MRO News Briefs, Oct. 25-31, 2020

Satair 3D Prints Flying Metal Spare Part for Airbus Aircraft
Satair says it has provided one of its U.S. airline customers with what it believes is the first certified metal printed flying spare part for an Airbus aircraft. The A320ceo wingtip fence is no longer procurable from the original supplier, so Satair developed an additively manufactured part that it says reduced total non-recurring costs by 45%. It says four additional customers have already requested the same part following the successful delivery.

Boeing Qualifies 3D Printing Thermoplastic from Stratasys
Boeing has qualified 3D printing specialist Stratasys’ Antero 800NA thermoplastic for use on flight parts in its aircraft. It is the first material from Stratasys that has been qualified by the OEM for use in applications with elevated chemical resistance or fatigue requirements. According to Stratasys, the high-temperature material has significant benefits for aerospace supply chains in both original equipment and MRO.

Nitrogen Inerting System Gets New Certifications
Jetaire has obtained new certifications for its INVICTA nitrogen inerting fuel tank safety system. The system has received certifications from EASA and Mexico’s Agencia Federal de Aviacion Civil (AFAC) for the Boeing 737 and from National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC) for Boeing 737 (300-800) series aircraft.

Fokker Services Renews CAAC Certification
Fokker Services has obtained a renewed certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China as an approved maintenance organization. The certificate allows Fokker Services Americas to provide a variety of in-house maintenance and testing capabilities, as well as issue return to service aircraft components until 2022.

VSE Corporation Signs LRU and Landing Gear Deal
VSE Corporation has entered into a five-year exclusive distribution agreement with what it says is a leading manufacturer of hydraulic landing gear components and electromechanical parts which will start in January 2021. Under the agreement it will be the exclusive distributor of more than 150 line-replaceable units and 1,600 landing gear accessories supporting current Boeing and Airbus platforms. It will also provide support to airline and MRO customers through its distribution centers in the Americas, Europe and Asia.

Extended Airbus FHS-C Service Gathers Pace
Since extending its Flight Hour Components Maintenance Services (FHS-C) program to the A220 in April, Airbus says it has serviced the aircraft of several airline customers since the outbreak of COVID-19.

LOTAMS Unveils New 3D Printing Service
Polish MRO LOTAMS has expanded the scope of its services to design and certify elements intended for production with 3D printing methods. At present, it is able to design and certify small 3D printed elements of cabin equipment such as some fairings, bumpers and consoles.

Honeywell Releases APU Upgrade for Airbus Narrowbodies
Honeywell has released a high-efficiency mode upgrade for its 131-9A auxiliary power unit for single-aisle Airbus aircraft that it expects to increase average time-on-wing by 1,200 flight hr. and reduce fuel burn by 2%. Customers enrolled in Honeywell’s Maintenance Service Plan will have access to the upgrade for no additional cost beginning late this month and it will be available to other operators with 131-9A APUs beginning January 2021.

Ontic Acquires More JT15D Engine Parts from P&W Canada
Legacy solutions specialist Ontic has acquired the manufacturing rights from Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. for additional JT15D engine parts, which it says will add significantly to its growing portfolio of engine support capabilities. It will manufacture and sell the additional JT15D components from its Chatsworth, California facility and the parts will continue to be distributed through Boeing Distribution, Inc. The JT15D powers a range of business aircraft, including the Cessna Citation II, Hawker 400A, Cessna Citation V and T1-A JayHawk.

Integrated Drive Generator MRO Deal
Collins Aerospace Systems, which is part of Raytheon Technologies, and Fokker Services, which is a GKN Aerospace company, expanded a 10-year support agreement for integrated drive generators (IDG). The expanded FlightSense contract adds Airbus A320neo IDG part numbers and continues Collins’ role of managing Fokker Services’ onsite inventory of IDGs. At the same time, Fokker Services will now be able to repair the A320neo IDGs at its Amsterdam Schiphol airport facilities.

New Solution for Remote Aircraft Ground Testing
Aertec Solutions has developed a portable device called the Dongle AIM that it says will revolutionize aircraft ground testing systems by providing engineers with a more agile way to perform preliminary diagnostic testing within MRO and manufacturing. Dongle AIM enables a wireless connecting between the aircraft interface device and the aircraft, making it possible to conduct aircraft ground testing remotely instead of transporting aircraft to a stationary testing station. Dongle AIM has been developed within the framework of European Clean Sky 2’s Airframe Integrated Technology Demonstrator program and Aertec Solutions will carry out its first tests on aircraft at the end of the year.

Rolls-Royce Expects High Airbus A330 P2F Demand
Rolls-Royce says it expects the Trent 700-powered Airbus A330 P2F to become increasingly popular “due to its capability, versatility, and the substantial amount of suitable aircraft that will be available for many years to come.” It is working with Elbe Flugzeugwerke, the provider of the freighter conversion, to provide support for customers of the A330 P2F. According to Rolls-Royce, the A330 P2F offers up to 15% more payload and range capability, as well as up to 23% more capacity compared to older medium widebody aircraft in service today.

Flying Colours Introduces eLearning Platform
Flying Colours Corp has introduced an in-house eLearning platform to support its continuous improvement policy. It is working with internal teams to design modules for various training requirements, including upholstery, cabinetmaking, maintenance, avionics and paint work. According to Flying Colours, the online training platform has already helped more than 100 employees worldwide access courses during this time of travel and social distancing restrictions.

Lufthansa Technik AERO Alzey Hits PW1500G Milestone
Lufthansa Technik AERO Alzey has delivered its 50th PW1500G engine completion since introducing the platform in mid-2018. It says its shop visits for the engine type have included complete teardown of the HPC Modules under special procedure source approval requirements. In addition to maintenance activities, it has extended part repair services and currently has around 300 backshop repairs available.