Originally Posted by
ericferret
Is there a blade tape requirement?
There's no blade tape "requirement" but Bell does offer a tape option on the L3/4 via a M&O procedure so no additional approval required. Don't know if that option extends to the 505 but since same blades don't see why not. The tape does work but is more a temporary preventative measure for high erosion environments that usually requires multiple replacements in some cases. But its use is always subjective to the operator. Bell also has a weekly blade inspection that is pointed to corrosion but can also keep you on top of erosion issues as well. I've found if you regularly dress/smooth out the leading edge it keeps the erosion in check/manageable in most ops. However, flying continuously without any leading edge mx will eventually cause the erosion to accelerate as the "rougher" the edge gets the more surface area exposed to erosion forces.