megan
9th Dec 2015, 23:21
From Aviation International News. What do you think?
Airbus Helicopters wants to offer “customized” service life limits for parts by combining customer data on the time the helicopter spends in each flight phase with loads measured, in flight testing, in the same phase. The effort could extend components’ service life, reduce costs and improve safety, the company said.
A component is often designed to repeatedly withstand flight phases that owners never fly. For instance, “The typical offshore spectrum is much less severe than our certification reference spectrum,” said Emmanuel Laillet, an Airbus Helicopters specialist in rotor stress. Airbus wants to use sensors that are already on board—part of the health and usage monitoring system—to measure the climb rate, loads and other parameters to adapt maintenance to actual usage.
The company expects the resulting lighter maintenance to reduce the cost of operation. Such usage analysis may prompt the customer to change a mission profile if this reduces component fatigue, Laillet suggested. For the airframer, less frequent part replacement has a favorable effect on inventory.
Airbus Helicopters wants to offer “customized” service life limits for parts by combining customer data on the time the helicopter spends in each flight phase with loads measured, in flight testing, in the same phase. The effort could extend components’ service life, reduce costs and improve safety, the company said.
A component is often designed to repeatedly withstand flight phases that owners never fly. For instance, “The typical offshore spectrum is much less severe than our certification reference spectrum,” said Emmanuel Laillet, an Airbus Helicopters specialist in rotor stress. Airbus wants to use sensors that are already on board—part of the health and usage monitoring system—to measure the climb rate, loads and other parameters to adapt maintenance to actual usage.
The company expects the resulting lighter maintenance to reduce the cost of operation. Such usage analysis may prompt the customer to change a mission profile if this reduces component fatigue, Laillet suggested. For the airframer, less frequent part replacement has a favorable effect on inventory.