With a tool engineered by Brookhouse Holdings, British Airways Engineering's Fleet Support Facility (FSF) at Heathrow now can perform another costly engine repair in-house. Two years ago, Brookhouse and BA Engineering collaborated to develop a bonding and support tool for damaged GE90 engine D-duct repairs. A similar tool designed to support an inlet skin damaged by a bird strike recently made that repair more convenient and cost-effective as well.
Textron's Bell Aerospace Services subsidiary received a $4.5 million contract award for U.S. Marine Corps Bell H-1 helicopter support. This is the fourth year of a five-year contract to provide field-level support for UH-1N and AH-1W helicopters of the 2nd and 3rd Marine Air Wings. BellAero, via its BA Support Services business unit, provides turnkey technical assistance and maintenance support teams at numerous field locations throughout the world, including support teams embedded with operational units deployed overseas.
Rockwell Collins appointed Ken Estelle vice president and general manager of Technical Service Solutions. Estelle will oversee Rockwell Collins' network of service centers providing repair and overhaul of aviation electronics, as well as parts management and logistics for commercial, business and military aircraft worldwide.
Mxi Technologies announced the addition of an automated line planning feature to its Maintenix aviation maintenance management software. It is designed to generate and schedule a realistic set of work packages, taking routing, part availability and even weather into consideration.
Euravia Engineering & Supply Co. won a Royal Air Force contract to provide reduced cost of ownership for Garrett GTCP165-1A APUs on Sentry E-3D aircraft. The Sentry Integrated Project Team will support the APU until the Sentry reaches its out of service date in 2025.
easyJet awarded a 10-year OnPoint Solution service agreement worth up to $1 billion to GE Aviation for the maintenance and overhaul of CFM56-5B and -7B engines powering the carrier's 192 A319s and 32 737-700s.
Eurocopter was awarded an Assessment Phase (AP) contract by the U.K. Ministry of Defense in June, for a Life Extension Program for up to 35 of the RAF's fleet of Westland/ Aérospatiale SA 330E Puma HC.1 helicopters. The program will be based on comprehensive upgrades, including new Turboméca Makila engines, digital avionics and glass cockpits, plus new communications, navigation and defensive systems.
The National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) list of most wanted safety improvements is considered by many to be the gospel in terms of pinpointing the most prominent risks in aviation (and other transportation modes) that warrant industry attention. It's interesting to note, however, that aviation items on NTSB's list usually get there because they were central in the cause of a disaster, and they're most often removed based on what FAA (or industry) does about them.
Lockheed Martin will upgrade radar capabilities for the reconnaissance version of the Japan Air Self Defense Force's fleet of F-15 aircraft, from a new JASDF contract announced on June 19. As part of a Japanese-led team, Lockheed Martin will equip selected F-15s with external advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) pods.
Pemco Aviation Group said the U.S. Air Force said three companies are bidding for the new KC-135 programmed depot maintenance contract, which starts in FY08, according to Pemco spokeswoman Doris Sewell. She said the Air Force is due to award the contract by the end of August. KC-135 maintenance is a "bread and butter contract" for Pemco's Birmingham facility, which has serviced the Air Force aircraft for about 35 years, she said. Boeing also is one of the bidders.
Pacamor Kubar Bearings received FAA Technical Standard Order TSO-C-149 for its miniature and instrument aircraft ball bearing product line. The company also received AS9100:2004 aerospace certification around the same time. Ceramic balls or titanium carbide-coated stainless steel balls are available. This summer the company received a bronze medal from the Defense Supply Center Richmond for being one of the government's best suppliers as tabulated through the Automated Best Value System. Pacamor Kubar Bearings, 145 Jordan Rd., Troy, NY 12180
Deflating aircraft tires can be a noisy task. For instance, a Boeing 747 wheel inflated to 195 psi can emit a loud 117 dBA noise when deflating. Kestrel Engineering of Ireland developed a silencer tool that can reduce the noise level to 94 dBA if used to remove the valve core. Within one minute, that level decreases to 86 dBA, and after 3.5 minutes, it declines to 74 dBA. A 747 wheel can deflate entirely in four minutes with the Saf-Deflat-Aer tool.
TIMCO Aviation Services is partnering with MacAulay-Brown and Kellstrom Defense Aerospace to offer a C-130 center wing box rehabilitation program. The modification should extend the service life for a C-130 for 35,000 more baseline hours without recurring fatigue inspections or flight restrictions.
Snecma Services will overhaul high-pressure turbine models on Larzac engines for the SMA aircraft maintenance department of the French Defence Ministry.
Airline mechanics who transition from the Boeing 767 to the 787 Dreamliner will find many of their old tasks significantly reduced, in part because of new materials, including composites, but also because of improvements in systems, which are more capable and less complex, smaller and lighter, and more reliable and more dispatchable, according to Justin Hale, Boeing 787 program deputy chief mechanic. In briefings in Seattle, Hale pointed to numerous changes in the 787, including:
Honeywell reduced the repair and overhaul turntimes for its Airbus and Boeing auxiliary power units by more than 30 percent. APU turntimes average about 20 days, compared to 29 days in early 2006.
Exostar appointed Richard Addi as its chief financial officer. Addi joins Exostar from Data Systems & Solutions, a technology venture founded by Rolls-Royce and Science Applications International Corp.
Semler Industries says it shipped the first potable water cabinet designed to meet the needs of the Airbus A380. Semler said the A380 typically will have to carry more than 525 gallons of water to meet the passengers' drinking requirements. Because of that large volume, ground staff will need to fill the water quickly from a single point. Semler said typical water systems deliver 10 to 12 gallons per minute, which was too slow, so it delivered the SIFF-3000-A380 portable water cabinet that delivers 25 gallons per minute.
Goodrich gained its first Airbus A380 support customer. Singapore Airlines awarded a long-term contract to Goodrich to provide asset management services, including component and system maintenance, for 19 A380s. The deal covers primary and secondary flight controls to sensors and evacuation systems. Goodrich's facilities in Singapore, France, the U.K. and U.S. will deliver the asset-based support program.
Bell Helicopter Textron received a $12.5 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of phases two and three of the Composite Maintenance Trainers (CMTs) effort, to include two UH-1Y trainers and two AH-1Z trainers. The CMTs will be based at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and will be used to train personnel on the repair and maintenance of the H-1 Upgrades Aircraft.
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British Airways selected International Aero Engines V2500 powerplants for its eight new Airbus A320 aircraft and awarded IAE a long-term maintenance agreement. CFM and IAE both competed for the engine contract. British Airways is scheduled to receive the new A320s between 2008 and 2010. The carrier operates 67 short-haul Airbus aircraft -- V2500 engines power 58 of them and CFM engines power the other nine.
