PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - R22 & R44 blade delamination
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Old 18th Dec 2010, 13:43
  #201 (permalink)  
61 Lafite
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: UK
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Surely you can't be serious. Have you had a look at the pictures a few posts above yours? 400hrs, paint well within limits - unservicable. How can that possibly be called a solution?
I can absolutely be serious, and look at the paint that you say is 'well within limits' - it's all flaking off the end of the blade - how can you possibly call that 'paint well within limits'?

There is no way that just happened in one flight before the problem was noticed.

The SB/AD info from Robinson is very clear: if there's a problem with the paint, it needs to be sorted out, otherwise delamination may happen.

Here you see a problem with the paint, and delamination has occurred.

When you buy your aircraft, you get 2 years warranty. After that, all you know is that a lot of research and development has gone into making the machine as durable as possible, but while many, in fact most, parts on all the aircraft will go all the way to TBO, some won't. It happens on engines, pumps and, under some circumstances yes, paint and even blades. Check the statistics - not much normally goes wrong. If Robinson had it their way, they'd be using a better primer, but legislation won't allow them.

Go to the safety course, and the unofficial advice? if your blade has paint problems, for god's sake don't buy primer from us - use the old stuff we're not allowed to use!

If you want a machine with a 12 year warranty on all parts irrespective of operating environment, then not only shouldn't you buy a Robinson, I'm not sure there's any aircraft out there you should buy. Yes, it sucks, but hey - these are aircraft and ownership can suck big time. Ditto boats, and (if you remember the rhyme) women !

I'm not unsympathetic to the costs, and neither are Robinson, as I believe some assistance does sometimes appear to people who get these problems at low hours. Virtually everyting manufactured on the planet has a small percentage of issues. People need to learn to live with that uncertainty, and manage it with the manufacturer's assistance as best they can.

Lafite.
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