Originally Posted by
Matt48
It appears the fan blades can be removed from the disc without greatly dismantling the engine while on the wing, can the blades be crack checked this way.
Short answer is YES. There are some minor complications - for example you want to number the blades and put them all back in the exact same position (otherwise you'll foul up the fan balance), but the fan blades can be readily removed, inspected (probably eddy current), and replaced in a few hours.