going on within your engine so that you can actually fix it if you're in an operational environment, and get it home before you can fix it properly.

"People's lives depend on it, the safety of others, so you need to get it done right and safely as best you can."

Chief Technician John Crabtree, a training coordinator at the college, said the personnel come from all backgrounds and all experience levels.

"Some have got previous knowledge and some have never touched an engine before," he said.

"So we're all trying to get them up to that stage where they're all comfortable with the hands-on application and they're all able to diagnose complicated faults on engines."

He said that by the end of the course, all personnel will be able to find and fix complicated faults on the engines.

"Ultimately, it's all about getting the aircraft in the air. And we support that at this level."