Tilting tailpipes offered too little benefit for their weight and complexity, so production aircraft used fixed seven-degree downward-angled nozzles. Early maintainers regarded the A-6 as demanding, partly because it was built around Basic Automated Checkout Equipment (BACE) and preventive maintenance. Separate versions of BACE supported routine and heavier maintenance. Once crews adapted to the new model, the aircraft achieved strong reliability and availability and proved easy to keep in service.
Chapter · 15:25-17:27
Simplicity, automated checks, and preventive maintenance
Fixed jet nozzles and built-in checkout equipment show how the A-6 combined design restraint with a new maintenance model.