Originally Posted by
wrench1
This ^^^. Keep in mind these blades are the same construction as 206L3/4 blades which the leading edge is made from aluminum vs stainless steel as used in other blade designs. Being aluminum it tends to "wear" in that fashion especially if fly through rain or land on unimproved landing areas. And just as with the 206 blades, the leading edge requires periodic dressing to smooth out that "wear" which if done properly will lead to a long blade life. So from my experience the "wear" in your picture would not be classified as "serious" but more normal wear/tear given the environment operated in and the preventative mx performed. It wasn't uncommon for a 206 mechanic to keep a file or sandpaper in their back pocket during daily inspections after a day of flying in rain or landings on the beach.
I agree with your analysis.
Isn't it called 'exfoliation'?
With the 206 I used to fly in Florida salt air, we used to periodically take a rag dampened with WD40 and wipe the blades down, leading edge and the rest of the blade.