ARTICLE REF – ART262
“This video looks at a real-world reliability issue on FT8 gas fuel systems — the flexible fuel injector hoses.
Early FT8 turbines used rigid stainless-steel tubing between the gas manifold and the fuel injector. Those lines took longer to install, but they were extremely robust.
Around 2012, Pratt & Whitney changed to a flexible hose design. In gas-only service these hoses generally perform well — but in dual-fuel units that also operate on liquid fuel, a serious failure mode has emerged.
These hoses use a thin, bellows-type metal inner tube, reinforced by an external stainless-steel braid. The braid is not cosmetic — it provides most of the strength. If that braid is compromised, the hose can fail very quickly.
What we see repeatedly is cracking right at the end fittings — and that is exactly what you are looking at in these photos.”