AT95FC:AT95FC 8/9/08 17:35 Page 3

The challenges of A380 maintenance

Weathering the storm narrowbody freighter market
A new lease on life aircraft recycling initiatives
Advances in hydraulics and actuators
SAP applications for MROs
Profile: PAS Technologies
The leading international magazine for the manufacturing and MRO sectors of commercial aviation

August - September 2008 Issue: 95

check_FPA:ATEM95 26/8/08 15:04 Page 3

AMOS: MADE IN SWITZERLAND

THE INDUSTRY-LEADING AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT EXCEEDS YOUR EXPECTATIONS.

SWISS-AS.COM
AT95News_alpha:AT95News_alpha 9/9/08 15:20 Page 1

C O N T E N T S
August - September 2008 Issue: 95

www.aviationindustrygroup.com
 NEWS UPDATE
News, contracts, products and people 4
An Aviation Industry Press publication  INDUSTRY FOCUS
EDITOR In my opinion: Bernd Kessler, CEO, SR Technics 10
Daniella Horwitz: daniellah@aviation-industry.com
Bernd Kessler talks about his customer-focused approach and global
STAFF WRITER
Jason Holland: jasonh@aviation-industry.com
ambitions for the company.
EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS
Bernard Fitzsimons, Jacky Baz PAS Technologies profile 14
PRODUCTION MANAGER In six months PAS Technologies have moved from below average to
Phil Hine: philh@aviation-industry.com industry leader. CEO Robert Weiner describes the journey.
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT  TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
Kalven Davis: kalvend@aviation-industry.com
CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER
Advances in hydraulics and actuators 20
Paul Canessa: paulcanessa@aviation-industry.com Jason Holland explores the latest in higher pressure hydraulics
SALES EXECUTIVE - EUROPE, ASIA & AFRICA and electrical actuation.
Alan Samuel: alans@aviation-industry.com
PUBLISHER & SALES DIRECTOR - USA Developments in aero-engine bearings 30
Simon Barker: simonb@aviation-industry.com Bernard Fitzsimons looks at the progress made in monitoring the
MANAGING DIRECTOR - AIP condition of bearings.
Philip Tozer-Pennington: philipt@aviation-industry.com

Aircraft Technology Engineering & Maintenance A new lease on life 42

(USPS 022-901) is published bi-monthly, Daniella Horwitz investigates trends in aircraft recycling.
in February, April, June, August, October and December
plus an extra issue in July, by Aviation Industry Press Ltd,
2nd Floor, Ludgate House, 245 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 9UY, UK.  ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
Annual subscription cost is $300 (USA).
MRO focus: Spain and Portugal 52
Periodicals Postage paid at Jamaica, NY 11431. Aircraft Technology presents a round-up of the maintenance
Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent Air Business Ltd., companies operating in the Iberian Peninsula.
c/o Worldnet Shipping USA Inc., 149-35 177th Street,
Jamaica, New York, NY11434.
U.S. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Narrowbody freighter market 60
Aircraft Technology Engineering & Maintenance,
Air Business Ltd, c/o Worldnet Shipping USA Inc., Narrowbody freighters weather the storm.
149-35 177th Street, Jamaica, New York, NY11434.
Subscription records are maintained at Aviation Industry Press, Ltd.
2nd Floor, Ludgate House, 245 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 9UY, UK
Engine Overhaul Directory Europe 70
A full list of Europes main engine overhaul providers
Aircraft Technology Engineering & Maintenance (ISSN 0967-439X)
UK annual subscription cost is 150.
Overseas annual subscription cost is 170 or $300 A380: Timely maintenance cost savings 80
Single copy is 25 (UK), 30 (ROW), $50 (USA) The challenges involved in maintaining the super-jumbo.
All subscriptions enquiries to:
Paul Canessa: paulcanessa@aviation-industry.com
AIP Group Tel: +44 (0) 20 7579 4840
AIP Group Fax: +44 (0) 20 7579 4848  INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Circulation Tel: +44 (0) 20 7579 4880
Website: www.aviationindustrygroup.com
SAP applications for MRO 88
2008 Aviation Industry Press. Is SAP a complete MRO solution or money pit?
Printed in England by Symbian Print Intelligence Ltd.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication  REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE
may be reproduced by any means whatsoever without
the express permission of the Publisher. Saab Aircraft 98
Please note our new address and telephone/fax numbers above. The S340 and S2000 continue to fulfil a niche.

Aviation Industry
 DATA & DIRECTIVES
Group supports Orbis Aircraft data: Embraer 170 and 190 families 104

FAA AD biweekly summary listings 108

Although care has been taken in the compilation of

NEW
this magazine, Aviation Industry Press does not take
responsibility for the views expressed herein.
<<ATE&M ONLINE>>
www.aviationondustrygroup.com
Front cover image: A380 from AirTeam Images
AT95DPScheck:dps AT95 28/8/08 09:01 Page 2

Totally exible.
Totally innovative.
Totally satisfying.
15 years of Lufthansa Technik
Total Support Services for you.

In 1993, we had the vision of a completely integrated service
portfolio. Our goal was to relieve airlines of the burden of
maintenance as much as possible to enable them to
concentrate on their core tasks.
We called this vision Total Technical Support, or TTS. Today,
its clear: with this step, Lufthansa Technik wrote a new chapter
in the history of aircraft maintenance. Meanwhile, our vision
has grown to become a service portfolio that is successful
all over the world. As early as 2005, we signed a contract for
the 1000th aircraft to be maintained under Total Support.

Visit us at the MRO Europe,

IFEMA Madrid, hall 5, booth 206
Sept. 24-25, 2008
AT95DPScheck:dps AT95 28/8/08 09:01 Page 3

ch n ic a l S u p p o rt TTS
Now: Total Te
Relaunch with nt.
tions Manageme
Technical Opera

And now were adding even more value to the originalwith Lufthansa Technik AG
Technical Operations Management (TOM) for eet and contract Marketing & Sales
management, a service that makes us a genuine strategic E-mail: marketing.sales@lht.dlh.de
partner to our customer airlines. You see, we can make even Visit us at www.lufthansa-technik.com
total more complete! Interested? Lets talk about it. Call us: +49-40-5070-5553

More mobility for the world

AT95News_alpha:AT95News_alpha 8/9/08
NEWS UPDATE
INBRIEF
The latest production standard of
International Aero Engines V2500,
SelectOne, has been certified on the
A320-family aircraft by the European
Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Lufthansa Technik Switzerland, formerly Swiss
Technik, will launch operations under its new
name on October 1, 2008. It is a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Lufthansa Technik.
ATR is to open a new training centre in
Kuala Lumpur. The centre will be run in
cooperation with Malaysia Airlines
subsidiary Firefly, and will be equipped
with a full flight simulator developed by
CAE.
Qantas Airways and Lufthansa Technik have
launched an engine maintenance joint venture
company, Jet Turbine Services (JTS). The Melbourne-
based company will provide technical support for
GE and CFM56 engines in the Qantas fleet.
Air Works India Engineering and Air
Livery are to create a joint venture which
will provide aircraft painting services at
Hosur Airport, with plans to expand to
other airports throughout India and the
Asia Pacific region.
Piaggio Aero has appointed Jet Aviation
Dusseldorf as an authorised service centre for
P.180 Avanti/Avanti II aircraft.
EADS SECA has been approved by Pratt
& Whitney Canada (P&WC) as a
Designated Overhaul Facility (DOF) for
PW308 engines. Having received the
EASA and FAA approvals, EADS SECAs
Gonesse facility, near Paris Le Bourget
Airport, now has the full capacity to
repair and overhaul the engines.
GE Aviation has begun delivery of its enhanced
airborne flight recorder (EAFR) for the 787
aircraft after qualification was completed. GE
will supply the EAFR as part of the Rockwell
Collins network communications package for
the programme.
Trac Measurement Systems will be
moving its operations to a new
20,000ft2 facility at the Telford Science
and Technology Park, UK. Over 1m
($1.86m) has been invested in the new
premises.
The FAA has certified Boeings new carbon
brakes designed for the 737NG. The brakes are
supplied by Messier-Bugatti.
4 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
14:21 Page 4
NEWSROUND-UP
Boeing forecasts strong
air cargo traffic growth
The Boeing Company projects that the global
air cargo market will continue to exhibit strong,
long-term growth, according to the companys
current market outlook 2008. During the 20-
year forecast period, Boeing predicts that the
industry will grow at an annual average of 5.8
per cent with the world freighter fleet
increasing from 1,948 to 3,892 aircraft. This
growth requires a total of 3,358 aircraft joining
the freighter fleet by 2027, taking into account
anticipated retirements of 1,414 aircraft.
The fleet additions will include 863 new
production freighters, with a value of about
$206bn in current US dollars, and 2,495
aircraft from conversions. Widebody freighters
will dominate the new production freighter total
and 641 will be of the large freighter segment
(more than 80 tons capacity). Demand for new
production equipment is driven by operational
efficiency and reliability, as well as
environmental and regulatory pressures,
including noise, emissions and ageing.
The forecast is based on a number of
factors, most significantly economic growth in
diverse areas of the world, said Jim Edgar,
regional director, cargo marketing for Asia.
CFM certifies Tech
Insertion compressor
CFM International has completed certification
of the advanced CFM56 Tech Insertion
compressor upgrade kit, technology that is
intended to provide operators of mature
CFM56-7B and CFM56-5B engines with up to
one per cent lower fuel consumption along with
lower maintenance costs.
$7.1m FAA fine
excessive, says AA
American Airlines (AA) has branded the $7.1m
fine imposed by the FAA for a series of
violations, including the deferral of
maintenance, as excessive. The carrier
indicated it would appeal the punishment. The
fine includes a $4.4m penalty for the way AA
diagnosed mechanical problems in December
2007. An AA statement read: We do not
agree with the FAAs findings and
characterisations of Americans action in these
cases. We believe the proposed penalties are
excessive. An FAA statement said: The FAA
believes the large total amount of the fine for
these violations is appropriate because
American Airlines was aware that appropriate
repairs were needed, and instead deferred
maintenance.
Rolls and Goodrich
propose JV
The UKs Rolls-Royce and Goodrich of the US
are planning a 50/50 joint venture to develop
and supply engine controls for Rolls-Royce aero-
engines. Around 1,100 UK-based Goodrich
employees and 500 Rolls-Royce employees in
Europe and the US may transfer into the
proposed joint venture, the companies said.
Airbus/Boeing face
production slowdown
Airbus and Boeing are facing a slowing down on
assembly lines of the A330 and the 777 because
of a shortage of seats, toilets and galley fittings.
The delays are down to small suppliers which
have stretched themselves in their commitment to
provide items such as customised cooking galleys
with components such as rice cookers and
espresso coffee-makers.
Spanair investigation
ongoing
The Spanair MD-82 that crashed during
takeoff in August 2008, killing 154 people, hit
the ground tail first and bounced for almost a
mile. The aircraft hit a grassy area next to the
runaway at Madrid's Barajas airport and,
judging by marks left on the ground, the body
of the aircraft lifted and fell three times as it
skidded over uneven terrain, said Francisco
Soto, the investigating commission's director.
There were no marks of a crash landing on
the runway itself. The authorities will
dismantle the engines to discover whether a
thrust problem contributed to the accident.
A320/A321 freighter
programme launched
Netherlands-based leasing company AerCap
has signed a firm contract with Airbus
Freighter Conversion to convert 30 of AerCaps
passenger A320/A321s into freighter aircraft
(P2F). All 30 aircraft are to be made at EADS
EFW in Dresden. Irkut will open up a parallel
production line in Zhukovsky, Russia (using
the same tooling and technology), 1.5 to two
years after the prototype is completed by
EADS in 2011. First delivery is expected in
2012 and the rest of the aircraft will be
delivered over the following three years. This
is a speculative project, as there are no
customers yet, but AerCap thinks there are
550 older generation freighters in the A320-
size category that will need to be replaced,
while Airbus sees a market for 500 aircraft in
this category over the next 20 years.
AT95News_alpha:AT95News_alpha 8/9/08 14:21 Page 5

NEWS UPDATE

PurePower PW1000G demonstrator

Italy gets first composite successfully completes first flight
recycling facility
Boeing and Alenia Aeronautica are to join forces
to help establish Italys first composite recycling
facility. The companies will work with academia
to advance industry knowledge of the recycling
of composite aircraft parts into reusable
materials for manufacturing. UK-based Milled
Carbon, Italy-based Karborek, and ENEA (Italian
National Agency for new Technologies Energy
and the Environment) will also be partners. The
composite recycling facility is expected to be
operational in mid- to late 2009, and will be
located in Italys Puglia region.

Alteon 787 training suite

planned for Miami
Alteon Training will place a 787 training suite,
including a full-flight simulator, at its training
centre in Miami, Florida. In March 2010 the
centre will be ready to meet the training
requirements of airlines based in Latin
America and the US. The Alteon 787 training
suite includes full-flight and flat panel
simulators and desktop simulation systems.
650 jobs cut at ACTS
ACTS has dramatically cut its workforce in
response to maintenance deferrals at Air
Canada, its biggest customer. About 650
engine and maintenance workers have lost
their jobs as the former Air Canada Technical
Services cited soaring fuel prices and capacity
cuts as reasons for the decision. The layoffs
come into effect immediately, and 250 full-time
employees and 400 other workers have been
affected, most of whom worked on contracts to
overhaul two Air Canada aircraft models.
BA, Rolls launch
alternative fuel trials
Rolls-Royce and British Airways are to begin a
scientific test programme to investigate the
viability of alternative fuels for the aviation
industry. The companies will initiate a joint tender
process, inviting suppliers to offer alternative fuel
samples for testing on a Rolls-Royce RB211
engine from a British Airways 747. The tests will
be carried out on an indoor engine test bed at the
Rolls-Royce facility in Derby, UK. Following the
tender process, there will be a selection of up to
four alternative fuels which will undergo laboratory
testing. Intensive trials will then take place, during
which the aero-engine will be powered by the
alternative fuels, and this stage is expected to be
complete by the end of March 2009.
The first test flight of the PurePower PW1000G was completed in August 2008. Testing will run
until the end of the year.
Pratt & Whitney has successfully completed the first flight of its
PurePower PW1000G demonstrator engine, launching a flight test
programme that will run through to the end of 2008.
The PurePower PW1000G engine, formerly referred to as the Geared
Turbofan engine, flew for more than 30 minutes on Pratt & Whitney's
747 flying testbed at the company's flight test facility in Plattsburgh,
New York, in late August 2008.
The PurePower PW1000G engine flight test programme comprises of
two phases. The first phase ran for approximately 40 hours on the
747 flying testbed. The phase focused on engine performance and
nacelle system validation. After the first phase, the engine was
shipped to Toulouse, France, and installed on an Airbus-owned A340
flight test aircraft.
The second phase, which is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter
of 2008 and include approximately 75 flight hours, will continue
engine performance and operation testing while providing installation
and acoustics data.
With the PW1000G, Pratt & Whitney says it is targeting double-digit
reductions in fuel burn, environmental emissions, engine noise and
operating costs for the next generation of commercial aircraft.
Bob Saia, VP of next-generation product family at Pratt & Whitney
commercial engines, said: "As airlines face rising fuel prices and
growing environmental pressures, they are watching the development
of the PW1000G engine very carefully. The engine continues to meet
or exceed all pre-test targets and we are excited to bring this value to
our customers."

S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S 5

AT95News_alpha:AT95News_alpha 8/9/08
NEWS UPDATE
INBRIEF
European engineering consultant Alten
Group, a preferred supplier of EADS, and
India-based Infotech Enterprises, a
technology solutions provider, have
formed a strategic partnership to
provide global engineering solutions to
EADS.
AD Aerospace has obtained a validation of STC
from the Civil Aviation Administration of China
(CAAC) for its CabinVu and CabinVu-123
cockpit door monitoring systems on 737
aircraft. These systems enhance the security of
a passenger airliner by providing the pilots with
a live view of the area outside the flight deck
door.
AviIT, a provider of specialist IT-based
solutions for the aviation industry, has
teamed up with Wingspeed Corporation,
the aircraft communications solutions
provider, to provide a communications
link to support its Bluebox family of IFE
products.
Austrian Airlines Group plans to phase out 12
CRJs. One will be retired, two will be replaced
by Q400s acquired from SAS Group and nine
will be made available for sale.
Vancouver-based Harbour Air is to
become Eclipse Aviations first
designated service centre for the
Eclipse 500 in North America. It will
provide MRO support for Eclipse 500
operators in western Canada, with the
opportunity to expand into eastern
Canada and Alaska.
Mxi Technologies Maintenix system has gone
live, providing engineering, maintenance
planning and heavy maintenance support for
the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines fleet of A330
aircraft.
Permagard, a specialist in aviation paint
rejuvenation and protection, has
appointed A J Walter Aviation to
distribute its products on a global
basis.
Germanys Condor Flugdienst has been added
to the list of air carriers whose commitment to
safety standards have been officially recognised
by IATA through the IATA Operational Safety
Audit Programme (IOSA).
DAC Internationals GEN-X electronic
flight bag (EFB) system has been
approved for Class 3 installation in a
series of Bombardier regional jets.
6  Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 
14:21 Page 6
NEWSROUND-UP
Airbus granted POA by
EASA
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
has granted Airbus a single Production
Organisation Approval (POA), which replaces
the previous four Airbus POAs issued by the
French, German, Spanish and UK civil aviation
authorities. The new single POA recognises
Airbus status as a single integrated European
company, which Airbus has been working
towards since 2000.
Aeroflot Cargo aims to
improve efficiency with
MD-11BCFs
Boeing is to provide Aeroflot Cargo with three
leased MD-11 Boeing Converted Freighters
(BCFs). Boeing Capital Corporation, the
companys aircraft financing arm, structured
the deal and Boeing conducted the
modification work at subcontractor facilities in
Europe. Aeroflot Cargo, which operates four
DC-10 freighters, is leasing the three MD-
11BCFs on a multi-year basis.
PEOPLE
 Ameco Beijing has confirmed that Andreas
Meisel (above) will take over the position of GM
manager & CEO, while Chai Weixi will act as GM.
 United Airlines parent UAL Corporation has
named Kathryn Mikells, VP investor relations, to
succeed Jake Brace, EVP and CFO when he retires
on November 1, 2008. Mikells, who joined UA in
1994 as a financial analyst and has held several
leadership positions throughout the company, will
be SVP and CFO. Brace joined the company in
1988 and has been CFO since 2001. He will
continue to serve in an advisory role.
Inflight live TV revenue
soars
Annual revenues from inflight live television will
grow from less than $100m in 2007 to more
than $900m in 2012. Rising fuel prices and
downward pressure on fares are driving airlines
to pursue new revenue streams, and live
television has emerged as a potential source.
Revenues are expected to nearly double next
year, with most of the earnings going to Florida-
based LiveTV, with would-be Ku-band
connectivity provider Panasonic also benefiting.
Embraer to invest
EUR148m in Portuguese
plants
Brazils Embraer has said it would invest
EUR148m in two new plants in Portugal its
first industrial units in Europe set to make
wings and tailpieces for exports. The two
plants will be based in Evora in the south of
the country. One will build large metallic parts
for aircraft, such as wings, while the other will
work with composite materials for tailpieces.
 Qantas Airways has named Alan Joyce new
CEO, with Geoff Dixon retiring after eight years
leading Australias largest airline. Joyce, head
of Qantass low-cost subsidiary Jetstar, will take
over when Dixon steps down after the annual
shareholder meeting in November 2008.
 William Bredt has resigned from his
position as SVP and COO of Jazz Air. Bredt will
be returning to Air Canada to become its new
EVP and COO. The following executive
reorganisation has been implemented at Jazz
Air: Nick Careen has been appointed SVP
operations, Colin Copp has been appointed
SVP employee relations and Jolene Mahody
has been appointed SVP operations support.
 Timothy Canavan has been appointed VP of
maintenance and aircraft appearance for
United Services. He will lead the companys
line maintenance and aircraft appearance
teams to improve the reliability, workability
and interior cleanliness of Uniteds fleet.
Canavan previously worked for Delta Airlines,
where he worked for 22 years in an
assortment of leadership positions in
maintenance and airport operations.
AT95News_alpha:AT95News_alpha 8/9/08 14:21
Rolls and Mubadala
launch JV
Rolls-Royce and Mubadala Development have
launched a new joint venture company to
serve the Middle East aviation services
market. The JV will offer on-wing care through
Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT), and
services will include provision for a wide
range of specialist line maintenance support
services from borescoping to engine changes
for Rolls-Royce Trent family operators in the
region.
First FedEx 757-200F
enters service
In July 2008 FedEx Express launched
revenue service with the first of 12 757-200
converted freighters it is scheduled to add
over the next year, starting eight-times-weekly
flights between Memphis and Washington
National. The cargo giant is investing $2.6bn
to replace 90 727-200Fs with 90 757Fs.
Singapore Technologies Aerospaces
subsidiary ST Mobile Engineering in Alabama
is responsible for 87 passenger-to-freighter
conversions over seven years.
 Paul Kehoe has been appointed CEO of
Birmingham International Airport. Kehoe was
previously MD at London Luton and Belfast
international airports during his eight years
with the Airport Group. He is currently CEO of
Bristol Airport.
 Peter Kamenz has been appointed EVP
sales & marketing of SR Technics. He will
become a member of SR Technics group
executive board. Kamenz was most recently
CEO of Lufthansa Technik Aero Alzey.
 Boeing has appointed Swati Rangachari
as director of corporate communications
for India. Rangachari has a brief to
develop the companys communications
strategies for India, focusing on the
expansion of Boeings presence in the
country and engagement with
stakeholders there.
 Aviation Suppliers Association (ASA),
representing more than 330 global member
companies that purchase and distribute
aircraft parts worldwide, has appointed Robert
Hogan from Pratt & Whitney to its board of
directors.
Page 7
NEWS UPDATE
PRODUCTS
Evans Company is manufacturing heat
formed sinks. The heat sinks, for
aerospace use, are different from most
heat sinks, in that they are not extruded
but formed out of sheet metal. This results
in thinner sections and lighter weight in a
specified metal.
KomyMirror is a mirror designed specially
for aircraft overhead bins. It facilitates
inspection of overhead bins and helps
passengers avoid leaving behind their
belongings. The mirror also facilitates
security inspections, which leads to shorter
aircraft turn times. The KomyMirror will be
used onboard the A380.
Tecvac has introduced new Nitron flight
coatings, which it says achieve reductions
The USM-3 measures elongation and load in of erosion wear on high-performance alloy
threaded fasteners. surfaces. Comparative tests carried out
by Tecvac revealed that the coatings
Norbar has introduced the USM-3 ultrasonic reduced abrasive wear by 75 per cent.
Nitron coatings, with a hardness of
bolt meter, a compact, lightweight, field-
1800HV, can be applied to titanium, steel
portable unit that gives precise
and advanced alloy surfaces, such as
measurement of elongation and load in
aero-engine blades, at temperatures up to
threaded fasteners. Traditionally ultrasonic
measure has been a skilled task, requiring 700C.
knowledge of material properties to The Lee 281 zero leak relief valve is
determine the correct transducer diameter, designed for applications such as aircraft
transducer frequency and to interpret cowl door mechanisms, where it will
results. USM-3 is designed to overcome prevent leakage of oil onto the runway
these challenges and provide the operator when operating at normal systems
an accurate easy-to-read tool for pressure, but will activate in an emergency
determining the tension in a fastener. at higher pressures. The cracking pressure
Radiant Power has introduced SENTINEL, an of these valves is preset with capabilities
independent power supply which provides ranging from 1,300psid to 4,700psid,
ensuring zero leakage in a one minute test,
10 minutes of additional power for crash-
with a maximum leakage of one drop per
survivable cockpit voice recorders (CVRs),
as now required by the FAA on all aircraft of hour.
10 passengers or more. SENTINEL is
designed to automatically engage to ensure
continued recording after all normal aircraft
power ceases, helping to prevent the loss
of data.
Rolled Alloys has expanded its line of AL
2003 lean duplex stainless steel plate and
sheet products. Rolled Alloys now offers up
to 1 thick and 96 wide plate products. AL
2003 is a duplex stainless steel that is
nominally 21.5 per cent chromium, 3.5 per
cent nickel and 1.7 per cent molybdenum.
Characteristics include: high-strength
stress-corrosion cracking resistance, along
with general and pitting corrosion
resistance.
LiquaJet technology is a new high intensity
jet-milling process. This means plastic and
polymeric materials that could only be
reduced to a 100-200 micron average can
now be milled below a 30 micron average.
The process offers instant micronisation
with no attritional heat, no moving parts The Lee 281 zero leak relief valve is designed
and no contamination. to prevent leakage of oil onto the runway.
 Aircraft Technology - Issue 95  7
AT95News_alpha:AT95News_alpha 8/9/08
NEWS UPDATE
CONTRACTS
 Canadas ACTS has contracted Hamilton
Sundstrand to exclusively provide spare
parts support and repair services on select
airframe and engine components.
 Rossiya Russian Airlines has contracted
TIMCO Aviation Services to provide interior
reconfiguration and transition check services
for its fleet of A320-family aircraft.
 Bombardier Aerospace, Belfast, has
awarded contracts totalling more than
5.5m ($10.25m) to a number of
companies across Ireland. The contracts are
for a two-year period, and have been signed
with six existing Northern Ireland suppliers:
John Huddleston Engineering, Dontaur
Engineering, J.W. Kane Precision Engineering,
Moyola Precision Engineering, Maydown
Precision Engineering, and Nicholl
Engineering. All the companies will supply
components for Bombardiers CRJ1000
NextGen regional jet.
 Tunisian airline Nouvelair has extended
Snecma Services contract for the
maintenance of its CFM56-5A engines for a
further five years.
 Aviapartner Cargo is to provide Turkish
Airlines with full cargo-handling services
including: warehousing, ULD build-up and
breakdown, inventory control, documentation
for import and export, customs clearance,
tracing, and dangerous goods handling. The
contract covers four online stations of Paris-
CDG, Lyon, Nice, and Strasbourg and all
offline stations in France (a total of 14
airports).
 BOC Aviation has selected Thales to
provide a comprehensive package of flight
management systems for up to 47 new A320-
family aircraft. Deliveries of these aircraft will
begin in the fourth quarter of 2008.
 Aegean Airlines has selected SR Technics
for component services on the airlines fleet
of 10 737-300s. The two-year integrated
component solutions (ICS) agreement
means SR Technics will provide full
component management services including
component exchange, maintenance, repair
and logistics as well as access to its
consignment stock in Athens.
 AirTran Airways has signed an agreement
with JET Aircraft Maintenance to use its Pratt
& Whitney Global Service Partners
EcoPower engine wash services for its
fleet of 143 737-700s and 717-200s.
8  Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 
14:21 Page 8
 Bombardier has selected Parker Aerospace
as its exclusive supplier of fly-by-wire flight
control systems for all new Bombardier
widebody aircraft programmes requiring the
technology. The contract runs for a period of
10 years.
 Airbus has selected Sagem Defense
Securite, a part of the SAFRAN Group, to
supply the flight data acquisition and security
system for the long-haul version of the A350
XWB.
 Embraer has signed an agreement with
EgyptAir Maintenance & Engineering for in-
house parts repair capabilities.
 Philippine airline Cebu Pacific has selected
Avio to provide MRO services for the PW127M
engines on its ATR72-500 fleet. The contract
runs for 12 years and is valued at EUR80m.
The first engines will arrive at Avios industrial
plant in Pomigliano dArco, near Naples, in
2009.
 Asiana Airlines has selected Worldwide
Flight Services to provide cargo, ramp and
passenger handling services at stations in
Paris CDG, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Strasbourg
and Toulouse.
 Southwest Airlines has signed a contract
extension with Honeywell for the next 10
years. The OEM is to provide aftermarket
maintenance services for Honeywell avionics
and mechanical products on Southwests
737s.
 Russian airline Aeroflot Nord has opted for
ProfitLine/Yield Rembrandt from Lufthansa
Systems. The contract is for a five-year
term.
 International Lease Finance Corporation
(ILFC) has expanded its 737NG passenger
entertainment system offerings to include the
option of Rockwell Collins Digital
Programmable Audio Video Entertainment
System (dPAVES).
 GE and the UAEs Mubadala Development
Company have concluded a framework
agreement for a global partnership
encompassing a broad range of initiatives,
including aviation.
 Alaska Airlines has contracted Delta
TechOps to provide engine overhaul and repair
services for the CFM56-7 engines that power
its fleet of 737-700 and 737-900 aircraft. The
seven-year deal is valued at $200m.
 Montenegro Airlines and Embraer have
concluded a five-year Parts Pool Program
service contract. The contract covers all
Embraer 195 jets operated by Montenegro.
 Honda Aircraft Company has selected
Ametek Aerospace & Defense to supply both
primary power distribution and integrated
generator control functions on the new
HondaJet business aircraft. Additionally,
Ametek has been selected to supply circuit
breaker panels and interior cabin load
control utilising the companys patented
Amphion solid-state power controller (SSPC).
 ACTS and GE have signed a MoU whereby
the ACTS Engine Maintenance Center (EMC) is
recognised as a GE fulfilment centre for CFM
small fleet operators. ACTS will provide engine
repair, overhauls, and on-wing and diagnostic
services for select operators of the CFM56-2/-
3/-5A and -5C located in the Americas.
 Airbus has selected Rockwell Collins to
provide information management and
navigation capabilities for the A350 XWB
aircraft. This award comes in addition to
Rockwell Collins fully integrated
communication global work package, the
avionics data network, landing guidance
systems and the trimmable horizontal
stabiliser actuator (THSA) for the A350 XWB.
 Volvo Aero Services and Hamilton
Sundstrand have signed an agreement
allowing Volvo Aero Services to distribute
Hamilton Sundstrand end items to support the
operation of 737, 747, 757 and 767 aircraft.
 Aircastle has contracted Israel Aerospace
Industries Bedek Aviation Group to convert
four 737-400 aircraft from passenger to
special freighter configuration. Work on the
first Aircastle 737-400 will begin in the third
quarter of 2008.
 Air One has signed a 15-year GE OnPoint
solution agreement for the maintenance and
overhaul of its CF6-80E1 engines powering
A380 aircraft as well as its leased CF6-
80E1 engines.
 Delta Air Lines is to partner with Aircell to
install the companys mobile broadband
network on the carriers entire domestic fleet.
The system, Gogo, will enable Delta
customers travelling with Wi-Fi enabled
devices, such as laptops, smartphones and
PDAs, to access the internet, corporate VPNs,
corporate and personal e-mail accounts, as
well as SMS texting and IM services.
AT95News_alpha:AT95News_alpha 8/9/08 14:39
Exploding oxygen
cylinder blamed for
Qantas incident
An exploding oxygen cylinder has been
blamed for blowing holes in the fuselage and
floor of a Qantas aircraft in July 2008, forcing
an emergency landing. Investigators found
that the cylinder one of seven in the cargo
hold blew a hole near the wing and shot
up through the cabin floor, knocking the
aircraft's door close to the open position.
It came through the floor where a jump seat
for crew was located, but no one was in it at
the time. The cylinder also hit overhead
panelling in the cabin before falling out of the
aircraft through the ruptured fuselage. At the
time of going to press, investigators were yet
to determine what caused the cylinder to fail.
Boeing to have a hand in
Mitsubishi regional jet
Boeing will be involved in Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries regional jet, but its main focus
will continue to be on large aircraft. Nicole
Piasecki, Boeing Japan President, said that
Boeing is in talks with Japans largest heavy
machinery maker over the programme, but
declined to elaborate on the content of their
discussions.
Page 9
GEs Walter Aircraft
Engines launches new
engine derivative
Following GEs acquisition of certain assets of
Walter Aircraft Engines, GE Aviation is launching
a new turboprop derivative engine, the M601H-
80, for the utility, agriculture and retrofit aircraft
segments. The new M601H-80 engine will
incorporate GEs 3D-aero design and advanced
materials into the hot-section compressor and
turbine as well as a new nozzle guide vane
material in the gas generator and power
turbine, new materials in the combustor liner
and GEs blisk design in the axial compressor.
AFRA accredits five
companies
The Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association
(AFRA) has revealed the first five global
companies to receive AFRA accreditation:
Europe Aviation, Southern California
Aviation, Air Salvage International, P3
Aviation and Volvo Aero Services. AFRAs
accreditation process provides aircraft
owners with a trackable process that places
a priority on harvesting parts in a safe,
environmentally responsible, and cost-
effective manner, said Martin Fraissignes,
AFRA executive director.
PW308A-powered WK2
rolls out for first
commercial space flight
Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) has rolled out
the PW308A-powered WhiteKnightTwo (WK2)
launch aircraft for the worlds first commercial
passenger suborbital spaceship. We are proud
to be powering this important component of The
Spaceship Companys (TSC) commercial
spaceship programme just one year after our
engines were selected for the mother ship, said
John Saabas, EVP, P&WC. The WK2 carrier
aircraft, powered by four PW308A engines, is
being designed by Scaled Composites to release
SpaceShipTwo (SS2), the first commercial
passenger suborbital spacecraft, at an altitude of
about 50,000ft. TSC is jointly owned by Virgin
Galactic and Scaled Composites.
Rolls-Royce explores
future turboprop
applications with Mooney
Rolls-Royce has signed a MoU with Mooney
Airplane Company to discuss future RR500 TP-
powered aircraft applications. The RR500 TP
engine is the fifth new civil engine programme
launched by Rolls-Royce in 24 months.
S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S 9
AT95IndFocus:AT95IndFocus
INDUSTRY FOCUS
Bernd Kessler wants to
make his new company a
global player. Here, he
discusses how focusing on
customers and staff will
allow him to achieve his
goals, why Middle East
investment is helping, and
how he found himself
tearfully hugging former
employees in the middle of
nowhere.
10 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
8/9/08 14:32 Page 10
In my opinion:
Bernd Kessler,
CEO, SR Technics
What has been your experience at SR
Technics (SRT) in your first six months as
CEO?
I have been in the aerospace industry for
25 years. Before I joined SRT I knew about
the challenges and opportunities that this job
represents. I am somebody who likes
challenges and I am not very good at resting
on my laurels. The first six months have been
interesting in that I have spent a lot of time
addressing organisational issues, and building
up an integrated supply chain organisation
which is the backbone of every MRO. This
didnt previously exist at SRT. I have installed
a philosophy of continuous improvement. I
have used six sigma and lean principles for
about 14 years at other places where I have
worked, such as Honeywell, and I am a big
believer in it. So at SRT we are going to
embark on a lean and six sigma journey and I
am currently putting the respective structures
in place. I have also spent an enormous
amount of time dealing with customers. I am
very customer-orientated, and I guess I am
known in the industry for that. We are also on
the path to further install a customer-focused,
customer-centric culture here. I am telling my
people all the time that we are not just an
aerospace company, or an MRO shop, we are
a service company. This means we serve the
customers and must be the servants of the
customers.
What do you consider to be your mission
statement as CEO?
It is our common goal to make SRT a
global service provider. Currently 65 per
cent of our business comes out of Europe,
20 per cent out of the Middle East and 10
per cent out of Asia, with very little in North
America. I also want the company to be an
integrated service supplier; somehow we
have fragmented the way we approach
customers. I want SRT to be known as a
company that is really taking care of its
customers needs and helping them to
solve their problems. I want us to be known
as a lean company working on continuous
improvement, and to somehow be a
boundaryless company. I am not a big fan
of hierarchies. I love to be on the shop floor
talking to employees, or crawling through
aircraft with the mechanics.
What will be the likely percentages of
business by region in the future?
We want to keep our strength in Europe,
but we have to leverage our shareholders
strong networks, and the aim is to strengthen
our position in the Middle East, and gain
ground in Asia, and obviously find our space in
North America. How big that is going to be, I
dont know yet! It could be big quickly if we
make an acquisition, or it could grow
organically.
Describe your background in the aviation
industry. How are your experiences
benefitting you in your present role as CEO?
I am a mechanic by trade, so I used to be
a blue-collar worker myself. I know how to
relate to the employees, and I understand
what their needs and requirements are. I am
a mechanical engineering graduate and hold a
MBA [from the City University of Bellevue,
Washington, USA]. I then spent 20 years at
Honeywell. I started as an engineer, and
moved to North America and experienced the
components business, the aftermarket
business, and the used engines and
components business. I was headhunted to
come back to Europe, and joined MTU where I
helped take the company public. I was with
them for three and a half years [before joining
SRT].
How do you assess the present state of the
MRO industry? What are the main
challenges and trends facing companies like
SRT?
The overall MRO industry in the
commercial world is going to grow at double
check_FPA:MRO Ybook 1/8/08 15:24 Page 3

2008 Spirit AeroSystems.

For the simplest parts-replacement solutions,

just do the geometry.

The shortest route between needing replacement parts and getting them is a straight
line to the people who build those parts in the first place. At Spirit AeroSystems,
we were making structural, propulsion and flight control detail parts, and major
components for many of the worlds most popular airliners even before we were
Spirit AeroSystems. And we still do. But now as Spirit, we are able to work directly
with our aftermarket customers. Let us show you how quickly and responsively we
can provide you with precisely the parts you need, precisely when you need them.
Visit us at spiritaero.com.

Y O U R V I S I O N TA K E S F L I G H T.
AT95IndFocus:AT95IndFocus 8/9/08 14:32
INDUSTRY FOCUS
the rate of global GDP. Its fastest growing
segment is engines, followed by components
and airframe. The price and cost pressure is
going to become more intense, so the MROs
will have to find new ways to do business
and will need to step out of the past. MROs
need to integrate with customers more and
become almost seamless, whether it is
preparation, IT systems or from an
organisational perspective. MROs have to
become much more creative in managing the
supply chain; we have way too much
inventory and working capital in the
companies and airlines.
How can this be achieved?
We need to look at other industries, such
as the automotive industry, where you have
a just-in-time approach. I understand that is
a mass production industry, but there are
ways to take some of their leads and input it
into our own organisation, becoming leaner
and quicker. We need to become more
creative with engine repairs, as we still do it
in the old-fashioned way where we
disassemble something, clean it, inspect it,
and put it back together but there are
new ways to do it. Airbus and Boeing have
moving assembly lines, and we could do
similar things in our industry. It is all about
innovation, and skilled people, particularly in
the high-cost regions. There is still a place
for the high-cost MROs like us, and we are
known as a company that provides a high
quality, reliable service with skilled labour.
People education and training continues to
play a major role in our work and we are
developing our young people: we currently
have 230 apprentices in our programme.
What differentiates SR Technics from its
competitors?
There is no compromise on quality in our
business. We are proud that we do have
extremely skilled people. If I was to go into
our engine shop and talk to a mechanic,
they would know every rivet in the aircraft
and could explain it, because these people
are doing the same thing they have done for
30 years. This is the foundation of our
company, and something you will not
necessary find in low-cost regions. If you
look at certain services we deliver to the
customer, such as MRO for the CFM56-5C,
we are the market leader. The aircraft
maintained by us are flying an average of
100-150 hours a year longer than our
competition. So we dont want to be the
cheap ones in the market, nor the most
expensive, but the ones providing the best
value service.
12 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
Page 12
What impact is the new ownership [a UAE
consortium] having on the company?
We have three split shareholders:
Mubadala own 40 per cent, DAE own 30 per
cent, and Istithmar own 30 per cent. In
contrast to our previous ownership structure,
our new shareholders are strategic, long-term
investors, and SRT will be the centrepiece for
the bigger global investments they are
making. They have invested in us and will
continue to do so to make us a bigger, more
global company. This is a blessing for us.
Investment companies in the Middle East only
invest in high quality companies that have the
potential to grow and be successful in the
future, and they see SRT as one of these.
What will the investments they make in SRT
be used for?
The company is in the final phase of
identifying this. We are looking at new
high-tech repair technology, new products and
platforms. We are also seeking knowledge on
how we can reinvent a way to serve
customers.
What has been the personal highlight of your
aviation career?
When I first moved to North America, I
became GM of a MRO facility in Alabama, in
the middle of nowhere. I was there
throughout the mid-90s and had 350 people
under me. I went over there a German
coming to Alabama and they didnt
understand me, I couldnt understand them,
but I managed to get there in the end. And
with the staff behind me we went to war and
won. In other words, we doubled sales in
three years, we tripled profitability, and we
won pretty much every competition we went
in to. But here comes the highlight three
As a leader you have to strive
to stay down to earth, be
attached to the foundations of
the business, which is the
customers and the people, and
you have to find a way to leave
a legacy behind you.
years ago I attended an air show in Atlanta,
which is very close to this facility. I called my
former secretary and said I was in Atlanta
and would like to swing by the plant, this
being 10 years after I left. People usually
took their leave at 3 oclock in the afternoon.
I finally arrived at 4.30 but still the majority
of people were waiting to shake my hand. As
a leader you have to strive to stay down to
earth, be attached to the foundations of the
business, which is the customers and the
people, and you have to find a way to leave a
legacy behind you. So from a sentimental
perspective clearly this was one of the
greatest experiences I have had. I had tears
in my eyes; all the people were lined up to
see me and I was shaking hands and hugging
people. So this was something I did right!
What strides are you making to make sure
SRT is seen as an environmentally-friendly
company?
There are currently people who really
promote the green issue. I believe there is a
big difference between promotion and doing.
We at SRT do things such as engine
washing, and even in our main facilities, e.g
Zurich, we have extremely
environmentally-friendly sewage systems. We
dont go out and put a green banner in front
of our door, we just do it. There is also an
enormous effort taking place on the
engineering side to reduce fuel consumption.
If you save 0.3 or 0.4 per cent of fuel
because you build a more efficient engine,
then this is an enormous achievement. And
that is what we are doing. As responsible
citizens and companies we need to drive this
in the industry, but many of the things that
we need to do are being done already, but
silently.
To conclude, what is your message to the
outside world?
SRT will stay with their fundamental
strengths, which are quality, reliability,
safety, and customer value, but as we move
forward we will become a much more
customer-centric and people-focused. We will
focus on innovative service solutions,
technology and we will become a global
company. I consider myself the chief people
and customer officer, because without
customers and people a company cannot be
successful. I am also the ambassador of
this company and I will be out there,
globally, to promote it. At SRT we can build
on very strong fundamentals but there are
some things I want to change to make this a
real global player and innovator in the
industry. I
check_FPA:ATEM95 8/9/08 09:19 Page 3

Size Matters

When selecting a PMA provider choose the big dog.

5000 parts all backed by the worlds largest PMA manufacturer.

Whether you are looking for savings on just one part, need someone to
look at product improvement or want a full scale PMA Management and
Y E A RS

Development Program, HEICO has the perfect solution tailor made for your
companys needs. In addition to our 5,000 PMA parts, HEICO offers state of
the art component repair and distribution facilities to help meet your cost
containment goals. With a 50-year track record that speaks for itself, its easy
to see why HEICO is the number one choice of the worlds largest airlines.
So, if you need a partner thats trusted in the air to keep prices on the ground, 1 9 5 7-2 0 0 7

contact HEICO at (954) 744-7500 or visit www.heico.com

AT95IndFocus:AT95IndFocus
INDUSTRY FOCUS
Leaning into success
PAS Technologies
In a six-month timeframe
PAS Technologies moved
from below average
performer to one of the
industrys best. In the past
two years the company
experienced nearly 35 per
cent organic growth. CEO
Robert Weiner describes
the journey.
14 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
8/9/08 14:32 Page 14
I
n July 2006, Gridiron Capital purchased PAS
Technologies from Praxair and tasked new
CEO Robert Weiner with turning the
company around. Weiner, who has extensive
MRO experience and implemented lean
programmes globally six times recalls: The
immediate impression was a huge amount of
opportunity in the company. But it was a
business that was not really performing well
from an operations standpoint. It was below
average in terms of turn times, customer
satisfaction and deployment... It was clear we
had to do something quick. Weiner
immediately assembled a management team
made up of big company veterans and within
two weeks of arriving at PAS Technologies, he
had lean training underway.
At that time the company had six facilities,
five in the US, and one in Singapore. Lean
involved a week-long training programme
followed two weeks later by a Kaizen (rapid
change) event. This was a five-day focused
lean event where about eight people (mostly
hourly workers, some salaried and a leader)
got together and focused on improving
processes. For example, compressor blades
had a 30-day turnaround time and by the end
of the five-day event it was 20 days. The
following week the team tied up all the loose
ends and then planned for the next Kaizen
event. The training and implementation
involved six Kaizen events over six months at
each plant.
The biggest challenge that emerged during
implementation was changing PAS Technologies
culture from that of a major corporation into a
nimble, customer-focused company. Weiner
believes it is critical to make decisions fast,
stay close to the customer, react quickly and
have minimal bureaucracy. Of course some
people were resistant to new processes. I
brought in some people to run process
excellence, and had to change several people
either you get it or you dont he says.
check_FPA:ATEM92 10/3/08 10:50 Page 3

Someones using AAR.

Passengers dont care that the part is on the way when their plane is on the ground.

Thats why more airlines are turning to AAR for reliable and affordable nose-to-tail

MRO services, parts, and supplies.

With comprehensive solutions for commercial customers, AAR is an easy choice in

a tough industry where everyone is looking for a competitive advantage and

another on-time ight.

Powering Innovation.TM
Aviation Supply Chain | MRO | Structures & Systems | Aircraft Sales & Leasing 1-630-227-2000 | www.aarcorp.com
AT95IndFocus:AT95IndFocus
INDUSTRY FOCUS
The biggest challenge that emerged during lean implementation was changing PAS Technologies culture from that of a major corporation into a nimble,
customer-focused company.
In six months, the company
achieved an 80 per cent
reduction in overdue backlog,
60 per cent improvement in
inventory turns, 67 per cent
improvement in on-time delivery
and 58 per cent decrease in
turnaround time.
16 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
8/9/08 14:32 Page 16
The production teams faced an added
challenge implementing the lean processes
because PAS Technologies aerospace parts
repair process steps are strictly regulated by
OEM and FAA regulatory controls and cannot
be changed. The implementation of lean also
highlighted problems in certain process and
smoothed the production process. If for
example, a tooling machine was not working
properly, the time pressures showed this up
and forced a solution.
According to Weiner, between July and
December 2006, PAS reduced turnaround
time for 20 product lines. In six months, the
company achieved an 80 per cent reduction in
overdue backlog, 60 per cent improvement in
inventory turns, 67 per cent improvement in
on-time delivery and 58 per cent decrease in
turnaround time. The following year saw
fine-tuning of the processes and further
improvements in operations.
Peter Salcedo, production control manager,
Airfoil Business Unit, Heico Aerospace was
impressed with the improved turnaround times.
He says: PAS have given us a seven-day
turnaround on the parts that we sent to them.
We run on monthly production goals and, if they
continue to improve their process and provide
us with faster turnaround, well be able to meet
our production goals faster.
Weiner attributes the companys success
to PAS holding several advantages. It is a
company with a lot of capability and
processes in house. Lean is a big part of the
change. Instead of parts moving across the
plant, they are moved down the line in a
process such as a U-shaped cell. This saves
time and manpower.
Expanding the business
Originally PAS Technologies was known in
the aviation business for its wear-resistant
proprietary coatings and cold-section
component repair, primarily on Pratt & Whitney
(P&W) engines. But as the JT8D and JT9D
engines aged, they had less requirements and
the company decided to branch out into other
forms of repair. Weiners vision is that PAS will
become a full-service provider. Over two years
the company transitioned to hot-section
repairs and significantly increased repairs on
GE and Rolls-Royce engines as well as
accessories and airframe repairs. Weiner
expands: We do the repairs that go into the
engines and are just getting into engine
modules. We have started to do overhaul and
repair on Honeywell modules. Eventually we
aim to go into engine overhaul.
Airlines and overhaul shops have moved
away from managing multiple suppliers and
parts. To this end PAS Technologies has
developed Aviation Material Management
Services (AMMS) whereby parts are
purchased, repaired and inventoried. PAS is
check_FPA:ATEM95 3/9/08 13:14 Page 3

N_Xk`kkXb\jkfp%
   
=ifdk_\k`d\n\i\Z_`c[i\e#n\Xi\]XjZ`eXk\[Ypk_\gfn\if]`^_k%=fi
k_fj\f]ljXk;\ckXK\Z_Fgj#`ke\m\i^f\jXnXp%Kf[Xp#effe\_Xjdfi\
\o`Yc\Xe[\]Z`\ekjpjk\dj`egcXZ\kf[\c`m\ik_\gXikj#k_\j\im`Z\#Xe[
k_\i\jlckjpfle\\[n_\epfle\\[k_\d%K_Xkjn_Xk`kkXb\jkf\Xiepfli
Ylj`e\jj\m\ipj`e^c\[Xp%
      K_Xkjn_Xk`kkXb\jkfp%

  

DXc`b
Jfef]>XipD%
;\ckXK\Z_FgjK\Z_e`Z`Xe#8kcXekX

nnn%[\ckXk\Z_fgj%Zfd
n nn%[\ckXk\Z_fgj%Zfd
AT95IndFocus:AT95IndFocus 8/9/08
INDUSTRY FOCUS
Robert Weiner, PAS Technologies CEO.
PAS has further diversified into
military and oil field applications
in order to spread risks across
various businesses. These two
applications allow the company
to use similar processes and
are not adversely affected by an
increase in the oil prices.
18 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
14:32 Page 18
essentially providing material management
services to customers through its own
inventory or by locating parts and completing
the repairs.
Today the company has over 700 staff
and eight facilities (two more recent plants
added one in Ireland and one in
Romania). The Ireland facility (SIFCO) was
acquired a year ago. This facility conducts
hot-section turbine blade and vane repair.
These repairs have been EASA certified
and it is anticipated that they should soon
be FAA certified.The Romanian plant is
within the Cameron Romania facility in
Campina, Romania, and supplies industrial
coating and finishing for gate valve
components.
Target market
The companys main customer base is
North America (65 pert cent) with the
remainder an equal balance between Europe
and Asia Pacific. PAS Technologies aims to
grow its European and Asian markets. Weiner
says: To take a part in an overhaul in Europe
at the moment is expensive, it is cheaper to
send it to the US and we are growing our
market for European customers.
Airline customers include: Delta Air Lines,
American Airlines and United Airlines. The
company also deals with engine overhaul
shops such as: Pratt & Whitney, GE and
Roll-Royce as well as the independent
overhaul shops such as: MTU, Lufthansa
Technik and SR Technics.
Weak dollar
Weiner agrees that the industry is facing a
lot of challenges at the moment top of the
list are the oil price and the weak dollar. He
stresses that the challenge is to take
advantage of the situation. He explains: The
weak dollar is a big opportunity for us. We can
not only attract European and Asian
companies to send work to the US, we also
attract companies in Europe to partner with
us in expanding US operations. Our
opportunity is to continue to move work into
the US and open more facilities.
PAS has further diversified into military and
oil field applications in order to spread risks
across various businesses. These two
applications allow the company to use similar
processes and are not adversely affected by
an increase in the oil prices. Weiner adds:
Oilfield repair is comparable to aerospace
work and requires the same type of quality
requirements. It is just as lucrative but with a
different economic fluctuation. When the
aerospace business hurts because of the oil
industry, the oil industry should be doing well.
Goal
Weiners goal is to grow the company tenfold
in less than 10 years. He says the company is
enjoying large increases in orders from existing
customers, has already nearly doubled sales
and plans further expansion: We will grow both
organically and through acquisitions and JVs.
What are his words of wisdom to other
aerospace companies trying to overcome
difficulties? Think like a big company but act
like a small company. His advises never to get
tangled up in bureaucracy. If you want to win a
new contract, you sometimes have to make the
decision within the hour. It is easy to get into big
strategic thinking, rather than just make the
change. He adds that it is also important to be
innovative in service delivery and be the best in
product development and believes that if the
company is the best supplier, all doors will open.
Currently, PAS Technologies on-time
delivery rate is closing in on 100 per cent.
Implementation of the lean system has
allowed the company to repair and deliver
parts in a fraction of the time promised by its
competitors. We blow the competition away.
As an example, we deliver compressor blades
consistently in 18 days or less while our
competition promises to deliver in 25 days,
which would require their customers to carry
inventory, concludes Weiner. We keep our
promises, which earns us business. I
check_FPA:EYB2007_CHECK 13/9/06 5:00 pm Page 3

The CFM engine you need, when you need it.

Whatever type of spare CFM engine you need to lease, whether its for a Boeing 737 or an Airbus A320,
we can supply it. Not only that, we guarantee availability within 24 hours on most models from one of our
ten engine pool locations around the world.
In addition to a complete inventory of engines, we also offer a full range of customised, flexible solutions,
including short-term lease, operating lease, engine sale and exchange.
And as CFM specialists, we have the technical expertise to simplify your maintenance planning and
make your job easier. If youd like to browse further, visit www.ses.ie
AT95tech:AT95_TECH 8/9/08 15:02 Page 20

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

Although hydraulics is a mature technology, the most recent aircraft

programmes such as the 787 and A380 have benefited from new
concepts in this field. And, looking to the future, electric systems are
gradually becoming more prevalent. Jason Holland reviews current
developments.

Advances in hydraulics and

actuators
H
ydraulics is the primar y means of
generating power and directing and
metering the appropriate force to
activate flight control surfaces. This
enables the proper management of all
the functions that keep an aircraft in a
correct and stable flight. Hydraulic
systems are found in both primar y and
secondar y functions on the aircraft.
Primar y functions include the horizontal
stabilizers, ailerons, elevator rudder and
spoilers functions which create the
ability to control the aircraft in
three-dimensional space. On the
secondar y power side, the systems
provide hydraulic power to landing gear and
brakes to place the aircraft in a secondary
configuration for landing. As Donald Payton,
director, customer management, Eaton
Hydraulic Systems Division, says: Aircraft
hydraulics is very much like the major
functions that take place in the human body
with the heart as the pump, the brain as the
control system or metering valves, the
circulatory system to carry the fluid through
the hoses, tubes and fittings and the
muscles or the actuators that perform the
mechanical functions.
Higher pressure hydraulics are now being
applied for the first time to commercial

20 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S

check_FPA:ATEM95 26/8/08 14:54 Page 3
Component Excellence...
Superior Systems...
Responsive Global Support
Eaton is one of the worlds
leading suppliers of pre-
mium products and systems
to aerospace and other
industries that demand
the utmost in performance
while maintaining low life
cycle costs. We also support
our products with organic
MR&O capabilities that as-
sure repaired products per-
form like new or better.
Realtime responsiveness
is available worldwide
through our website and
WWW.EATON.COM/AEROSPACE / TEL (949) 253-2100 / FAX (949) 253-2111
Customer Connect Portal.
And, every Eaton program
within the company and
every location is linked by
a single operating philos-
ophy one face-to-the-
customer.
Eaton component
excellence, superior
systems, aftermarket
global support and fully
committed to the busi-
ness of exceeding
customer expectations.
AT95tech:AT95_TECH 8/9/08
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
An illustration to show the flight control systems that Parker are developing for the 787.
22 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
15:02 Page 22
aviation in order to reduce weight. The big
challenge for suppliers has been to get up
to 5,000 psi on commercial platforms.
Most current generation aircraft operate at
3,000 psi, but new aircraft such as the
787, A380, and A350 XWB will reach the
5,000 psi mark marking a real step
change in the commercial arena. While the
A380 is the first commercial aircraft to use
a 5,000 psi system, higher pressure
systems have been running on military
platforms for considerably longer. Eaton,
which is providing the hydraulics systems
for the A380, has used legacy technology
developed from military programmes and
has been working with systems that test up
to 8,000 psi. With the A380 being such a
huge and heavy aircraft, Airbus wanted to
reduce weight so the decision to have a
higher pressure hydraulic system makes
perfect sense. The A380 systems have now
been in service for almost for a year and
according to Payton have done extremely
well, with no significant operational issues.
This has now set the standard for future
programmes.
Parker Aerospace won the contract to
provide hydraulics for the 787 programme,
and is also implementing new technologies.
According to Jon Jeffery, director of
hydraulic systems, another technology
advancement has been to eliminate the
need for roller bearings in the hydraulic
pump, items which tend to be very costly
with lead times that continue to increase.
He says: We have made a lighter weight
and smaller envelope pump by going to a
fluid film-bearing, which has journal
bearings instead of roller bearings in it.
That technology has been qualified now and
is ready to fly.
Another new technology Parker has
applied to the 787 programme is a valve
that automatically bleeds air out of the
system. This auto-bleed valve uses a laser
to detect air in the system and opens up a
valve to purge the air out. Jeffery says: It
is completely safe it has an orifice small
enough that it wont allow a large stream of
fluid out, but in addition we have
safeguards to ensure that it only operates
on the ground. The benefits are that it
keeps air out of system so that the fluid
bulk modulus is improved, thus there is a
better fluid column in the actuators. It also
avoids the possibility of detriment in terms
of moisture or erosion due to the air in the
fluid.
While the basic principles have never
dramatically changed, there are still things
which can be done to improve the
performance and reliability of hydraulics. A
huge pressure on suppliers is to provide as
environmentally-friendly systems as
check_FPA:ATEM95 3/9/08 12:03 Page 3

Together, we can design systems that

will lighten the load.

Parker Aerospace advanced hydraulic, ight control, and fuel systems are designed
with ultra performance capabilities that signicantly lighten the load for our customers,
whether in weight, maintenance, or cost. Our systems experience is second to none
in the industry, and is helping to launch new aircraft platforms smoothly into service
around the globe. And our worldwide customer support keeps the load light, throughout
the life of the programs. Together, our future looks bright, not to mention light.

www.parker.com

2008 Parker Hannin Corporation

AT95tech:AT95_TECH 8/9/08 15:02 Page 24

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

Parker has implemented new technologies for the 787,

such as a fluid film-bearing using journal bearings, and
an auto-bleed valve.

Eaton has used legacy technology developed
from military programmes in order to move to a
5,000 psi system for the A380.
possible. One major way to improve future
hydraulic systems would be to make them
less noisy. Jeffery states: There are many
demands for aircraft to be quieter,
especially the business jets. The engines
and landing gear are getting quieter on
them, so the next noisiest thing tends to be
the hydraulics. We are working on a quiet
aircraft initiative for new projects.
Elsewhere, advances are being made in
fly-by-wire flight control systems. Parker is
creating a generic fly-by-wire system on the
Bombardier CSeries, which serves as a
complete flight control system. Glenn
Zwicker, chief engineer for Parkers control
systems division, hydraulic system,
comments: By generic we mean a system
that is designed to be a backbone system
that is modified to different requirements.
The basic technology components are there
and then we modify them so they can be
reused on multiple platforms. These include
the computers, actuators, electronic units,
and electronic motor controllers. Because a
fly-by-wire flight control system is extremely
expensive to develop from scratch, the
advantage of this approach is that portions
of it can be reused and made customisable
to different aircraft. According to Zwicker,
Bombardiers intent is to develop a fly-by-wire
system once with the supplier, then leverage
this knowledge across multiple platforms.
Reacting to customer demand, changes
have also been made in the offerings of
control systems suppliers. It is a recurring
trend in the aviation industry that OEMs
are looking to decrease the number of
suppliers they have, with a preference for a
select band of risk-sharing partners with
broader capabilities. It is no different in the
field of hydraulics and flight control. Both
the companies interviewed for this article,
Eaton and Parker, are making moves to
fulfil this criteria. Eaton is currently
positioning itself to become a complete
systems integrator, and has made many
acquisitions and seen considerable growth
in recent years. Parker is able to offer
expertise in all three control systems
areas: hydraulics, flight control and fuel.
Zwicker says: Working together and
offering a system solution is what
customers are looking for. We see that
customers are relinquishing major system
requirements to suppliers, they just dont
have the engineering staff to develop the
entire system anymore.
Electric power
Looking beyond todays aircraft
programmes, an area of real interest is the
use of more electric power to augment the
flight controls, and applying smart controls
on actuators to maximise efficiency. Payton

24 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S

56137_210x278_Engines.qxd 05.08.2004 8:36 Uhr Seite 1

We are passionate about engine maintenance. At SR Technics, we love a challenge. Thats why we offer the worlds fastest
turn-around times for engine overhaul. But we dont stop there. Were constantly looking for better, more efficient ways to
maintain your engines and increase time on wing. We know that challenges are a way of life for you too. Whether you need
prompt, reliable engine overhaul or complete fleet management services, we can be your source of competitive advantage.
For more information, visit www.srtechnics.com or call +41 43 812 65 67.
AT95tech:AT95_TECH 8/9/08
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
We are looking at this
unconditioned maintenance as
the next focus. We are moving
to put intelligence into our
components as we develop the
next generation of systems, to
offer monitoring, grading of
performance, and to be able tell
the operator when it is time to
remove a component.
Eric Alden, director of
customer support, Eaton
Eatons engine driven pump for the A380.
26 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
15:02 Page 26
says that this does not necessarily mean
ever getting totally away from hydraulics per
se. The use of more electric power would
mean less power is used off the engine,
making the overall system more efficient.
The need for fewer separate systems would
also mean that power could be provided as
close to the point of use as possible.
Boeing took what appears to be a step
change when it chose to rely more on
electric motors to drive its hydraulic
equipment, while Airbus is exploring the
possibility of having more electric power on
the A350 XWB.
Payton says: It is a technology that is
evolving. The industry is trying to create
that step change in order for Boeing and
Airbus to offer across the board the 20 per
cent improvements in operating cost that
the airlines are requiring. We are looking at
electric motors to drive hydraulics,
electronic controls and digital controls to
effect that change and deliver that
capability. We are also looking at zonal type
hydraulic systems, which reduce the
distribution footprint and create an
opportunity to have the power sources
closer to the users to increase overall
efficiency.
Two technologies that are driving
improvements in this area are
electro-hydrostatic actuation (EHA) and
electro-mechanical actuation (EMA). EHA,
the more developed
technology of
the two,
eliminates the
need for
central
hydraulics and is a power-by-wire system.
Parker describes EHAs as self-contained
hydraulic systems controlled by high-power
electronics, which allow the use of
traditional hydraulic actuation configurations
for fault tolerance. EHAs can provide
reduced system weight and power
consumption, and improved maintainability.
On the Gulfstream G650, a back-up
electrical system is being used, along with
two conventional hydraulic systems. The
electric back-up hydraulic actuator operates
in two modes; as a conventional actuator
when there is hydraulic pressure available
from the hydraulic system, and as an
electric actuator. If there is a loss of
hydraulic pressure in both hydraulic
systems then an electric motor pump self-
contained within the actuator goes into
electric back-up mode, for emergency flights
only. While this is a modest beginning,
EHAs are slowly beginning to make their
presence felt.
EMA technology is also beginning to
make its way into primary flight controls. In
the past, EMA has been avoided in primary
flight controls primarily because of the
potential for it to jam. It is critical for there
to be no jam possibility if the surface on a
primary flight control jams and cannot be
moved, it can cause loss of control of the
aircraft. Fortunately, much is being done to
resolve this problem. Just as has been seen
with fly-by-wire, EMAs are making their way
into the military marketplace on primary
flight controls as well as UAVs. Zwicker
comments: We are developing a
jam-tolerant EMA actuator to deal with EMA
jams, to disconnect the output and continue
to fly with the other actuator or the
other half of the actuator. We are
also doing some work with
Airbus now for EMA technologies
on its next narrowbody
transport. Airbus is taking a
different approach, saying Okay,
we can stand a jam on certain
surfaces because we have got
enough other surfaces to control it,
so lets make it simple and try to
detect when we are about to have a
failure before it happens.
It is this kind of fault detection
which is likely to be the next area of
technology to be heavily developed.
Prognostic health monitoring, as it is
known, is a method of using sensor
technology built within actuators and the
system to determine characteristics of the
actuator that are degrading and are about
to fail. This means maintenance action can
AT95tech:AT95_TECH 9/9/08 15:44 Page 27
be taken before a fault occurs and,
critically, when it is convenient to do so. If,
for example, part of the system is going to
fail within 10 hours and the aircraft is down
overnight, removal and replacement can
occur that night so no scheduled
revenue-flight is lost. By contrast, if there is
a failure today it means taking an aircraft
out of revenue service, resulting in
cancellations and delays. So the
advantages of this prognostic technology
are obvious.
Eric Alden, director of customer support
at Eaton, concurs: We are looking at this
unconditioned maintenance as the next
focus for Eaton. We are moving to put
intelligence into our components as we
develop the next generation of systems, to
offer monitoring, grading of performance,
and to be able tell the operator when it is
time to remove a component. And if we can
develop a technology where we can forecast
failure before it happens, then we can
minimise downtime and maximise the
aircrafts operational footprint.
Shifting balance?
So will electric actuation take over
hydraulics in the future? Not completely,
says Zwicker. Hydraulics has still got its
place in the market; it is still a very
advanced technology. There are a lot of
advances in the actuation concepts that
use hydraulics, and were seeing more
electric technology. But I dont think
hydraulics is completely going to go away. I
think what we are going to see is a more
balanced blend between hydraulics and
electric actuation.
Dominique Van den Bossche, chief of
flight controls for Airbus, has highlighted
the OEMs vision for the most modern
aircraft, the likes of the A380, A400M and
A350 XWB, as having two hydraulic systems
and one electric system. But for the
generation after that he hopes to have two
electric systems meaning that there will
still be one conventional hydraulic system.
Before this can become reality though, a
few problems will have to be resolved. The
technology is clearly not ready at the
moment; EHA or EMA actuators are
considerably heavier than conventional
hydraulic actuators, and are also larger in
size, more expensive and less reliable. In
addition to advantages already discussed,
from a systems perspective, they become
less apparent as the size of the aircraft
gets smaller. Zwicker observes: The
systems advantage has to do with the
distribution of hydraulic lines, vulnerability
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
and the amount of hydraulic systems.
Electric technology is not advanced enough
yet to compete with hydraulics on an
actuator-to-actuator basis. So we will start
to see it used more in larger transports
rather than smaller ones.
For Payton, the move towards electric
systems actually means a need for more
hydraulics in the short- to medium-term. The
use of EHAs on the A380 has caused more
hydraulic pumps and other hydraulic
equipment to be on the aircraft than ever
before, so for the current state of the
technology, the reduced need for conventional
hydraulic systems is something of a A generic fly-by-wire system is being
developed for the Bombardier CSeries by
misnomer. But the evolution into EMA
Parker, meaning it can be customised for
architectures will certainly reduce the need for different aircraft but the backbone remains the
hydraulics, and that will inevitably cut into same.
todays traditional hydraulics applications.
Payton says of the future: The balance is
never going to shift completely as I think
hydraulics will always have some application
on aircraft. Yes, the balance is going to shift
to a degree, but we are still 15-20 years out
before we see any EMAs making their way
onto primary flight controls. Hydraulics is still
a hard technology to beat. I
Standard Hardware
Electrical Wire,
Lamps and Bulbs for
Interior and Exterior Lighting
Appointed for total fleet support by AIRBUS ATR DORNIER EMBRAER EUROCOPTER PILATUS
Guaranteed Supply from Regional Warehouses
Consolidating > 500.000 Part Numbers from more than 2.500 Sources
Please visit us at the following exhibitions:
- Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas in Long Beach, California
09 - 11 September 2008 Booth 567
interturbine Logistik GmbH - Africa Aerospace & Defence in Cape Town 17 - 21 September 2008
Hall 1, Booth 1S6
THE ONE STOP SOURCE - MRO Europe in Madrid 24 & 25 September 2008 Booth 528 and 530
INTERTURBINE LOGISTIK GMBH WORLDWIDE MATERIAL SUPPORT WWW.ITLOGISTICS.DE
Germany +49 4191 809 300 France +33 5 34 40 0670 UK +44 1480 377 111 Czech Republic +420 234 280 160
USA / CA +1 818 232 5919 TX +1 817 633 8377 FL +1 786 337 8144 WA +1 425 644 5544 NC +1 817 891 2020
Canada +1 450 632 0647 South Africa +27 11 826 1167 P.R. China +86 10 8048 6340 ext. 4029 Singapore +65 654 69858
India +91 99 4551 9691 Australia / NSW +61 2 4272 3200 Australia / QLD +61 7 32 81 8904 Japan +81 80 3246 2076
S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S 27
AT95DPScheckBoeing:dps AT95 11/9/08 09:38 Page 2
AT95DPScheckBoeing:dps AT95 11/9/08 09:38 Page 3

COMMERCIAL AVIATION SERVICES

At Boeing, providing support solutions that maximize the

success of your operations and the lifecycle of your fleet is an

around-the-clock commitment. In addition to an Operations

Center thats ready to respond 24/7/365, Boeing provides the

most comprehensive range of capabilities in the industry.

Capabilities tailored to your specific requirements. For a

partnership you can count on every minute, year after year.

AT95tech:AT95_TECH 8/9/08
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
Developments in aero-engine
bearings
One day the shafts of
aircraft engines are likely to
be supported by magnetic
bearings. In the meantime,
there have been big strides
in monitoring the condition
of conventional bearings in
order to predict imminent
failures. Bernard Fitzsimons
reports.
30 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
15:05 Page 30
T
he ball and roller bearings used
to suppor t the rotating machiner y
are critical elements of aircraft
turbine engines and have represented
a continuous engineering challenge
throughout the jet engines 70-year
histor y. As FAG Aerospace points out,
they must be low in weight yet able to
withstand high speeds and
temperatures in a demanding
operating environment of cor rosive
exhaust products, contamination and
high cyclic and vibrator y stresses.
Cur rent requirements include higher
power density, increased life and
improved reliability.
Cor rosion-resistant materials and
coatings help improve ser vice life and
reliability, while integrated bearing
systems whose surrounding parts become
an integral part of the design are helping
meet demands for reduced system and
life-cycle cost, better performance, simplified
installation and reduced weight.
Based in Schweinfurt and part of
Germanys Schaeffler Group along with
Barden in the UK and Stratford,
Ontario-based FAG Aerospace Inc., FAG
Aerospace has developed bearings for both
the GEnx and Trent 1000. The highly
integrated bearings use special
heat-resistant steels and incorporate what
were formerly adjacent components as well
as vibration damping mechanisms and
housing parts. We had to develop a
completely new design for the main shaft
and gearbox bearings, says Franz-Josef
Ebert, head of sales and product
check_FPA:ATEM95 8/9/08 17:00 Page 3

SKF Aer
A
Aerospace
ospace
SKF Aer Aerospace
osp pace - Aftermarket
Aftermarket Services
Services e provides
provides world-class
world-class ccom-
o -
om
ponent mai maintenance,
intenance, rrepair,
epairr, aand
nd ooverhaul
veerhaul ser
services
vices tto
o the gl
global
ob
bal
aaviation
viation ccommunity
om
mmunity on the aer aerospace industrys
ospace indus mostt ad
trys mos advanced
vanced
e
aapplications.
pplicationss. With af aftermarket
termarket services
servicces ranging
ranging from
from aeroengine
aeroenggine
EHDULQJUHSDLUWRDLUIUDPH\E\ZLUHPDLQWHQDQFHDQGVSDUHV
EH DULQJ UHS
DULQJU SDLUU WR DLUIUDPH\
PH \E E\\ZLU
ZLUUH PDLQWHQDQFH DQGVSDU
QG VSDUHVH
support,
suppor t, SKF
SK Aerospace
KF Aer ablee to
ospace is abl to customize
customize its unique engineering
unique engine eering
aandnd maintenance
maintenance capabilities
capabilities toto offer
offerr the aerospace
aerospace marketplace
marketplaca e
int egrated solutions,
integrated ssolutions, which maximize
maximize reductions
reductions in the total
total cost
cos
o t of
oownership
wnership without
w ccompromising
ompromising thee q quality performance
uality or per formance of o the
aapplication.
pplication.

Please
Pl Europe
ease visit us during the MRO E pe aatt our B
urop Booth
ooth 647

For mor
For moree ddetails
etails :
www .skf.c
. om//aer
a ospace
www.skf.com/aerospace
ATEM 95 DPS AW file prf2:Layout 1 8/9/08 15:21 Page 1

WHERE AIRLINES
COME TO DO
BUSINESS
6th 7th May 2009, Olympia Grand Hall, London, UK

THE PREMIER EVENT IN EUROPE FOR TECHNICAL

PROCUREMENT AND AIRLINE SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

Announcing expo launch sponsors

PLATINUM SPONSOR GOLD SPONSOR

SILVER SPONSOR BRONZE SPONSOR

ATEM 95 DPS AW file prf2:Layout 1 8/9/08 15:19 Page 2

8O0LD %

www.airlinepurchasingexpo.com
Tel: +44 (0) 207 579 4864

Every exhibitor GUARANTEED one-on-one meetings

with airline & MRO buyers from all over Europe

THE DESTINATION OF CHOICE FOR EVERYONE

INVOLVED IN AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE
AT95tech:AT95_TECH 8/9/08 15:05 Page 34
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
Rolls-Royce BR700 engines turn on bearings from FAG Aerospace.
development. Our primary goal was to
achieve low weight and high performance
capability together with high reliability. That
was a particular challenge for our engineers
and for the production at our two
manufacturing sites in Schweinfurt and
Stratford.
Development of the engine bearing
concepts started in 2005, the first
prototype bearings were produced in 2006
and the first engine test runs took place
later that year. FAG plans to make the
bearings for the GEnx at Stratford in
Canada initially and in Schweinfurt as well
from 2009.
34 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
FAG also supplies bearings for the
A380s GP7200 and Trent 900; the
A340-500/600s Trent 500; main shaft and
gearbox bearings for the Pratt & Whitney
4000; and the integrated main shaft
bearing arrangement for the Rolls-Royce
BR700.
FAGs bearing refurbishment and
remanufacturing service covers third-party
bearings as well as its own products.
Intended to cure the surface imperfections on
the functional bearing surfaces that can be
induced by the operating environment and
ultimately reduce service life, the service aims
to restore them to as-new condition. The
check_FPA:EY2008_CHECK 1/10/07 4:43 pm Page 3

ONE
new engine fits an entire family of regional jets.

The SaM146.
Introducing PowerJets new regional jet engine, the SaM146. Its the first
and only engine designed and developed specifically for regional jets. And
commonality is the key word. One size fits every jet in the family. By developing
a single engine type that is configurable for an entire fleet, costs are significantly
reduced on everything from engine management to training, from tooling to
spares. The SaM146. One unique engine. One substantial money-saver.

For further information visit www.powerjet.aero

PowerJet is a joint venture between Snecma (Safran group, France) and NPO Saturn (Russia). Propulsion Solutions
AT95tech:AT95_TECH 8/9/08 15:05 Page 36

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

diagnosis determines imperfections including

wear and fatigue so that the appropriate
refurbishment and remanufacturing processes
can be defined in order to remove life-reducing
effects from the functional surfaces often
enabling bearings to be put back into service
rather than replaced.
SKF Aeroengine Bearings UK part of the
Swedish companys aero-engine sub-group that
also includes MRC in the US and SKF Avio in
Turin, Italy and its predecessors have been
supplying bearings to Rolls-Royce since early
in the last century. Applications include the
Trent 500, 700 and 800, and in 2005 the
company was selected as primary supplier for
the main shaft bearings and related
components of the Trent 1000. In 2007 it was
appointed sole supplier for five years. SKF
also supplies main shaft and gearbox
bearings for both the Trent 900 and the
Engine Alliance GP7200 used by the A380.
The company has invested heavily in new
machine tools and production systems in
recent years. Since 2003, to enable
Rolls-Royce to order and receive bearings
within 30 days as part of its 40-day engine
initiative, SKF has reduced throughput times
for main shaft bearings from 70 days to well
under half that. It has also applied the cell or
channel concept commonly used in higher
production volume factories to the smaller
volumes associated with aero-engine bearings.
In conjunction with MRC and Avio, SKF can
also repair bearings and other components in
the US, the UK and Italy. As well as repairing
main-shaft bearings for Rolls-Royce, the
company says it has a growing market for
refurbishment of components for engine
overhaul facilities and power generation
companies.
At the end of 2007 SKF and GE Aviation
agreed to invest $28m in establishing a new
company to manufacture and repair bearings
for General Electrics large-aircraft engines,
including the GEnx. Venture Aerobearings,
owned 51 per cent by SKF and 49 per cent by
GE Aviation, opened officially in Charleston,
South Carolina, in July 2008. SKF had two
facilities in Charleston already: SKF Aero
Bearing Service, which opened in 2000, and
MRCs specialty bearings manufacturing
operations, which moved to South Carolina
from Jamestown, New York in 2006. The new
facility was still being equipped at the time of
the opening, but expects to employ 100
people by the time it reaches full production
toward the end of 2009.

Purdue University's Dimitrios Peroulis with one of the wireless sensors being developed to detect Failure detection and warning
impending bearing failure in jet engines and the probe station used to test them by recreating the Active magnetic bearings, which are used
extreme conditions inside engines. already in many less demanding

36 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S

check_FPA:EY2008_CHECK 28/9/07 1:29 pm Page 3

TALENT TECHNOLOGY EXPERTISE

Your Single Source for Aviation Component Services

We love to see your parts come in the door.

We just dont want them hanging around very long.
Your world runs at a breakneck pace.
The faster we repair and ship your parts, the sooner youre
back in business. We stake our reputation on fast turnaround,
high quality work, delivery as promised.
While you watch the calendar, we watch the minutes.
No dead time, no loss of momentum.

And it doesnt stop there.

Check around. Other suppliers provide limited services. But
PAS Technologies offers a diverse product portfolio, from
surface-enhancing materials to component repair and overhaul
solutions, to custom-tailored material management.

Diversity. Superior quality. Speed.

For more information, visit www.pas-technologies.com or

call +1-816-556-4600

PAS Technologies locations:

Kansas City, Missouri Hillsboro, Ohio Miramar, Florida
Tulsa, Oklahoma Phoenix, Arizona Singapore Ireland
AT95tech:AT95_TECH 8/9/08
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
SKF Aeroengine Bearings UK is supplying main shaft bearings for the 787's Rolls-Royce Trent 1000.
38 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
15:05 Page 38
applications, would have major benefits for
turbine aero-engines. Because they support
the shaft by electro-magnetic force from a
ring of magnets rather than steel balls or
rollers, they promise to reduce weight and
friction losses while avoiding wear to the
bearings. They would also be expected to
eliminate the need for lubrication systems,
increase operating speeds and
performance, improve monitoring, diagnosis,
prognosis and correction capabilities and
provide reductions in emissions, noise and
fire hazards.
There has been a lot of research in the
field on both sides of the Atlantic. Earlier
this decade the European Commissions
Magfly programme, led by MTU, looked at
magnetic bearings for smart aero-engines.
One aspect of the work saw the
development of a whole engine design
using active magnetic bearings, while
associated work packages involving bearing
manufacturers, software suppliers and
universities looked at optimising the
mechatronic system for aero-engine
applications, developed a whole system
model and examined their application as
an element of smart engine technology.
Operationally, another advantage of
active magnetic bearings would be the
ability to monitor and adjust the stiffness
and damping of the shaft by adjusting the
force developed by individual magnets,
minimising the transmission of unbalance
check_FPA:ATEM95 4/9/08 17:41 Page 3
AT95tech:AT95_TECH 8/9/08 15:06 Page 40
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
An advanced engine vibration monitoring system from Vibro-Meter will monitor the Sukhoi SSJ-100
Superjet's PowerJet SaM146 engines.
forces to casings and mountings. The
smart engine technology investigated as
part of the Magfly programme
demonstrated the ability to detect
extremely small faults, such as a 0.1 per
cent deviation in asymmetry. The method
involves applying extremely small probing
forces, too small to affect the magnetic
levitation, which are tuned in real time
according to a calibrated model and
instantaneous speed of rotation. Signal
processing then extracts the information
about any deviation from perfect condition
in the rotating shafts and blades.
Detecting wear and potential failure of
conventional engine bearings is difficult
because of their inaccessibility, but a
growing array of techniques has been
developed to monitor their performance and
identify precursors of failure. The Engine
High-precision cylindrical roller bearings and Alliance GP7200 for the A380 uses an oil
three-point bearings from FAG Aerospace are debris monitoring system (DMS) similar to
suitable for very high temperatures and speeds that on the General Electric GE90 and some
for applications including aircraft engines. military engines which automates the
process of monitoring the magnetic
particles or debris in the engines oil
system that can be a sign of impending
bearing failures. Conventional chip
collectors use a powerful magnet to collect
magnetic particles from the oil system.
These are inspected periodically by
unscrewing the magnetic chip collection
40 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
plug and examining the chips it has
collected. The results, GE says, enable
operators to be more proactive in
maintenance decisions and to prevent
mechanical failures that could cause
in-flight shut-downs or increase
unscheduled maintenance.
Where traditional chip collectors require
a mechanic to remove the chip plug to
check for particles, the DMS is an
electronic chip detection and counting
system. It performs all the functions of a
conventional magnetic chip collector, but
adds an electronic sensor to continuously
count the particles it collects and notify
operators and maintenance management of
potential issues. The output can be
combined with a trend monitoring system
such as GEAEs Remote Diagnostics for
real-time analysis and notification of
impending bearing, gear and shaft wear
events.
GE typically recommends that chip
collectors be checked at maximum intervals
of every 350 flight hours to every 400 flight
cycles. Some operators check them daily,
while others check them only during
scheduled maintenance. By enabling the
same monitoring to be done continuously
without the plug being removed DMS
reduces the additional line maintenance
cost and the risk of problems such as
system contamination during or after
reassembly.
Meggitts Vibro-Meter subsidiary has
developed engine monitoring units for the
A380s Trent 900 and both the Trent 1000
and GP7200 for the 787, as well as a
replacement for the 777s advanced engine
vibration monitoring unit. With Boeing and
CFM International it developed an
Advanced Airborne Vibration Monitor
(AAVM) for the 737, which provides early
information on potential CFM56 engine
bearing deterioration. Available both on
new aircraft and as a retrofit, the AAVM
uses advanced algorithms developed by
CFMI to analyse data from engine sensors.
It was developed to address a long
standing problem with the engines number
four bearing.
In 2006 Vibro-Meter agreed with Sukhoi
Civil Aircraft and Snecma to develop and
supply an advanced engine vibration
monitoring system (AEVMS) as standard
equipment for the Superjet 100 regional
airliners PowerJet SaM146. As well as
providing a cockpit display vibration
indication and condition monitoring, the
AEVMS will acquire data to support cold
fan trim balancing of the SaM146, by
AT95tech:AT95_TECH 8/9/08 15:06 Page 41

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

calculating the weight to be added or
removed from the engine fan during
maintenance engineering on landing. In
addition, the AEVMS enables condition
monitoring of the engine making
maintenance more convenient and
effective for ground personnel.
Wireless sensors
Meanwhile, the US Air Force (USAF) has
funded researchers at Purdue University to
develop wireless sensors able to detect
when critical bearings are close to failing. To
do so, the sensors must be resilient enough
to survive temperatures of around 300C, as
well as exposure to oil and high rotational
forces. They must also be small enough to
avoid interfering with the bearings
themselves.
The devices are based on micro
electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)
technology, which combines electronic and
mechanical components on a microscopic
scale. The engine application is an
outgrowth of earlier work on electronic
sensors to measure the temperature
inside critical bearings on communications
satellites such as those supporting
attitude control wheels, whose failure can
cause the satellite to depart from its orbit.
With a prior indication of impending
failure, controllers would be able to switch
to a back-up and avoid the loss of orbit.
A similar warning could also help
operators avoid the consequences of
engine bearing failure. The Purdue
researchers have demonstrated the new
sensors ability to detect impending
temperature-induced bearing failure
significantly earlier than conventional
sensors, enabling an engine to be shut
down before it fails. They do so by directly
monitoring the temperature of engine
bearings, where conventional sensors work
indirectly by monitoring the temperature of
engine oil.
The MEMS devices do not require batteries
and transmit temperature data wirelessly.
starts spinning, while the oil temperature has potential applications in commercial
rises much more slowly, and the steady stat aircraft and products such as cars. As
temperature of the cage is much higher than Peroulis comments, Anything that has an
that of the oil. When a failure mode was engine could benefit through MEMS
induced the cage temperature started to rise sensors by keeping track of vital bearings.
immediately, a rise of 5C above the steady In conclusion, great strides in
state indicating the onset of failure, but aero-engine bearing R&D have enabled
there was no noticeable increase in oil companies to be able do detect bearing
temperature until four minutes after the start deterioration and likely failure. And although
of the failure. By that time the cage magnetic bearings are not yet standard in
temperature had risen more than 100C. the aviation industry, if the technology
As well as the military aircraft the USAF continues to develop, they may very well be
has in mind, the sensor technology also in a few years time. I
PUT YOUR COSTS
ON A DIET.
Every airline knows that reducing
bills is good for its corporate health.
Snecma Services has a three stage
fitness program to lower
maintenance costs on CFM56
engines. First we use diagnostic
technology to extend on-wing
life and remove the expensive
unexpected. We minimize shop
intervention levels and maximize
shop engine savings. And finally
we review all options when
replacing parts. Repair versus
replacement. And a choice of new
or serviceable OEM materials. Do
you have an appetite to save more?
Visit www.snecma-services.com
Snecma Services. For a longer life.

Power is provided using a technique called

inductive coupling, which uses coils of wire to
generate current.
Data from the devices will not only indicate
whether a bearing is about to fail but also
how long it is likely to last before it fails, says
Dimitrios Peroulis, an assistant professor of
electrical and computer engineering at Purdue
University.
Experiments using a bearing test machine
with a sensor mounted directly to the bearing
cage have shown that the cage temperature
increases dramatically after the bearing

S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S 41

AT95tech:AT95_TECH 8/9/08
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
A new lease on life
trends in aircraft recycling
The escalating oil price and
increasing awareness of
environmental issues
means that OEMs, MROs
and operators are
constantly researching
innovative ways to save
costs and recycle materials.
From recycling CFRP to
plastic cups, the aviation
industry is developing a
myriad of solutions.
42 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
15:29 Page 42
B
etween 6,400 and 8,500 aircraft
will reach the end of their lives
over the next 20 year s. The
number could be even higher because
energ y costs may force ear lier than
expected groundings of less
fuel-efficient models. End of ser vice
does not mean end of life, according
to AFRA (aircraft fleet recycling
association), a non-profit inter national
association led by Boeing and
dedicated to improving aircraft
sustainability. AFRA has three main
objectives: to ensure the safe and
responsible management of the
wor lds aging aircraft fleet; safe and
economical retur n of aircraft, par ts
and engines to revenue service; and safe
return of reclaimed materials back into
manufacturing. Since its founding in 2006,
AFRA members have been involved in the
scrapping of 6,000 commercial and 1,000
military aircraft and the remarketing of
2,000 aircraft. AFRA membership is
currently over 30 and is open to any
company, university group, or technology
developer with a focus on safe and
sustainable solutions for the reuse of
aircraft parts and assemblies from older
aircraft. AFRA receives no public funding
support; it relies on contributions from its
members and audit fees.
The association aims to achieve its
objectives by developing and distributing
check_FPA:ATParis_CHECK 23/4/07 9:55 am Page 3

2007 United Air Lines, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Its not magic, its maintenance.

Avionics Engines Landing Gear Line Maintenance

unitedsvcs.com

U330_Ad_ATE&M.indd 1 4/16/07 9:50:44 AM

AT95tech:AT95_TECH 8/9/08 15:29
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
Approximately 150-200 aircraft are retired each year specifically for disassembly. A narrowbody can take two to three weeks to dismantle, whereas a
widebody can take three to five weeks.
"AFRA's accreditation process
provides aircraft owners with a
trackable process that places a
priority on harvesting parts in a
safe, environmentally
responsible, and cost-effective
manner,"
Martin Fraissignes, AFRA
executive director
44 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
Page 44
industry-developed best practise
documents. William Carberry, AFRA deputy
director and a project manager at Boeing
Commercial Airplanes, explains that 18
months ago the association started
conducting regular tele-conferences
(incurring no travel costs) to establish
which services best practice should cover.
A table of contents was formed to include
such items as: how the facility is set up;
the training of individuals; how to pull
apart an aircraft, how to keep parts
separate and how to document different
aircraft parts. From this a best practice
guidance document was developed.
Establishing best practice ensures that
all the aircraft parts are accounted for.
Carberry expands: What happens once you
pull the parts off? If the contract is not
written correctly there is no knowledge
about the rest of the airplane. You hear
horror stories of how unscrupulous
practitioners take the aluminium, then
throw the seats and interiors into the
Scottish sea and it floats up onto the
beach. Currently AFRA working groups are
developing best practice documents for:
engine reclamation, electronics reclamation
and recycling targets.
Best management practices (BMPs) are
implemented through an audit and
accreditation programme, conducted by an
independent auditor. In July 2008 the first
five global companies received AFRA
accreditation: Europe Aviation, Southern
California Aviation, Air Salvage
International, P3 Aviation and Volvo Aero
Services. AFRAs accreditation process
provides aircraft owners with a trackable
process that places a priority on
harvesting parts in a safe, environmentally
responsible, and cost-effective manner,
states Martin Fraissignes, AFRA executive
director. Our associations strong belief is
that end-of-service aircraft owners will
preferentially seek out companies with
check_FPA:MRO Ybook 1/8/08 14:43 Page 3

A pooling of expertise
in civil and military aircraft maintenance
Sabena technics, a TAT Group subsidiary founded in 1968, is a leading
independant MRO provider of maintenance services
to civil and military operators.

With 3,300 employees across 15 sites worldwide, we provide our

customers with tailor-made cost effective solutions.

Maintaining your trust will always be our priority.

www.sabenatechnics.com Your success is our concern

AT95tech:AT95_TECH 8/9/08 15:29 Page 46
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
GE Aviations material scrap reclamation recycles engine hardware. GEs partner in this project is
SOS Metals, whose core competency is recycling aviation material.
operations that have been independently
reviewed and accredited to embody the
expertise and process fidelity that will
realise the greatest value for their aircraft
at the lowest risk.
Recycling jumbos
In a recycling project that is separate
from AFRA, Boeing is looking for an airline
partner willing to retire three 747s over a
three-month period. Carberry explains that
the company aims to recycle the aircraft
PAMELA aims to demonstrate that about 90 per cent of aircraft parts and materials can be safely
recycled or reused.
46 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
using non-aerospace technologies and the
ultimate target is to recycle 90 per cent of
the third 747. Many challenges surround
this project, not least because of the way
aircraft interiors are treated (with fire
retardant). One cannot put them into a
typical plastic or metal recycling operation
because of the toxins involved. Carberry
says: The point is that these technologies
are not used in aerospace, but once we
establish that they work, we bring the two
groups together to figure out how to make
a business out of it. He stresses that
Boeing does not see recycling as a core
business, but is keen to use its brand and
integration capabilities to help facilitate
solutions to problems facing the aviation
industry.
Evergreen Maintenance Center (EMC) is
the worlds largest commercial aircraft
maintenance, paint, and storage facility
and is one of the AFRA founding members.
Steve Coffaro, VP of marketing, sales
and customer service at EMC says: We
were involved from the beginning as we
have been disassembling and dismantling
aircraft for more than 20 years and believe
in AFRAs important goals. In terms of the
handling of hazardous material, we have
been improving our green approach for
about five years now. We are still
researching different technologies in order
to continue down that path.
Worldwide, Coffaro estimates that
anywhere between 150-200 airframes are
retired every year specifically for
disassembly. Typically, there is a list of
items that the particular customer will
request to have removed from the aircraft,
which defines the workscope. If it is a
large workscope, a narrowbody aircraft will
take anywhere from two to three weeks to
dismantle, whereas a widebody can take
three to five weeks. EMCs sister company,
Evergreen Trading, is responsible for the
dismantling of aircraft. Typical models
include: Boeing, Airbus, Embraer and some
older MD types. At the highest peak
Evergreen took apart 36 airframes a year.
The average this year is 15-20 airframes.
In France a EUR2.4m project was set up
in 2005 to test environmentally-friendly
recycling procedures on retired airliners.
The PAMELA (Process for Advanced
Management of End-of-life Aircraft) project
has its home at Tarbes airport in the
southwest. Set up by Airbus and fellow
partners waste management firm SITA,
EADS CCR, Sogerma Services and the
Prfecture des Hautes-Pyrnes the
project aims to demonstrate that around
check_FPA:ATEMF2008 27/6/08 15:31 Page 3

8 O b j e c t i v e s
200
e M a t e r ial Costs
Red u c
A r o u n d Time
u r n
Reduce T
v e Q uality
I mp r o

save your
e s fo r 2008 are to mer
Your primary
ob je ct iv
, w h il e imp roving custo
rs
lions of dolla
company mil
quality.
service and
ith:
a cl e s y o u w ill be faced w
e obst
These are th
TMIL\QUM[
4WVO7-5
QVKZMI[M[
7-5XZQKM
^M[]XXTQMZ[
=VZM[XWV[Q

M
UX I V QM [ SVW_\PI\\P
:7 K W onent
Z    T M I L QVOOTWJIT5 re ly o n A v iation Comp
7^M ls is to
eet their goa 5)XIZ\[
best way to m
QZ X ZM NM ZZ M L []XXTQMZWN8
\PM
SolutionsI[
ers:
m p o n e n t S olutions Off
Aviation Co
-5XZQKQVO
 7 ^M Z   [I^QVO[WNN7 Z\[
Q
Z 9 ] I TQ \a\W7-5XI VITTWZLMZ[
Q;] X M ZQ W
a W Z V M ` \ L I a[PQXXQVOW
LI
Q!! [IUM

o u r m i s s i o n is clear.
Y
ay.
Call ACS tod

26451 Curtiss Wright Parkway, Suite 106

Richmond Heights, OH 44143
)$;
www.acs-parts.com
AVIATION COMPONENT SOLUTIONS
AT95tech:AT95_TECH 8/9/08
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
Between 6,400 and 8,500 aircraft will reach their end of their lives over the next 20 years. One of AFRAs objectives is to ensure safe return of
reclaimed materials back into manufacturing.
We were looking at our
material purchases across the
board - nickel, cobalt and
rhenium. And we were seeing
the market prices becoming
very unstable So we started
looking at other ways to help
stabilise our material prices. We
decided to try and recycle what
we had already put into the
engines.
Larry Dening, GE Aviation
48 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
15:29 Page 48
90 per cent of aircraft parts and materials
can be safely recycled or reused.
Following successful tests performed on
the A300, Airbus has applied PAMELA to
its latest product, the A380, using the
static test cells for not only dismantling
the frame and components, but also
recycling the parts. This includes the
challenging tasks of eco-efficient
separation and recovery and recycling of
high technology materials (such as
aluminium alloys and composite material).
The PAMELA project has managed to
successfully extract carbon fibre strands
from composite parts, including CFRP
structural panels. The fibres were harvested
via a specialised process known as
pyrolysis which involves thermal
decomposition in an inert atmosphere. The
aim of this technology is to break down and
separate the resin and release fibres while
preserving their various characteristics, so
they may be subsequently recycled and
used in new aeronautical applications.
However, carbon fibre recovery is a
complicated process and this is undergoing
further refinement and optimisation. The
goal is to eventually devise a large-scale
industrial process that will deliver similar
economies-of-scale to existing treatment of
aerospace aluminium reclamation.
The main objectives of the dismantling
of the A380 static test airframe are: the
adaptation of the disassembly and
dismantling processes to the large
aircraft; the test of new dismantling
processes; and the definition of recovery
channels for conventional aluminium as
well as other advanced materials. The
next step in the programme will be to
industrialise the process and enable its
utilisation globally, so as to be prepared
for the middle of the next decade, when
the number of retired Airbus aircraft will
grow significantly.
In order to guarantee the highest
recyclability ratio of each Airbus aircraft,
the various lessons learned are being used
to improve the design of the next
generation, and also to industrialise, in an
eco-efficient and economically viable
manner, the identified processes applicable
to each type of material.
Engine scrap reclamation
Moving away from the airframe, a variety
of engine parts can also be given a second
chance. Launched with Turkish Airlines in
AT95tech:AT95_TECH 8/9/08 15:29 Page 49

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

December 2007, GE Aviations new material

scrap reclamation programme recycles
engine hardware. GE supply-chain black
belt Larry Dening explains the origins of
the programme: We were looking at our
material purchases across the board
nickel, cobalt and rhenium. And we were
seeing the market prices becoming very
unstable... So we started looking at other
ways to help stabilise our material prices.
We decided to try and recycle what we had
already put into the engines.
GE Aviations partner in this programme
is SOS Metals, whose core competency is
recycling aviation material. GE and SOS
visit customers, assess their current shop
process for scrapping material and work
with them to develop a tailored
reclamation programme. After the material
is collected it is transported back to SOS
Metals west coast service centre in
Gardena, California, where it is sorted by
alloy type and goes through a documented
certified destruction process. Then each of
the alloys is cleaned, processed and
prepped for inclusion into a master melt
that produces new ingots for use in the
aviation industry. Don Shadrow, SOS
Metals president, point out: This process
ensures that these valuable
aerospace-quality super alloys remain
within the aerospace supply chain.
Dening stresses that this programme is
not just centred on GE, but aims to benefit
the entire aviation industry: We even help
other engine OEMs because SOS will offer
back material that is unique to Pratt &
Whitney and Rolls-Royce, so they can put it
back into their material stream to help
them. Initially only high-pressure turbine
(HPT) blades were used, but now the
programme has extended to most engine
parts. The one thing we have not figured
out yet is how to recycle composite
material, but we are taking back any of the
metal and recycling it now, he says.
A major benefit for the airlines is that
there is no cost involved for them and that
GE pays for the material. (Ironically, some
airlines are paying companies to remove
old engine material.) Current customers
include: Germanys Lufthansa; Atlantic
Southeast Airlines, Comair, Standard Aero
from the US; Batavia Air out of Indonesia;
and EVA Air, China Airlines and China
Southern Airlines in the Far East.
The biggest hurdle to scrap reclamation
is usually export. Many airlines are to
some degree state-owned, and meeting
legal parameters to ensure that the scrap
fulfils export requirements is a challenge.

S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S 49

AT95tech:AT95_TECH 8/9/08 15:39 Page 50

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

GE is working through getting the material

out of countries and showing the
authorities that it is a legal operation.

Carpet
Looking at the interior of the aircraft,
traditionally worn carpet has been placed
into dumpsters destined for landfills. Delta
Air Lines purchases about 65,000 square
yards of carpet each year for installation in
the cabin of its aircraft. In November
2007, Delta began recycling its carpet in
Atlanta in cooperation with Mohawk
Aviation Carpet and is now sending its old
carpet to Mohawks reclamation facility for
recycling. The airline put in place a
standardised procedure for removing the
material from each aircraft needing
replacement. A 53ft trailer was placed at
Deltas Atlanta maintenance facility for the
collection and storage of worn aircraft
carpet.
Delta Airlines purchases about 65,000 square yards of carpet each year for installation into the
cabin of its aircraft. In 2007 it began recycling its aircraft carpet. After eight months, Delta successfully
diverted 12,080 square yards of material
from Atlanta area landfills. Delta is the first
of Mohawks aviation customers to
implement such a programme. Jennifer

Aircraft Maintenance Outsourcing

Conference & EXPO 2008
REGISTER for the Americas
NOW ONLINE
www.amoexpo.com 3-4 December 2008, Cobb Galleria, Atlanta, GA, USA
Chaired by Delta TechOps, GA, USA
Featuring presentations such as:
zJames Mach, Director of Aircraft Maintenance Operations, Northwest Airlines - Outsourcing Aircraft Heavy Maintenance
zFrank Buratti, Director of Maintenance, JetBlue Airways - Managing the MRO/Customer Interface - When Things Go Wrong
z'U%LOO-RKQVRQ&KLHI6FLHQWLF 7HFKQLFDO$GYLVRU)$$,QLWLDO 5HFXUUHQW+XPDQ)DFWRUV7UDLQLQJ
zSOXVVSHDNHUVIURP6+ ($HUR6WUDWHJ\)URVW 6XOOLYDQ*RRGULFK$HURVWUXFWXUHV$0(7(./XIWKDQVD7HFKQLNDQGPDQ\PRUH

Sponsored by:

C ES
A
PLble for
EE ila es
FR av airlin
a
For further information, please contact Alice Macklin
Tel: +44 (0)207 579 4850, Email: alicem@aviation-industry.com

50 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S

AT95tech:AT95_TECH 8/9/08 15:39 Page 51
Otenti, Delta Environmental Services
project manager says: By implementing
this cost-neutral recycling program Delta
was able to streamline the carpet
de-installation process and bring an
intangible saving to the programme through
improved mechanical and work process
efficiencies.
Recycling plastic cups
Of course passengers generate a large
amount of recyclable waste. Recent studies
estimate half of all waste generated onboard
aircraft is recyclable. In 2007,
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
generated an estimated 2,500 tons of trash,
1,250 of which could have easily been
recycled. With this in mind, the airport is due
to install 12 large volume compactors at six
locations throughout the airfield as the
infrastructure backbone of a centralised
trash and recycling system. One trash and
one recycling compactor will be installed at
each location. Compactors will be equipped
with electronic key systems to record use,
and capacity sensors to monitor internal
pressure. Built-in communication systems
AVIATION INDUSTRY
NEWS
The largest global daily news
service in the aviation industry
You can reach many aviation industry professionals worldwide and track who is seeing your ad.
So, isnt it now time you promoted your company on THE Daily Newsletter!
To advertise, please contact the Sales Team: Tel. +44 (0) 207 579 4840
Ask for either: Simon Barker, Alan Samuel or Philip Tozer-Pennington
or Email: simonb@avaition-industry.com
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
will automatically dial for a pick-up when the
units approach full capacity, maximising load
volumes, reducing ramp traffic, and reducing
costs.
Airlines will be trained on how to operate
the system and what material can be
recycled. Billing will be administered through
a pay-as-you-throw system, currently used in
the airport terminal. Trash compactors will
cost $5 per throw, while use of the recycling
compactors will be free. Sea-Tac offers
financial incentives to airlines that encourage Sea-Tac International will install 12 large
recycling and reduce disposal costs says volume compactors at six locations throughout
Jeremy Webb, spokesman for Port of Seattle - its airfield as the infrastructure backbone of a
aviation environmental programs. The project centralised trash and recycling system.
has been approved by airlines and
installation is expected to be complete in late
2009, early 2010.
In conclusion, one can see that a large
amount of R&D and capital is being invested
in creating viable recycling solutions. It is
crucial that industry stakeholders continue to
give the issue sufficient priority, so that they
not only lessen the impact of air travel on the
environment, but also reduce operating costs
and create optimal conditions for future
growth. I
ONLINE
ALL THE TIME
www.aviationindustr yg roup.com
S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S 51
AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:25 Page 52
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
MRO focus:
Spain and Portugal
Benefiting from an
B
oth Spain and Portugal play host to a
excellent location and hot, MRO giant, and beyond this there is a
thriving aviation industry. Location is
sunny weather, Aircraft perhaps the biggest advantage these
Technology presents a countries can offer, with companies being
accessible to Europe, Latin America, Africa,
round-up of the
and the Middle East. Looking at Spain first,
maintenance companies its major player is Iberia Maintenance, whose
that can be found in Spain parent company is Iberia Airlines. The
company is based at Madrid Barajas Airport
and Portugal. and has maintained aircraft for 80 years. It is
the worlds ninth-largest maintenance
company and the largest in southern Europe,
with a third-party turnover of 574.2m. In
2007, Iberia Maintenance carried out 1,273
aircraft inspections, including 1,002 A checks,
244 C checks and 27 D checks. It also
performed maintenance tasks on 145 aircraft
engines, 34 auxiliary power units (APU), and
68,083 components.
Iberia Maintenances primary task is to
support Iberias fleet of A320-family, A340,
757, and MD-80 aircraft types with
maintenance services covering airframes,
engines and components. On the third-party
front it boasts more than 100 airline
52 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
customers worldwide. These include British
Airways, Continental Airlines, Olympic Airways,
Meridiana, AtlasJet, Onur, and Chinas
Southern, Xinjiang & Xiamen Airlines. The
companys MRO facilities cover a combined
area of 200,000m2, with seven hangars in
total (including two painting hangars). The
company has an engine test cell capacity of
120,000lb, with APUs and thrust-reverser
shops. Its workshops also include an
automated wheel and brakes facility, sheet
metal installations, composites, structural
damages, galleys, interiors, and painting.
Finally, Iberia Maintenance has an avionics
and components shop.
A major recent development in Spain has
been the formation of a 50:50 joint venture
between Iberia Maintenance, via its subsidiary
Iberia Tecnologa, and Singapore Technologies
Aerospace (ST Aerospace), to create Madrid
Aerospace Services. The new company will
specialise in the maintenance of Airbus
landing gear. Its initial focus will be to
maintain the landing gear assemblies of
A320-family, A330 and A340 aircraft. Its
stated aim is to broaden the maintenance
check_FPA:ATEM95 8/9/08 16:23 Page 3

Our work... flies with you.

Put your fleet in our hands. Because at Iberia Maintenance we provide the best facilities and
professionals for maintaining your aircraft. Near 220,000 m2 specialized maintenance complex,
featuring Hangar 6, the perfect place where our technicians and professionals can apply
cutting-edge technology so our work... flies with you.

IBERIA MAINTENANCE Commercial & Development Direction. Madrid - Barajas Airport, La Muoza. 28042 Madrid, Spain.
Phone: +34 91 587 49 71 / Fax: +34 91 587 49 91. E-mail: maintenance@iberia.es
www.iberiamaintenance.com
AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:25 Page 54
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
Iberia Maintenances engine test cell, which has a capacity of 120,000lb.
services already supplied by Iberia
Maintenance and ST Aerospace to Airbus
operators. According to an Iberia Maintenance
statement: The [maintenance] division is now
poised to double its revenues from outside
clients under Iberias 2006-2008 strategic
plan. This new joint venture reflects the
divisions strategy in recent years of winning
new customers while increasing specialisation
in high value-added tasks such as landing
gear maintenance.
In August, Iberia Maintenance signed a
maintenance and support contract with
Nigerias Dana Airlines under which it will be
responsible for the inspection, maintenance,
54 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
and repair of its fleet of MD-83 aircraft and
components. In late May, the company signed
a long-term agreement with DHL to overhaul
more than 80 Rolls-Royce RB211-535C37
engines operated by DHLs two major
European Airlines, DHL Air and European Air
Transport. Iberia regards the contract as one
of its most important new agreements in
recent times not only because of the more
than 80 engines involved and minimum
10-year contract term, but because of the
prestige of DHL and the potential to further
develop the unique relationship that exists
between these two global forces in aviation.
Elsewhere in Spain is the ITP Group, which
specialises in the overhaul of regional aircraft
engines. Its parent company is Industria de
Turbo Propulsores, owned by Sener
Aeronutica (53 per cent) and Rolls-Royce (47
per cent). ITP has a facility at Ajalvir, in
Madrid, which specialises in the test, repair
and overhaul of aeronautical engines. ITP has
repaired more than 6,000 engines, including
the TPE-331, PT6T, TFE-731, RR250, EJ200,
F404, ATAR 9K/C, T53 and T55. The plant
features high-tech engine and accessory
testing cells and provides a 24-hour on-wing
support service. Two of ITPs four subsidiary
companies are based in Bizkaia, Spain.
Precicast Bilbao (PCB) occupies a 20,000m2
space which is dedicated to the microfusion
of super-alloys. Industria de Tuberas
Aeronuticas (ITA) focuses on the
manufacture, supply, installation and
commercialisation of pipes and piping for
engine accessories, turbines and other
aeronautical mechanical systems.
Madrids Gestair Maintenance declares
itself to be the main maintenance centre in
Spain in the executive aviation sector. It is
equipped with its own hangar, specialised
personnel and avionics laboratory, and
performs the maintenance of the Gestair fleet
as well as for third parties. The company has
certifications for more than 30 different types
of aircraft, including the Cessna Citation and
the Dassault Falcon.
Gamesa Aeronutica is located in Minano,
outside Madrid, and specialises in the
engineering development, manufacture and
assembly of integrated primary structures or
integrated aircraft structures. These
assemblies include wings, fuselage sections,
vertical and horizontal empennages, and
engine nacelles. The engineering,
manufacturing and assembly activities not
only relate to the elements which constitute
each structural assembly, but also
corresponding systems integrated in its
structures, such as hydraulic, electrical, and
fuel systems. Gamesa Aeronutica is
check_FPA:ATEMF2008 2/7/08 10:38 Page 3
AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:25 Page 56
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
TAP Maintenance & Engineering (TAP M&E) has grown in strength since acquiring VEM-VARIG Engineering & Maintenance in 2006.
Madrid Aerospace Services, a 50:50 joint
venture between Iberia Maintenance and ST
Aerospace, has recently opened in Spain,
specialising in the maintenance of Airbus
landing gear.
56 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
particularly focused on regional and executive
transport aircraft. Gamesa Componentes
Aeronaticos, meanwhile, specialises in
manufacturing components such as large
machined parts, as well as parts and
sub-assemblies in composite materials (such
as carbon fibre, glass fibre and Kevlar).
Portugal
Next door in Portugal, Lisbon-based TAP
Maintenance & Engineering (TAP M&E) is a
European MRO giant, having acquired
VEM-VARIG Engineering & Maintenance in
2006. The company serves parent airline TAP
Portugal and third-party customers in roughly
an equal amount, with a total revenue in
2006 of 250m. Its portfolio of maintenance
services includes: the overhaul of CFM56-3,
-5A, -5B, -5C and -7B, JT3, JT8, and RB211
engines; airframe maintenance on the
A300-600, A310, A330, A340 and A320
family, 737 and Lockheed L1011 aircraft;
component maintenance; material support;
and engineering services. TAP M&E is also a
member of the Airbus MRO Network.
TAPs heavy maintenance capabilities
include C and D checks, modifications,
structural repairs, ageing programmes, cabin
refurbishment, and stripping and painting. For
line and light maintenance, it offers services
in pre-flight, transit and daily checks, A and B
checks, troubleshooting and malfunction
correction, engine trend monitoring, and pool
agreements. Its three hangars can
accommodate up to eight narrowbody and
three widebody aircraft.
In May, TAP M&E signed an agreement with
Snecma Services, enhancing the companies
cooperation in CFM56 maintenance. The
two-year deal covered the repair of high and
low pressure nozzle guide vanes for CFM56-3,
-5C, -5B, -7B engines handled by TAPs
maintenance unit, and adds to the several
others already in place. One contract of
particular importance is for the repair of
CFM56-3 HP turbine blades, which was signed
two years ago. Jorge Sobral, member of the
board of directors of TAP Portugal for
maintenance and engineering, said: We are
very satisfied with these new agreements. The
improvement of service on the parts repair
contracts allows us to add more value and
reduce costs for both TAP and our customers.
On the other hand, our overhauling for
Snecma Services creates a balanced
environment for the increasing cooperation
between the two companies. The deal is
evidence of the fact that TAP M&E has in
recent years successfully shifted from working
on JT8Ds to the CFM family of engines.
Sobral rejects the idea that the lower labour
rates in Portugal compared with other European
countries offers TAP M&E a competitive
advantage, and instead points to the
check_FPA:AT91_CHECK 13/12/07 14:11 Page 3
AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:25 Page 58
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
companys own strengths. He states: When
you compare Portugal with Germany, France or
England, or even Spain, the standard of living is
lower in Portugal that is obvious but
when you speak about TAP versus Iberia, Air
France, or Lufthansa, there is not such a
difference. It is one thing when you compare
the whole country and all the workers in the
country, but another when you compare
airlines. We believe that we can be competitive
out of productivity, out of bringing the unit costs
OGMA Indstria Aeronutica de Portugal down, not because salaries are much lower.
believes its location near Lisbon gives it an The other big player in Portugal is OGMA
advantage in market accessibility, enabling it to
Indstria Aeronutica de Portugal. It is based in
encompass important markets such as Europe
and Africa. Alverca, approximately 15km north of Lisbon.
Carlos Almeida, market strategy director at
OGMA, also cites location as a big competitive
advantage. He says: Our base in Portugal gives
us plenty of flexibility to position ourselves as
the best cost-benefit option in the western
Europe market. Besides our cost advantage, the
geographical location of Portugal puts us a step
ahead in terms of market accessibility, which
enable us to encompass important markets
such as Europe and Africa. But he also
recognises some problems that companies in
Portugal face: He explains: Some issues still
REGISTER
NOW ONLINE
www.aviationindustryconferences.com
12th Annual Latin American & Caribbean Airline
Engineering & Maintenance Conference
11 - 12 November 2008, Marriott South Beach, Miami, FL, USA
Chaired by Rimsky Buitrago, CEO, Coopesa Aircraft Maintenance, Costa Rica
A dedicated engineering and maintenance Sponsored By
event for Central and South America and the
Caribbean.
Learn from leading industry experts over two days of
conference sessions and socialize with key players in
the region during our informal networking breaks and
drinks receptions.
Supported By
Confirmed speakers include:
VEM Maintenance & Engineering, ALTA, Boeing,
Wencor, CFM, Taca Aeroman, FAA, ELFC, HEICO,
Snecma America Engine Services and more...
For further information contact Daisy Munro:
Tel: +44 (0)207 579 4850, Email: daisym@aviation-industry.com
www.aviationindustryconferences.com
58 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
have to be overcome such as the lack of
specialised mechanics in our region and the
euro versus dollar exchange rate, which has
compromised some of our competitive
advantages. Almeida believes the issue of the
lack of mechanics has not been properly faced
by the industry, and this provides a major
concern for the region.
In 2003, the Portuguese government decided
to privatise the company almost in its entirety.
The company states that: At that time, a major
drive was initiated to make the company efficient
on a world scale, to expand into even more
markets than those already explored. In three
years the turnover was doubled and this led, in
2005, to the present position with the
government of Portugal retaining one third of the
shares and private ownership, predominantly
from Embraer and EADS, owning the remaining
two thirds of the company share capital.
OGMA essentially works in two different
areas, MRO and aerostructures manufacturing.
According to Almeida, in order to better serve
distinctive markets with different service
profiles OGMAs brand structure consists of
three major segments, which are: aviation
services (commercial aviation services,
/
E
E ES
FR
R LIN
AI O N
F OR EGI
ES E R
LAC TH
P OF
AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:25 Page 59

ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE

defence aviation services, engine services, complete new business model which Almeida
component services); executive aviation; and says will definitely boost our profitability. In
aerostructures. He says of the company: Our terms of market awareness, OGMA has also
main advantages encompass our major released a new brand structure.
shareholders, our technical know-how gained
throughout 90 years of existence, a distinctive Conclusion
customer-oriented profile and cost-effective Putting Spain and Portugal MROs into a
services and solutions that leverage us European perspective, they have been and will Some issues still have to be
towards the market. continue to be put under the same pressures
Its maintenance facilities cover a total area as any other on the continent. Almeida
overcome such as the lack of
of 140,000m2. OGMA has 11 hangars, with believes the trend of consolidation among specialised mechanics in our
nine narrowbody bays, six engine test cells and independent MROs will increase. He adds: region and the euro versus
eight component workshops. An exclusive On a regional basis, these movements might
dollar exchange rate, which has
hangar is used for executive aviation, a sector be affected by a likely privatisation of some
in which the company aims to be recognised European flag carriers, which may divest compromised some of our
for specialised fleet management and complex maintenance facilities. Besides this competitive advantages.
maintenance services (both heavy maintenance consolidation, European companies have Carlos Almeida, market
and modifications). In the commercial sector, suffered from the weak dollar. This has
OGMA performs MRO on A320-family aircraft, pushed MROs, as in the example of OGMA, to
strategy director, OGMA
the Embraer ERJ-145 family, and the Embraer implement new techniques, such as lean
E-jets family. OGMAs stated goal is to position initiatives, to stay competitive. Almeida is
itself on the commercial aviation side as the confident this will bring a brighter future. He
best cost-benefit MRO provider in western concludes: Despite the tough period that we
Europe for Embraer jets together with the A320 have been through the future promises a
family. In 1998, it became the first Embraer better scenario. All the other MRO industry
Authorised Service Center (EASC) in Europe for companies in Spain and Portugal will be
the ERJ-135/140/145 aircraft, and has now hoping his words ring true. I
carried out more than 120 C checks on the
aircraft family. The A320 capability though is,
according to Almeida, definitely our
horsepower to boost further sales and
consequently to achieve a sustainable growth.
The company has accumulated experience
since 2001, and recently expanded its
customer portfoilio with the addition of Thomas
Cook Airlines. On the engine side, OGMA works
on Rolls- Royce, Turbomeca and Honeywell
TPE331 engines. These include the Rolls-Royce
T-56/501D, AE 2100 series and AE 3007
series. Finally, defence is an extremely
important market segment for OGMA, and a
further goal is to strengthen its global presence
in this sector.
Almeida states that the major challenges
currently facing OGMA are threefold, namely
the companys culture development;
competitiveness affected by the weak dollar;
and market awareness. He says: All these
issues have already been addressed through
different frontlines. To change the company
culture OGMA has structured a detailed
programme to prepare and align our top and
middle management team, which
subsequently will be extrapolated into the
whole company through workshops and
specific events to really foster the change.
On the competitiveness side, OGMA is
implementing a corporate programme focused
on lean techniques in a bid to eliminate waste
and improve services across the companys
value chain. It has also implemented a

S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S 59

AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:27
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
Narrowbody freighters
weather the storm
The current economic
climate and the high price
of fuel have had a negative
impact on the narrowbody
freighter market, but
ironically these factors
mean more feedstock will
become available. Daniella
Horwitz reports.
60 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
Page 60
L
ooking at the freighter market as a
whole, long-range widebody cargo
operators have managed to maintain
better overall margins than their short-range
narrowbody compatriots. Additionally, the
widebody fleet more easily benefits from new,
more fuel-efficient models. Thus, it is not
surprising that strong orders and deliveries
have stimulated the widebody freighter
market. There is not as much activity in the
narrowbody freighter market, but several
conversion companies feel the smaller aircraft
fulfil a niche role and still have the potential
for growth.
Indeed, narrowbody market share is
expected to increase as cost-focused major
airlines reduce domestic fleets by five to 10
per cent (when belly cargo capacity is reduced
the space is transferred to dedicated
freighters). According to the Boeing Current
Market Outlook (2008-2027), strong demand
in the next 10 to 15 years will result in a
doubling of the amount of freighters to nearly
4,000 aircraft. Roughly 25 per cent will be
new production freighters and 75 per cent
converted aircraft. By 2027 about 11 per cent
of the aircraft in service will be freighters, with
the split between wide- and narrowbody at
roughly 65:35.
At the time of going to press, the proposed
merger of Delta Air Lines and Northwest
Airlines and the filing for bankruptcy of several
smaller US airlines indicated that more
narrowbody conversion candidates were set to
enter the market. Kevin Casey, president
Pemco World Air Services, specialists in
737-300/-400 conversions says: Everyone
knows there will be a substantial increase in
availability of 737 Classics. We are going to
see this improvement beginning in the early
fall.
Brian McCarthy, VP of marketing and sales
for 757-200 conversion centre, Precision
Conversions, notes that the scene is
changing: With the reduction in legacy carrier
and major airline capacity, the ice is melting
AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:27 Page 61
on the 757s. Previously we had maybe three
airplanes available in the world, we now have
20-25 airplanes rapidly coming to market. He
acknowledges that global economy has a
dampening effect, but says there is such
demand that if platforms were available
Precision could convert a dozen 757s a year
for existing customers. Charles Perry, director
sales and marketing, Alcoa-SIE Cargo
Conversions (ASCC), another company that
converts 757-200s, feels that although
platforms are becoming available, prices are
still too high. He anticipates that the values
will decrease in the near future.
The freighter market tends to lag trends in
the passenger market by approximately 15
years as this is the time taken for platform
values to become affordable to cargo
operators. Israel Aerospace Industries Bedek
Aviation specialises in 737-300 and -400
conversions (derivatives from its 747-400 and
767-200/-300 conversions programmes) and
Dany Kleiman, IAIs CVP and GM of the Bedek
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
Aviation Group, expands on freighter age: To
convert an airplane is to give second birth to
the same platform. It does not make any
sense to take a young airplane which still
provides passenger revenue and convert it to
a cargo one. If you do, the value of the
platform is high and then it becomes
prohibitive in terms of cargo conversion. Of
course there are exceptions and the high cost
of fuel may lead to the acquisition of younger,
more efficient freighters.
Narrow leaders
The narrowbody freighter market is
dominated by the 737-300 (16.5 tonne) and
the 757-200 (28.5 tonne), with the 737-400
(22 tonne) and A320/A321 (21 to 28 tonne)
poised to enter the fray. David McDonald, VP
of Aeronautical Engineers, Inc. (AEI), which
converts 737 Classics, regards the 737-300
and -400 as the best replacement for the
aging 727 fleet. He says: While the 757 has
more capacity than the 727, aircraft prices
S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S 61
AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:27 Page 62
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
Israel Aerospace Industries Bedek Aviation specialises in 737-300 and -400 conversions. Customers include GECAS and Air Castle.
remain high enough to make the 757
acquisition cost difficult for most operations.
McDonald views the 737-400 as cost-effective
because it gives 10 full-size pallet positions
and high payload capacity. As fewer -400 were
built than -300s, the latter will probably
become the most converted model of the 737
Classic fleet.
Casey predicts that 737-400 availability
will free up in 2009, based on fleet
movements that the company is tracking, but
thinks the -300 is still the aircraft du jour: It
is cheaper and the right size for a lot of
carriers, particularly those developing a freight
network, he says. Even on long thin routes,
you have a lot of range for that sized
airplane. There are nearly 500 -400s pax
aircraft in operation. The oldest -400s are
three and a half years younger than the oldest
-300s and are due to be retired from
passenger service. While the -300s are in
favour at the moment, there will be more
opportunities for the -400s in the future.
FedEx Express currently has the biggest
757 freighter programme it aims to convert
up to 87 of the aircraft over a seven year
period. The company selected Singapore
Technologies Aerospace (ST Aero) to convert
62 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
the 757-200 passenger aircraft. In April 2008
ST Aero received a FAA STC for the
conversion. The STC is based on ST Aeros
design for the conversion, and is the only one
developed using data licensed from Boeing.
ST Aerospace is also Boeings only
authorised 757 conversion centre.
The conversion work will be done at ST
Aeros subsidiaries, ST Mobile Aerospace
Engineering (MAE) in Alabama as well as
ST Aerospace Engineering in Singapore. So
far, ST Aerospace has redelivered 17 757s
to DHL, and in July 2008, ST Aerospace
redelivered two 757s to FedEx, with the
third one recently completed in Singapore.
In August 2008, FedEx Express launched
revenue service with the first of 12
757-200 converted freighters scheduled to
be added to the fleet over the next year,
starting eight-times-weekly flights between
Memphis and Washington National. Also in
August, ST Aerospace redelivered the first
of two 757-200 aircraft to the Royal New
Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) with a multi-role
configuration that allows the carriage of
passenger, freight, mixed
passenger-freight, VIPs and aero-medical
evacuation.
check_FPA:MRO Ybook 5/8/08 12:08 Page 3
AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:28 Page 64
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
Here a 757 undergoes modification at Precision Conversions. In July 2008 the company received an STC for a MZFW increase to 196,000lb.
In July 2008 Precision Conversions and
Leth & Associates achieved an FAA STC for a
Maximum Zero Fuel Weight (MZFW) increase
on the Precision 757-200PCF. The weight
upgrade allows for a MZFW increase to
196,000lb. In total, the weight upgrade STC
allows for an additional 8,000lb increase in
payload. The STC is currently applicable to
Rolls-Royce powered 757-200s with
manufacturer line number 210 and higher.
Previously the highest operating empty weight
achieved was 72,000lb. This product can be
targeted at high-density cargo carriers that
operate both DC-8s and 727s. In the case of
the DC-8 operators, they typically had a choice
between the widebody 767-200 or the 757
(lower payload), but now the STC closes the
gap between the 757 and the 767-200 in
terms of tonnage.
A320 steps up to the plate
In July 2008 Netherlands-based leasing
company AerCap signed a firm contract with
Airbus Freighter Conversion (AFC) to convert
30 passenger A320/A321s into freighter
aircraft. AFC is a joint venture between
Russian companies UAC (25 per cent) and
Irkut (25 per cent), and European companies
64 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
EADS EFW (32 per cent) and Airbus (18 per
cent). Lars Becker, CEO of AFC, anticipates
about 400 Airbus single-aisle aircraft will be
converted from 2012 to 2026, with the first
A320P2F ready in 2011. After ramp up, AFC
plans to convert around 30 A320-family
aircraft per year. AFC states that the design
and wider fuselage section mean it is
possible to carry bulk or containerised freight
in the belly holds, which is a unique feature
in this market segment, delivering more
loading flexibility. Also, payload of the
A320P2F is set to be 1.3 tonne higher than
the 737-400 and 2 tonnes higher than the
737-300. Conversions will initially take place
at EFWs Dresden facility, with a second line
planned for Zhukovskij, outside Moscow, after
ramp-up.
Compared with the 737 Classics, there is
a higher cost of capital associated with
acquiring that A320 and A321 freighters
because they continue to be popular in
passenger service. There is also a perception
that there is a shortage of available
platforms. This could explain why the
schedule is about two years behind the
timeframe that Airbus originally gave when it
announced its intention to convert the A320
check_FPA:ATEM95 22/8/08 15:48 Page 3

www.alcoa-sie.com 1-805-426-2250
Alcoa-SIE Cargo Conversions 3990A Heritage Oak Court Simi Valley, CA 93063 USA
AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:28 Page 66
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
Airbus Freighter Conversion is to convert 30 A320/A321 into freighters for Netherlands-based AerCap. Initial conversions will take place here, at EFWs
Dresden facility. The first A320P2F is expected to be ready in 2011.
pax aircraft into freighters. However, Anja
Schwarze, spokesperson for AFC says: Based
on the aircraft age, a timeframe of 20 years
from now and A320 and 737 design service
goals, 70 per cent of the current A320/A321
fleet is suitable for conversion compared to
the 737 Classic, where only 35 per cent of
the fleet is suitable because many aircraft will
become too old. About 400 A320-200 will be
18 years or older in 2012 and therefore
suitable for conversion.
Some stakeholders in the conversion
industry, such as McCarthy, debate whether
there is room for another freighter in the
20 tonne category, but AFC expects the
A320/321P2F market share in the feeder
freighter market to reach 50 per cent.
There is also concern about the costs
involved. Casey says: The airframe is
expensive and the engineering that will go
into producing the conversion is expensive.
And because the work will quite possibly be
done in Europe, the labour will be
expensive. The total package sounds like
it will be a good airplane, but one that few
can afford.
Schwarze acknowledges that the
acquisition/leasing costs of A320/A321
frame may be slightly higher than the 737
Classic, but says cash operating costs of the
737-400 will be 20 per cent higher than an
A320P2F and 30 per cent higher for a
66 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
737-300. Cash operating costs of the
757-200SF will be 20 per cent higher than the
A321P2F. She believes that taking into
consideration Airbus extended service goal
for the A320 (120,000 FH, approval expected
2010) and the respective lifetime of the
aircraft, investment costs will quickly
amortise.
McCarthy notes that the A321P2F will be a
13-pallet position freighter; while the
757-200SF has 14 positions and Precisions
757-200PCF is a 15-pallet position freighter
that has a high payload capability. Individual
operators will have to balance any perceived
difference in operating costs with potential
on-going revenue gain for a particular asset.
Regional jets
The category down from the 20 tonne
freighter is occupied by regional jets. We find
that there are customers who move freight
around do want something a bit bigger than a
turboprop, but dont necessarily need the full
capacity of a 737 or 757... That is stimulating
interest in the BAe 146QT, explains Nigel
Benson, director sales and leasing for BAE
Systems Regional Aircraft. The BAe 146QT
freighter conversion programme was
relaunched in January 2007 and the OEM
selected Aerostar of Romania as its
conversion partner. Aerostar nominated
another Romanian company Avioane Criaova
AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:28 Page 67
to manufacture the large freight door, the E
-class interior and detailed parts. The first
aircraft in the new programme a Series
200QT is now in the UK being prepared for
delivery to launch customer Amerer Air of
Austria. The second aircraft in the programme
is a bigger Series 300QT, which is due for
completion by the end of 2008. Aerostar will
produce four to six conversions a year.
Weighty deliberations
Is there enough payload to pay for the
engines? That is the crucial question for
freight operators in this time of high fuel
and engine operating costs. McCarthy
favours the 757 as the ultimate narrwbody
workhorse. He explains: There is a perfect
mission for the 737, maybe even the A320,
but when you are talking about general
utility and flexibility, you should have enough
cargo onboard to feed these engines. There
may be difficulties ahead for cargo operators
hauling nine or 10 pallets (20 tonnes)
because they have to distribute costs
across such a narrow band. Everyone needs
to pause and think of what it is they are
trying to do with the airplanes. Operating
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
costs look set to be the number one driver
of whether to go with one platform or
another.
What makes a successful freighter
programme? There should be an ample
There may be difficulties ahead
number of airframes to feed the project. Many
of the aircraft should still be in service for cargo operators hauling nine
ensuring available spare parts, with good MRO or 10 pallets (20 tonnes)
capability across the spectrum. However, a because they have to distribute
large number of feedstock does not
necessarily mean the aircraft will be great
costs across such a narrow
freighters. For example, a large amount of band. Everyone needs pause
MD-80 aircraft in operation does not translate and think of what it is they are
to a plethora of freighters. Conversion trying to do with the airplanes.
companies must carefully consider operating
empty weights. The freighters should be as
Brian McCarthy VP of
optimised as possible, with all excess weight marketing and sales, Precision
stripped out of the design. That is critical to Conversions
flight efficiency and adding as much payload
as possible.
The decisive factors for customers will be
price per tonne mile, per pallet and per pound
combined with the maximum amount of
volume, payload and fuel-efficiency. We are
moving into a world now where fuel is
becoming a crisis and critical issue. Every
drop of fuel, every pound of cargo and every
S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S 67
AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:28 Page 68
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
The BAe 146QT programme was relaunched in January 2007 and the first aircraft Series 200QT is now being prepared for delivery to launch
customer Amerer Air of Austria.
cubic foot of volume will matter going forward
observes McCarthy.
Conundrum
Oil at $140 a barrel is a strong motivator
for the replacement of hundreds of
gas-guzzling jurassics (727, DC-8s). On the
one hand, cargo carriers need to replace their
aircraft in order to operate more efficiently but
on the other hand, they are confronted with
limited revenue sources. Demand for air
freight has dropped because of the effect of
high energy costs on global GDP. Kleiman
does not believe the industry is at the bottom
of the spiral. We dont know when and where
it will end its slope. But clearly in the next six
to 12 months we hope the trend will change.
He thinks available feedstock will drive the
pricing of the platforms and provide a real
opportunity for growth in the cargo arena. In a
year or two Bedek expects the market to
recover and grow again at the original six or
seven per cent per year. The challenge I
would say is how to bridge this period and at
the same time get ready for market demand
in the next two years, he says. I been granted an exemption to the applicable
Who does what
Airbus Freighter Conversion (AFC)
AFC is responsible for the conversion of
Airbus A320/A321-family aircraft. The
68 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
company started its operational business with
the aim of setting up freighter conversion
centres for the A320 family in Moscow and
Germany. Payload of the A320/321F varies
from 21 to 28 metric tonnes and the aircrafts
range is up to 2,100nm.
Alcoa-SIE Cargo Conversions
(ASCC)
ASCC has an approved STC for a 757-200
conversion. The configuration calls for 14 full
size pallets and one half pallet in the aft-most
position. An area forward of the 9G bulkhead
allows for supernumeraries. The conversion
takes four months and list price in $3.75m.
Conversion is accomplished at Commercial Jet
in Miami, Florida. ASCC has completed a
conversion for Babcock and Brown and the
aircraft is operated by Variglog in Brazil.
Aeronautical Engineers
Incorporated (AEI)
AEI converts 737-200/-300/-400 aircraft.
The conversions take 90 days, subject to
aircraft condition. AEIs 737-300F has just
FARs to allow up to four supernumeraries in
the aircraft forward of the cargo compartment.
BAE Systems Regional Aircraft
BAE offers a 146QT Series 200 freighter
(6.5 pallets) and 146 QT Series 300 (7.5
AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:28 Page 69

ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE

pallets.) The raw conversion period is six to

seven months. If maintenance is included, the
period may be eight to nine months.

Precision Conversions
Precision Conversions perform 757
conversions (15 pallets) in 90 to 100 days.
$4.6m is the standard price, including the
cargo handling system. Chennai-based
express air cargo company, Blue Dart
Aviation, is set to induct its seventh freighter,
a 757 to be converted by Precision in
October 2008.

Pemco World Air Services

Pemco World Air Services performs
737-300 & -400 conversions with freighter,
QC and the worlds only combi projects.
Turnaround time is 75-85 days with no
heavy maintenance. A -300 freighter (nine
pallets) ready-to-go is around $2.5 to 2.7m
depending on features. A -300QC and a
-400 freighter (10 pallets) are a few
hundred thousand dollars more because of
the increased size, complexity and cost of
interior parts for the QC. Among Pemcos
70+ 737-300/-400 conversions are recent
mod projects for Air Castle, Boeing Capital
Corporation, China Postal, ILFC, and
Yangtze River Express and, Pemco has an
upcoming deal with Chicago-based Aurora
AG.
IAI/Bedek
Aircraft manufacturer IAI/Bedek
performs 737-300 freighter conversions
(nine pallets) and is now certifying a -400
freighter (10 pallets). It is anticipated that
the STC will be achieved in October 2008.
GECAS is the launch customer and Air
Castle had ordered four aircraft. Bedek
Aviation is a group of Israel Aerospace
Industries (the largest industrial company
in Israel). Conversion is a core business at
Precision Conversions Brian McCarthy favours the 757 as the ultimate narrowbody workhorse
because of its capacity, utility and flexibility.
Bedek. In addition to the 737s, Bedek converts
767-200 (767-300 is under development) and
747-400.
ST Aerospace
ST Aerospaces 757-200SF (14, 14.5 and 15
pallets) conversions are carried out at facilities
in Mobile, Alabama, US, and Singapore under an
FAA-approved STC. Conversions offers a
customised courier section, QC and combi
projects, a Maximum Zero Fuel Weight (MZFW)
upgrade and assures OEM long term product
support. Having converted 17 757-200 aircraft
for DHL, ST Aerospace developed an inhouse
STC for launch customer FedEx Express on its
757 aircraft conversion programme in 11
months. Recent redelivery to RNZAF
demonstrates ability for combi mission
conversions. G

LWVKRZZHUHZLUHG
&RVW(IIHFWLYH &RVWHIIHFWLYHUHSDLUVHUYLFHVDUHFULWLFDO

+DUQHVV5HSDLU LQWRGD\VPDUNHWSODFH$W&R2SHUDWLYH,QGXVWULHV
RXUWHDPVH[WHQVLYHZLULQJKDUQHVVH[SHULHQFHGHOLYHUV
6HUYLFHV WKHUHVXOWV\RXQHHGWRPDLQWDLQDFRPSHWLWLYHHGJH
&KHFN 7HVW 2YHUKDXO 5HSDLU '(55HSDLUV
&RQWDFWXVWROHDUQPRUH:HUHZLUHGWRKHOS

)$$1R2,51($6$&$$&1R) 9RLFH)D[VROXWLRQV#FRRSLQGFRPZZZFRRSLQGDHUR

S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S 69

AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:35 Page 70

ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE

Engine overhaul
directory
Europe

Find a list of Europes

main engine overhaul
providers on page 72....

70 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S

check_FPA:ATEM95 23/7/08 15:40 Page 3

Together, we bring you

more aircraft availability.

Now that we have joined forces, Air France Industries and KLM Engineering & Maintenance offer you virtually
unlimited expertise. Our expanded maintenance capabilities include airframe, engines and components, while our
global coverage, supported by our two major hubs at Paris and Schiphol, guarantees the shortest turnaround times.

Whats more, with our joint sales organization we just got closer to you. Contact us today to maximize your aircraft
availability at +33 1 49 34 85 00 or +31 20 649 11 00. Visit us at www.airfranceindustries.com or www.klm-em.com.
AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:35 Page 72

ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE

Engine overhaul directory Europe

Company Address Contact details Types (commercial) Checks Test cells
EUROPE - OEMS

GE Aviation, Engine Services 1. Nartgarw-Cardiff, Wales, UK James Whalen CFM56-2, -3 HSI, MC, MO, OH 17 test cells
2. Prestwick, Scotland, UK Marketing Manager CFM56-5, -7 HSI, MC, MO, OH
T: (+1) 513 243 7898 CF6-6, -50, -80 HSI, MC, MO, OH
F: (+1) 513 243 7937 CJ610, CT7 HSI, MC, MO, OH
E-mail: james.whalen@ae.ge.com CF34, CF700 HSI, MC, MO, OH
www.ge.com/aircraftengines/ JT3D, JT8D HSI, MC, MO, OH
V2500, GE90 HSI, MC, MO, OH
RB211, JT3D HSI, MC, MO, OH
JT8D, JT9D HSI, MC, MO, OH
PW4000, PT6 HSI, MC, MO, OH
TFE731, TPE331 HSI, MC, MO, OH

Honeywell Aerospace Frankfurter Str 41-65 Sam Gorman TPE331 HSI, MC, MO, OH TPE331
(Germany) D-65479 Rauheim Site Leader TFE731 HSI, MC, MO, OH TFE731
Germany T: (+49) 6142 405201
F: (+49) 6142 405390
E-mail: honaerogmbh@honeywell.com
www.honeywell.com

Honeywell Aerospace 65 President Way John Page ALF 502 IC03, MC, MO, OH Honeywell test cells
(UK) Luton Airport Customer and Prod. Support Leader LF 507 IC03, MC, MO, OH ALF 502
Luton LU2 9NB T: (+44) 1582 393 811 LF 507
UK F: (+44) 1582 420 253
E-mail: john.page6@honeywell.com
www.honeywell.com

Pratt & Whitney Canada Southampton Intl Airport Steve Dicks PT6T HSI, MC, MO, OH
Customer Service Centre George Curl Way Commercial Manager PW100 HSI, MC, MO, OH Test cell
Europe Southampton T: (+44) 2380 621200 PW200 HSI,
Hants SO18 2RU F: (+44) 2380 621310 JT15D HSI, Test cell
UK E-mail: steve.dicks@pwc.ca PW300 HSI,
www.pwc.ca PW500 HSI,

Pratt & Whitney Canada Strasse 4 Steve Dicks PT6A HSI, MC, MO, OH
Customer Service Centre 14974 Ludwigsfelde Commercial Manager JT15D HSI, MC, MO, OH
Europe Germany T: (+44) 2380 621200 PW200 HSI, MC, MO, OH
F: (+44) 2380 621310 PW300 HSI, MC, MO, OH
E-mail: steve.dicks@pwc.ca PW500 HSI, MC, MO, OH
www.pwc.ca

Pratt & Whitney N-4055 Stavanger Airport Kjetil Galta CFM56-3, -7B, -5B HSI, MC, MO, OH Test cells for listed
Engine Services Norway Manager Marketing & Sales engines
(Norway Engine T: (+47) 51 64 20 11
Center) F: (+47) 51 64 20 01
E-mail: kjetil.galta@pw.utc.com
www.pw.utc.com

Rolls-Royce PO Box 31 David Hygate V2500 HSI, MC, MO, OH Up to 120,000lb

Aero Repair and Derby Director of Mktg. & Bus. Development Trent 500, 700, 800 HSI, MC, MO, OH
Overhaul DE24 8BJ T: (+44) 1332 248537 Spey, Tay HSI, MC, MO, OH
UK F: (+44) 1332 249569 AE2100 HSI, MC, MO, OH
E-mail: david.hygate@rolls-royce.com AE3007 HSI, MC, MO, OH
www.rolls-royce.com RB211-524 HSI, MC, MO, OH
RB211-535 series HSI, MC, MO, OH

Snecma Services 2 Boulevard du General Christine Orfila CFM56-2A/2B/2C HSI, MC, MO, OH Villaroche, 5 cells for
Martial Valin Head of Communications CFM56-3 HSI, MC, MO, OH engines dev. up to
75015 Paris T: (+33) 1 64 14 81 30 CFM56-5A/5B/5C HSI, MC, MO, OH 120,000 lbs of thrust
France F: (+33) 1 64 14 80 40 CFM56-7B HSI, MC, MO, OH Chtellerault: t/props
E-mail: christine.orfila@snecma.fr GE90 (HPC compressor) MO up to 6000HP (Tyne)
www.snecma-services.com LARZAC HSI, MC, MO, OH and low-power t/jets
M88 HSI, MC, MO, OH Belgium: 2 cells
TYNE HSI, MC, MO, OH Sichuan (China): 1 cell
CFM56 parts repair Morocco: 100,000lb 1 cell

Snecma Services Brussells
Btiment 24B - Local 101
Aeroport Bruxelles National
1930 Zaventem
Belgium
Wilfried Thiessen CFM56-2,CFM56-3, HSI, MC, MO, OH 2 test cells
Chief Executive Officer CFM56 parts repair HSI, MC, MO, OH
T: (+32) 2 790 45 00 HSI, MC, MO, OH
F: (+32) 2 790 47 99
E-mail : wilfried.theissen@snecma.be

EUROPE - AIRLINES

Air France BP7 Guillaume Camus CFM56-5A, -5B, -5C HSI, MC, MO, OH CFM56
Industries Le Bourget Aeroport Powerplant Svs Mktg. & Bus. Devel. CFM56-3, CFM56-7 HSI, MC, MO, OH CF6
93352 Le Bourget Cedex T: (+33) 1 49 348500 CF6-50 HSI, MC, MO, OH GE90
France F: (+33) 1 49 348931 CF6-80C2, -80E1 HSI, MC, MO, OH
E-mail: gucamus@airfrance.fr GE90
www.airfrance.fr

Alitalia Maintenance Systems Leonardo da Vinci Airport Roberto Paganin CF6-50 C2/E2 HSI, MC, MO, OH 1 CF6 test cell
00050 Rome-Fiumicino Manager of Marketing & Sales CF6-80 C2 HSI, MC, MO, OH 2 APU test cell
Italy T: (+39) 06 6563 42495 CFM56-5B HSI, MC, MO, OH
F: (+39) 06 6563 5111 HSI, MC, MO, OH
E-mail: paganin.roberto@alitaliaservizi.it HSI, MC, MO, OH
E-mail: ams@alitaliaservizi.it HSI, MC, MO, OH
www.alitaliaservizi-em.it/subsidiaries.html

72 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S

check_FPA:ATEM95 9/9/08 09:08 Page 3

Repair beats
replacement!
Your advantage is our goal.

See us at
MRO Europe
September 23 - 25, 2008
Madrid, Spain
Booth # 234

The MTU Maintenance group is renowned for excellent-

value engine maintenance. For a quarter of a century,
the company has been a reliable partner of many
airlines, offering a compelling choice of customized
service packages.
We aim to repair rather than replace, using the very
latest inspection, maintenance and repair tech-
nologies. Forget about expensive replacement parts and
keep costs down. Expect us to provide outstanding
repairs and short off-wing times worldwide and at
affordable prices. www.mtu.de
AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:35 Page 74

ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE

Engine overhaul directory Europe (cont...)

Company Address Contact details Types (commercial) Checks Test cells
Finnair Technical Services Finnair Technical Services Erkki Lehtonen CFM56-5B HSI, MC, MO, OH Turbofan up to
Helsinki-Vantaa Airport AVP Sales and Marketing 100,000lb
MU/17 T: (+358) 9 818 6476 CF6-80C2 HSI, MC, MO, OH turboprop up to
01053 Finnair F: (+358) 9 818 6786 2700HP
Finland erkki.lehtonen@finnair.com PW120/121/124B/127-series HSI, MC, MO, OH
www.finnair.com/technicalservices PW2037/2040 MC

Iberia Maintenance Madrid-Barajas Airport Ignacio Dez Barturen CFM56-5A, -5B, -5C HSI, MC, MO, OH 3 test cells
E-28042 Madrid Commercial Director CF34 HIS, MC, MO, OH 1 up to 100,000lb
Spain T: (+34) 91 587 4971 / 85 JT8D-217, -219 HSI, MC, MO, OH 2 for JT8D
F: (+34) 91 587 4991 JT9D-7Q, -59A, -70A HSI, MC, MO, OH
E-mail: idiez@iberia.es RB211-535E4 HSI, MC, MO, OH
maintenance.iberia.com

KLM Engineering Dept SPL / TQ Rob Pruim CF6-50 HSI, MC, MO, OH Test cell up to
& Maintenance PO Box 7700 VP Business Development CF6-80A HSI, MC, MO, OH 100,000lb
Schiphol Airport T: (+31) 20 649 1100 CF6-80C2 all series HSI, MC, MO, OH
1117 ZL Amsterdam F: (+31) 20 648 8044 CF6-80E HSI, MC, MO, OH
Netherlands E-mail: rm.pruim@klm.com CFM56-7 HSI, MC, MO, OH
www.klm-em.com

LTU Aircraft Maintenance Building 900 Thomas Tomkos CFM56-3 HSI, on wing repairs None
(LTUAM) Hahn Airport Managing Director CFM56-5 HSI, on wing repairs
D-55483 T: (+49) 6543 507 507 CFM56-7 HSI, on wing repairs
Germany F: (+49) 6543 507 508 RB211 HSI, on wing repairs
E-mail: head-office@ltuam.de CF6-50/-80 HSI, on wing repairs
www.ltuam.de PW4000 HSI, on wing repairs
V2500 HSI, on wing repairs

Lufthansa Technik Rudolf-Diesel-Strasse 10 Peter Kamenz PW100 series HSI, MC, MO, OH Test stands for
Aero Alzey Alzey General Manager PW150 series HSI, MC, MO, OH PW100,-150,
D-55232 T: (+49) 6731 497111 CF34-3 series HSI, MC, MO, OH PW901A &
Germany F: (+49) 6731 497197 CF34-8 series HSI, MC, MO, OH CF34-3/-8 series
E-mail: lhaero@lhaero.com
www.lhaero.com

Lufthansa Technik Naas Road Paul Morgan JT9D-7A/F/J HSI, MC, MO, OH JT9D
Airmotive Rathcoole Commercial Manager JT9D-7Q HSI, MC, MO, OH JT9D
Ireland Limited Co. Dublin T: (+353) 1 401 1111 CFM56-2, -3, -7 HSI, MC, MO, OH CFM56
Ireland F: (+353) 1 401 1300
E-mail: paul.morgan@ltai.ie
www.ltai.ie

Lufthansa Technik HAM TS Walter Heerdt TFE731 HSI, MC, MO, OH 6 test cells
Weg beim Jaeger 193 SVP Marketing & Sales JT8D, JT9D HSI, MC, MO, OH up to 100,000lb
Hamburg T: (+49) 405070 5553 JT15 HSI, MC, MO, OH Airline Support Teams
D-22335 F: (+49) 405060 8860 PW4000 HSI, MC, MO, OH Total Engine Support
Germany E-mail: marketing.sales@lht.dlh.de CF6-50 HSI, MC, MO, OH Spare Engine Coverage
www.lufthansa-technik.com CF6-80C2 HSI, MC, MO, OH On-spot Boroscope
CFM56-2, -3, -5, -7 HSI, MC, MO, OH Engine lease
V2500 HSI, MC, MO, OH HSPS
CF34 HSI, MC, MO, OH
PW100 HSI, MC, MO, OH
PW150 HSI, MC, MO, OH
Trent 500 HSI, MC, MO, OH
Trent 700 HSI, MC, MO, OH
Trent 900 HSI, MC, MO, OH
CF610 HSI, MC, MO, OH
CF700 HSI, MC, MO, OH

74 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S

check_FPA:ATEM95 23/7/08 15:37 Page 3

OEM Capability. MRO Flexibility.

For the life of your engines.

The design, manufacturing and support capabilities

of an OEM, and the parts and service flexibility of an
MRO. Only Pratt & Whitney gives you both, for the
life of your engines. The Eagle is everywhere.

www.pw.utc.com
AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:35 Page 76

ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE

Engine overhaul directory Europe (cont...)

Company Address Contact details Types (commercial) Checks Test cells
N3 Engine Overhaul Gerhard-Hltje Str. 1 Wolfgang Khnhold Trent 500 HSI, MC, MO, OH Test cell for
Services 99310 General Manager Trent 700 HSI, MC, MO, OH Trent 500/700/900
Arnstadt T: (+49) 3628 5811 211 Trent 900 HSI, MC, MO, OH up to 150,000lb
Germany F: (+49) 3628 5811 8211
E-mail: wolfgang.kuehnhold@n3eos.com
www.n3eos.com

TAP Maintenance & Engine maintenance Pedro Pedroso CFM56-3 HSI, MC, MO, OH 1 test cell
Engineering Commercial department Commercial Manager CFM56-5B HSI, MC, MO, OH Up to 100,000lb
Lisbon Airport T: (+351) 21 841 5430 CFM56-5C HSI, MC, MO, OH
1704-801 Lisbon F: (+351) 21 841 5867 CFM56-7B HSI, MC, MO, OH CFM56-3/-5B/-5C/-7B
Portugal E-mail: ppedroso@tap.pt CF6-80C2 MC CF6-80C2
www.tapme.pt RB211-524B4 HSI, MC, MO, OH RB211-524B4
JT3D-3B/-7 HSI, MC, MO, OH JT3D-3B/-7
JT8D standard HSI, MC, MO, OH JT8D standard

Turkish Technic Turkish Technic Inc. Altug Sokeli CFM56-3 Series HSI, MC, MO, OH Test cells for all listed
Ataturk Intl Airport Gate B Technical Marketing & Sales Mgr CFM56-5C HSI, MC, MO, OH engines
34149 Yesilkoy T: (+90) 212 463 63 63 ext. 9223 CFM56-7B HSI, MC, MO, OH
Istanbul F: (+90) 212 465 21 21 CF6-80A3 HSI, MC, MO, OH
TURKEY asokeli@thy.com CF6-80C2 HSI, MC, MO, OH
TPSM@THY.COM LF507-1F
WWW.TURKISHTECHNIC.COM V2500

EUROPE - INDEPENDENTS

Air Atlanta Shannon Airport William McGonagle CF6-80 On wing repairs

Aero Engineering Co. Clare T: (+353) 61 717737 JT8D On wing repairs
Ireland F: (+353) 61 717709 CFM56 On wing repairs
E-mail: wmcgonagle@airatlanta.ie RR Tay On wing repairs
www.airatlanta.ie RB211 On wing repairs

Avio Avio - M.R.& O Division Werner Schroeder PW100 (120,121,124B,127, HSI, MC, MO, OH No. 8 up to 100,000lb
Commercial Aeroengines Vice President Avio M.R.& O Division127E,127F,127B,120A,PW123 HSI, MC, MO, OH thrust
Viale Impero T: (+39) 081 316 3268/3809 PW123AF,127G HSI, MC, MO, OH
80038 Pomigliano dArco F: (+39) 081 316 3716 JT8D-200 Engine Family HSI, MC, MO, OH
Napoli E-mail: armando.murolo@aviogroup.com CFM56-5B, -7B HSI, MC, MO, OH
Italy www.aviogroup.com

CRMA 14 avenue Gay-Lussac
ZA clef de st-Pierre
F 78990 Elancourt
France
Luc Bornand CF6-50, CF6-80C2, MO and repair parts None
CEO CFM56-3 / -5 / -7 MO and repair parts
T: (+33) 1 3068 37 01 GE90 MO and repair parts
F: (+33) 1 3068 3620
E-mail:luc.bornand@crma.fr
www.crma.fr

EADS SECA 1 boulevard du 19 mars 1962 Marc de Montessus PW100 series HSI, MC, MO, OH 4 test cells
BP 50064 Sr V.P. Sales & Marketing PT6A HSI, MC, MO, OH
95503 Gonesse Cedex T: (+33) 1 30 18 53 94 JT15D HSI, MC, MO, OH
France F: (+33) 1 30 18 54 90 TFE731 series HSI, MC, MO, OH
E-mail: marc.demontessus@seca.eads.net CF700 HSI, MC, MO, OH
www.seca.eads.net PW300 series HSI, MC, MO, OH

Euravia Engineering Euravia House Steve Clarkson PT6A HSI, MC, MO, OH 1 test cell for all
Colne Road Director, Customer Services Artouste Mk 120-124 HSI, MC, MO, OH listed engines
Kelbrook T: (+44) 1282 844 480 Rover Mk 10501 HSI, MC, MO, OH
Lancashire F: (+44) 1282 844 274
BB18 6SN E-mail: steve.clarkson@euravia.co.uk
UK www.euravia.co.uk

Hellenic Tanagra Nick Vassilopoulos T53, T56, J85, J79 HSI, MC, MO, OH 2 test cells
Aerospace PO Box 23 Director Business Development ATAR 09K50, R-1820 HSI, MC, MO, OH Up to 100,000lb
Industry S.A. Schimatari T: (+30) 22620 52901 R2800, TF41, M53-P2 HSI, MC, MO, OH & up to 30,000lb
GR-320 09 F: (+30) 22620 46079 O/VO/TVO-435 MO of thrust
Greece E-mail: nvasilopoulos@haicorp.com VO-540, JO-360, JO-520 MO
www.hai.aero

76 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S

check_FPA_2:ATEM92 14/2/08 13:30 Page 3

OUR PROVEN TRACK RECORD AND ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY ARE FORGED TOGETHER TO SERVICE
ENGINES, AIRFRAME, AND COMPONENTS BOTH FOR NATIONAL AND FOREIGN CUSTOMERS.
FLEXIBILITY IN MAINTAINING THE WIDEST RANGE OF AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE TYPES, OPERATING
SYNERGY OF OUR THREE FACILITIES AND CENTRALIZED BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, GUARANTEE
THE UTMOST IN SATISFYING EVERY NEED IN ASSISTANCE.

ALITALIA MAINTENANCE SYSTEMS,

ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE, ATITECH

SERVICE-AND-GO.
FAST, FLEXIBLE, RELIABLE
AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT mro.sales@alitaliaservizi.it OR VISIT www.alitaliaservizi-em.it

AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:35
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
Engine overhaul directory Europe (cont...)
Company
Industria de Turbo
Propulsores (ITP)
MTU Maintenance
Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH
MTU Maintenance
Hannover
OGMA
Sigma Aerospace
SR Technics Switzerland
Summit Aviation
Turbine Motor Works
(TMW)
78 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
Page 78
Address Contact details Types (commercial) Checks Test cells
Ctra. Torrejn-Ajalvir, km. 3,5 Jorge Lluch ATAR, F404, EJ200 HSI, MC, MO, OH 5 test cells
28850 Torrejn de Ardoz Commercial Director CF700, TFE731 HSI, MC, MO, OH 2 turbofan cells
Madrid T: (+34) 91206 0100 T53, T55, LM2500 HSI, MC, MO, OH up 25.000lb
Spain F: (+34) 91206 0102 M250, PT6T, MAKILA HSI, MC, MO, OH 2 turboshaft cells up
E-mail: jorge.lluch@itp.es PW206, TPE331 HSI, MC, MO, OH to 5,000shp
www.itp.es PW100, CT7 HSI, MC, MO, OH 1 turboshaft cell up
BR715 MO to 20,000shp
Dr.-Ernst-Zimmermann-Strasse 2 Dr. Wolfgang Konrad CF34-1, CF34-3, CF34-8 HSI, MC, MO, OH 4 test cells
D-14974 Ludwigsfelde President & CEO PT6A, PW200, PW300 HSI, MC, MO, OH
Germany T: (+49) 3378 824 0 PW500, JT15D HSI, MC, MO, OH
F: (+49) 3378 824 300
E-mail: mtu.maintenance@lud.mtu.de
www.mtu-berlin.de
Muenchner Str. 31 Dr. Uwe Bloecker CF6-50, -80C2 HSI, MC, MO, OH CF6
D-30855 Langenhagen President & CEO V2500-A1, -A5 HSI, MC, MO, OH V2500 (including -D5)
Germany T: (+49) 511 7806 0 V2500-D5 HSI, MC, MO, OH PW2000
F: (+49) 511 7806 200 PW2000 series HSI, MC, MO, OH CFM56
E-mail: mtu.maintenance@haj.mtu.de CFM56-7 HSI, MC, MO, OH 100,000lb
www.mtu-hannover.de
Parque Aeronautico de Cezar Lima AE2100, AE3007 HSI, MC, MO, OH 6 test cells
Alverca VP Commercial T56 series HSI, MC, MO, OH 30,000 lb
2615-173 Alverca T: (+351) 21 958 0623 Turmo HSI, MC, MO, OH
Portugal F: (+351) 21 957 9010 Artouste HSI, MC, MO, OH
E-mail: com_engine@ogma.pt TPE331 HSI, MC, MO, OH
www.ogma.pt F100
12 Imperial Way Philip Self ALF502 HSI, MC, MO, OH ALF502
Croydon Director Sales & Marketing LF507 HSI, MC, MO, OH LF507
Surrey CR9 4LE T: (+44) 20 8688 7777 T56/501 D/K HSI, MC, MO, OH T56/501 D/K
UK F: (+44) 20 8688 6603 Dart 6/7/8/10 HSI, MC, MO, OH Dart 6/7/8/10
E-mail: enquiries@sigmaaerospace.com Conway HSI, MC, MO, OH Conway
www.sigmaaerospace.com Hamilton/ Dowty Propellers
Sales and Marketing Philippe Erni CFM56-5B/C, -7 HSI, MC, MO, OH 2 test cells
GS EVP Marketing & Sales PW4000 (94 & 100 fan) HSI, MC, MO, OH 30,000lb &
Zurich Airport T: (+41) 43 812 7692 100,000lb
CH-8058 F: (+41) 43 812 9010
Switzerland E-mail:perni@srtechnics.com
www.srtechnics.com
Unit 7 Patricia Way Bruce Erridge JT3D HSI, MC, MO, OH
Pysons Road Industrial Estate Commercial Manager JT8D HSI, MC, MO, OH
Broadstairs Kent CT10 2LF T: (+44) 1843 860866
UK F: (+44) 1843 860867
E-mail: Bruce @summit-aviation.co.uk
Hangar 1, Upwood Airpark Les Cronin CF6 HSI, MC, MO, OH
Ramsey Road Director of Sales and Marketing JT9D HSI, MC, MO, OH
Bury, Cambridge PE26 2RA T: (+44) 1487 711650 JT3D HSI, MC, MO, OH
UK F: (+44) 1487 710777
E-mail:
les.cronin@turbinemotorworks.com
www.turbinemotorworks.com
check42:check 78 14/3/06 5:41 pm Page 3

 
- 


",*",
/"


3FMFBTF
'VOET
"i>}i>i

i>>}ii
->iEi>iL>V
}]i`E-/ii>i
}i/>`}

>v>Vi/i

}ii>i>Vi
>
-}i`>i

->i>`>i\/ixxxx
>\vJivVVivVV

-
" ] "-/" ]-
,

-
"]  ]" " ]- 
*", ]1

AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:41 Page 80

ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE

A380: Timely
maintenance cost savings

The A380 has been designed to make

maintenance as easy as possible. But
will it live up to expectations? SIAEC has
now maintained the aircraft since
October 2007, and while it has been a
steep learning curve, it has successfully
managed entry into service and is
confident for the future.

80 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S

AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:41 Page 81

ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE

T
he involvement of maintenance
engineers in all stages of development,
right from the earliest possible moment,
has helped to influence the design of the
A380. The aim was to limit maintenance
operations and make related procedures as
simple as possible. According to Airbus Frank
Schreiber, VP maintenance programmes and
services, customer services, the OEMs overall
motivation with the A380 is to increase
aircraft availability, reduce costs and achieve
early maturity of the aircraft. He says: The
technological advancements in the systems of
the A380 support real-time monitoring, such
that the operator is able to better anticipate
and be proactive in terms of maintenance of
the aircraft, thereby achieving the implied goal
of reducing costs and increasing aircraft
availability.
While it is common for any operator who
buys a new aircraft to get involved in bringing
knowledge to the design of the aircraft, Airbus
were keen to make maximum use of the
experts for the A380 project. According to the
manufacturer, customers attended more than
200 focus groups during the aircrafts
development phase. Some of these focus
groups were dedicated to engineering and
maintenance activities, in which customers
with MRO activities, such as SIA and Air
France-KLM, provided significant contributions.
However, no independent MROs took part in
proceedings.
Lufthansa Technik (LHT), the A380s fourth
biggest customer, has particular knowledge of
the Airbus fleet, having maintained the OEMs
aircraft all the way from the A300, through the
complete line of aircraft types. For Dean Raineri,
head of LHTs A380 project team, this gave the
company a head start and added experience in
assisting with system design, OEM performance
and technical reliability. He explains: We were
able to bring in that knowledge and experience
in the customer focus groups in the design
phase. We were also able to team up with our
mechanics, avionics guys and other specialists,
and get their real experience integrated in this
development phase. On the engine side, we
have extensive experience with the previous
Rolls-Royce Trent series, which are very similar
in design and set-up to the Trent 900, and there
were a few aspects we were able to bring into
the design of this new series [used on the
A380].
Philippe Mhun, VP programmes, customer
services at Airbus, says the A380 has been
subject to rigorous evaluation against three
main maturity criteria: reliability, maintainability
and supportability. He comments:
Maintenance and reliability specialists were
integrated in the design team with two initial

S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S 81

AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:41 Page 82
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
Dean Raineri, head of Lufthansa Techniks A380 project team, says MROs will have to quickly get
used to the new systems onboard the A380, such as the extensive IT network.
key targets: operational reliability and direct
maintenance costs. Development findings from
bench or flight tests were systematically
assessed against a potential impact on airline
operations. Technical fixes or initial mitigation
were successfully developed to guarantee an
early A380 maturity.
One reason the aircraft will be easier to
maintain is its intelligent and extensive IT
network, with many software-driven
applications, as well as the numerous sensors
onboard. The A380 will deliver a large amount
of information to those charged with
maintaining it, which will allow them to keep
better track of the systems and be better
prepared when it comes in for inspection or
maintenance. This will inevitably improve levels
of technical reliability. However, the total IT
network will also present a challenge for MROs
in terms of its sheer newness. Raineri states:
No aircraft in the market, as of my knowledge,
is set up with such an extreme IT system
onboard that covers nearly everything, from
avionics to passenger systems, from electronic
82 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
log book to storages for software, and data for
the avionic equipment. To maintain and work on
these systems is a big challenge for us.
A further challenge Raineri identifies is the
use of new composites. Preparations must be
made for possible damage and repair of these
areas of the fuselage or the wing. However,
these issues are more a matter of simply
getting to grips with the aircraft and will not
present long-term difficulties. August
Henningsen, LHT CEO, has also outlined what
he perceives to be the particular maintenance
challenges of the aircraft. He says: The size,
simply, is an issue; the weight is an issue; but
also 5,000 psi, the big cabin, the big
entertainment system which is onboard... so
there are a number of challenges with this
aircraft, and a lot of new systems also, so we
have to get acquainted with that as fast as
possible and make the aircraft reliable.
SIAECs experience
While others are still preparing to maintain
the aircraft, SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC)
became the first MRO provider in the world to
maintain the super-jumbo through supporting
SIA, one of its major customers. SIA is currently
operating five A380s with daily operations to
Sydney, London and Tokyo. SIAEC began
maintenance in October 2007 and has since
performed nine A checks in the hangar and a
series of engine changes. The company says of
its experiences: It has been a steep learning
curve thus far as the aircraft was completely
new in terms of size and the technologies
employed. The A380 operations encountered
teething problems, and SIAEC has worked,
through close collaboration with Airbus, to find
the solutions. SIAEC has successfully managed
the entry into service (EIS) for the first
super-jumbo in the world. This was made
possible through SIAECs extensive preparations
that began two years prior to EIS.
These preparations included training staff
to be able to work on the new requirements of
the aircraft, such as the IT network. SIAEC
engaged Airbus for training in 2006. Theory
classes were conducted in Singapore by
Airbus, while aircraft practical training was
conducted in Toulouse. Engineers and
technicians were trained and attached to the
flight line during the A380 test flights. The first
in-house A380 maintenance course was
successfully conducted using Airbus Active
Learning and Competence-Focused Training
(AACT) from November 2007 to March 2008.
The AACT used advanced graphical simulation
tools, such as the 2-D maintenance/flight
training devices and the interactive Virtual
Aircraft, to provide hands-on experience that
would not have been possible through
check_FPA:ATEMF2008 1/7/08 13:37 Page 3

SAT understands that the longer your aircraf t is on the ground, the less business youre doing in the air

For More Information Contact

Postal SAA Technical (Pty)Ltd.
Address: Private Bag x12
Johannesburg international
Airport
South Africa, 1627
Tel: +27 (0) 11 978 9993 SAA Technical holds the following:
Fax: +27 (0) 11 978 9994 South Africa CAA - (AM01 & MPT5)
Email: SATMarketing@flysaa.com United States FAA - (DW5Y820M)
Website: ww1.flysaa.com/saa_technical European JAA 145 - (EASA 145.0136)
Bureau Veritas - (BV/SVA/RA 02-85)
AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:41 Page 84
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
Lufthansa expects delivery of its first A380s in 2009. It is the fourth biggest customer, a little behind SIA and Qantas, all of whom are some way behind
Emirates Airlines, which has a massive 58 units on order.
conventional training methods. A SIAEC
spokesperson states: This significantly
reduced the learning curve of the engineers
and technicians undergoing the training. A
series of training courses were also conducted
in speciality areas of thermoplastics, airframe
composite repair, flight controls, landing gear
and simulators. To date, the company has
trained and certified 101 engineers and 112
technicians on the A380.
The company has encountered three major
challenges while servicing the A380. The first is
the height of the aircraft. With the highest point
at 24.1m, there was the need to take extra
caution to ensure the safety of both the
maintenance personnel and the aircraft. To
access this high point, SIAEC invested in new
equipment to provide the required reach for
maintenance. The second challenge was that
during EIS of the aircraft, SIAEC encountered a
significant number of change-outs of big and
heavy components. As such, it had to improve
its change-out methods of utilising special
hoists and toolings to ensure that the
change-outs could be performed in the shortest
possible time. Finally, cleaning has proved to be
a mammoth undertaking. The SIAEC
spokesperson explains: To maintain the huge
cabin in pristine condition was a challenge as
there were over 400 seats onboard to be
cleaned during a short transit or A check.
Premium products chosen by the airline added
84 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
to the challenge as extra care had to be
exercised to maintain the products in good
condition. As the company continues to
maintain the A380, new issues will undoubtedly
surface, but SIAEC is confident that with its
investment in training, and experienced
workforce, any problems will be quickly resolved.
In preparation for the A380s C checks in 2009,
an A380 hangar is being built, incorporating
productivity improvement processes such as
lean in its design to provide space for onsite
repair and facilitate components flow to and
from the workshops, to reduce turnaround time.
The maintenance schedule
Christian Delmas, director, maintenance
programmes engineering, customer services
at Airbus, explains that the initial A380
maintenance programme is based on the
usage parameter concept, meaning that
each task interval is given according to the
most appropriate parameter, whether it be
flight hours, flight cycles or calendar. For a
standard aircraft operation and block check
maintenance policy the schedule which
applies is for an equivalent A check at 750
flight hours, an equivalent C check at 24
months or 6,000 flight hours, and structure
inspections at six and 12 years. He
comments: At EIS, the A380 was granted the
highest maintenance intervals ever reached
for a new aircraft, contributing to higher
check_FPA:ATEM95 9/9/08 09:14 Page 3
AT95E&M:AT95E&M 8/9/08 16:41 Page 86

ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE

LHT built a hangar at its Frankfurt home base
which can accommodate two A380s. It
represents the completion of the first half of
the final planned hangar, which will double this
capacity when finished.
aircraft availability and lower maintenance
costs. This was achieved thanks to new
technologies and consideration of in-service
experience feedback from previous Airbus
models. The initial A380 maintenance
programme leads to significant maintenance
man-hours and maintenance cost savings
compared to aircraft with similar operations.
However, every airline will have a different
concept of timing. For LHT, no specific
maintenance schedule has been set yet.
Raineri explains: We are in the process of
getting new releases of the maintenance
planning documents and in the beginning of
2009 we will prepare a LHT-specific
maintenance schedule to optimise the
maintenance programme for our operation. He
stresses that any thoughts of heavy
maintenance are premature, stating that if
Airbus overhaul limit of five or six years after
first operation was correct, the first heavy
maintenance event would be at least six to
seven (6.5 to 7.5) years away.
Building the hangars
The A380s current customers are all gearing
up to make sure they have sufficient hangar
facilities to support it. Customers were forced to
modify or build hangars because the massive
dimensions of the aircraft meant that none were
available worldwide to accommodate it. The
A380 has 15m more wingspan and almost 4.5m
more tail height compared to the 747-400.
Ameco Beijing, a JV between Air China and LHT,
has grand plans to provide A380 maintenance in
Asia and has built a hangar big enough to cover
future line or base maintenance requirements.
The hangar has 70,000m2 floor space and
includes a 41,000m2 maintenance hall, which
was completed in March and put into use in July
when a 737-300 underwent an 8A check, in time
for the recent Olympic Games in Beijing. It is the
biggest hangar in Asia and can accommodate six
widebody and four narrowbody aircraft
simultaneously.
LHT has built a new hangar to cover the
A380 at its Frankfurt home base, which went
into operation in January. It represents the
completion of the first half of the final planned
hangar and has the capability to take up two
A380s. The building is constructed such that an
extension of the same size can be added at a
future date when LHT feels its fleet is big
enough. This will increase its capability to at
least four stands for A380s. Raineri says
current projections put the completion of this
next phase somewhere in the region of 2015.
Until LHT takes delivery of its A380s in 2009,
the hangar is to be used to handle the docking
times for maintenance of its long-haul fleet. LHT
has also enhanced its technical capability on
the A380 with two additional JVs. It has teamed
with Air France to create Spairliners, which will
supply equipment and components. N3 Engine
Overhaul Services, a JV with Rolls-Royce, will
provide maintenance and overhaul of the Trent
900 engines used in the A380.
As for the other A380 customers, Emirates
Airline is by far the biggest, with 58 of them on
firm order. Its maintenance subsidiary Emirates
Engineering will handle the maintenance, and its
seven hangars all have the capability to
accommodate the A380. Abu Dhabi Aircraft
Technologies also has an A380 hangar, and
plans to construct a fully-dedicated light
maintenance facility at the new midfield terminal
complex at Abu Dhabi International Airport, which
will start from 2011 with a hangar capable of
accommodating two A380 aircraft. Air France
Industries also has planned A380 maintenance
capability.
Although there is no real provision or
market for third-party maintenance of the A380
either currently or in the foreseeable future,
Airbus are confident that there will be
sufficient third-party maintenance hangars in
the future to cover the number of A380s flying.
Jerome Allouche, VP marketing and policy,
services and customer support, says: We can
see already how maintenance services from
third parties are ramping up together with the
development of A380 operations. A380
operators who have their own MRO branches
are preparing themselves to offer services to
other operators. Also, independent MRO
organisations all around the world, in particular
in Asia and in Europe, will be ready to offer
their services on the A380. Within the Airbus
MRO Network, more than ten members and
affiliates are or will be ready to offer
maintenance services very soon.
Raineri says that the number of aircraft on
order, and the fact that the A380 community
is spread across the whole world, makes it hard
to think about performing third-party
maintenance. He is unable to make any
predictions as to whether this state of affairs
will alter within the next ten years.
Nevertheless, he is confident of the long-term
future, and LHT are indeed preparing to be
able to cover third-party maintenance. He
observes: It is the same with any big, new
aircraft. I remember with the 747 that everybody
said nobody would need the aircraft, as it was
way too big. The first contracts were only Pan
Am and one or two others. But then, all of a
sudden, this aircraft type boomed and it really
impacted the whole airline business around the
world. I suspect it might be the same thing for
the A380. And then we will really start to see
the huge potential of the maintenance benefits
and cost savings. I

86 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S

check_FPA:ATEM95 22/8/08 16:05 Page 3

B AA
N 0
AT 420
US H #
T
SI OT
VI BO

AN EASIER WAY TO MANAGE YOUR COCKPIT DATA,

BOTH IN AND OUT OF THE COCKPIT.

Introducing the affordable CREWMATE.

The latest in Class II EFBs.
L-3s new CREWMATE Class II Electronic Flight Bag is the premier choice
for business and regional transport markets. CREWMATE is easy on the eyes
with a 8.4 XGA AMLCD color display thats sunlight readable and dimmable
at night. Its easy to use with infrared touch screens that work even when
the operator is wearing gloves. Its Windows-based environment offers easy
compatibility with wired and wireless interfaces. Plus, its easy to install.
Certied to DO160, CREWMATE is also the best value in EFBs. To nd out
more, go to L-3AR.com.

SPECIALIZED PRODUCTS > C 3 ISR > GOVERNMENT SERVICES > AM&M L-3com.com
Aviation Recorders
AT95_IT:AT95_IT 8/9/08 17:10 Page 88

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

SAP complete IT
solution or money
pit?

In todays competitive
market, MRO companies
are under steady pressure
to streamline their
processes, reduce costs and
improve service delivery.
Can SAP deliver? Jacky Baz
investigates on page 90.

88 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S

check_FPA:AT88_CHECK 12/7/07 1:02 pm Page 3

mainteni x

Streamlining the way

you do maintenance.
Offering meaningful improvements in labor productivity and a foundation of maintenance best practices,
Mxis integrated, intelligent Maintenix software brings innovation and thought leadership to aviation
MRO organizations. What makes an MRO IT solution truly integrated and intelligent? When Mxi says
integrated, it means genuine real-time collaboration across Engineering, Planning, Materials, and
Maintenance, enabling process optimization. Intelligent means clever use of automation and decision
support tools, minimizing non-productive time. These are just a few of the reasons why Maintenix is the
right choice to simplify the way you do maintenance.

To learn more about how Maintenix can streamline your business processes, visit mxi.com

THE AVIATION MAINTENANCE MANAGEM ENT SOFTWARE SPECIALISTS

2007 Mxi Technologies. All rights reserved. Mxi, the Mxi logo, Maintenix, and the Maintenix logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Mxi Technologies Ltd.
AT95_IT:AT95_IT 8/9/08 17:10 Page 90
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
SAPs maintenance planning facility provides an overview of current and planned activities. Schedulers can determine whether the resources with
particular skills sets, parts and tools are available to complete a new order.
O
utdated IT legacy systems have made
it near impossible to improve the
maintenance process. The older
systems do not provide an adequate level of
detailed information, and disparate systems
prevent accurate reporting as it is difficult to
consolidate information from multiple data
sources. Bottlenecks and delays cannot be
predicted and prevented due to the lack of
integration between the manual processes, as
well as the IT systems.
Stock management systems are
antiquated; store managers are required to
keep large volumes of spare parts as they
have no visibility on the current and future
90 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
demand from the maintenance line stations.
Parts and tools are sometimes received from
suppliers with technical data or manuals that
cannot be captured in inventory systems.
When these items are issued for use, the
associated documentation is at risk of being
lost as it moves between the various line
stations.
Upgrading the existing systems is not a
viable option for most MRO companies. In
order to meet the demands of shareholders
and customers they need to revamp their
processes, enforce better control over
inventory and most importantly integrate their
IT systems throughout the entire maintenance
check_FPA:ATEM95 28/8/08 12:55 Page 3
AT95_IT:AT95_IT 8/9/08 17:10 Page 92

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

cycle. As a result most have turned to

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system
providers such as SAP.
SAP is suite of applications that enable
companies to capture and manage day to day
transactions and activities, including all
logistical and financial data. It is composed of
several functional modules including financial
accounting; asset management; cost
controlling; sales and distribution; materials
management; production planning and human
resources.
Developed to cater to the needs of
manufacturers, SAP contains comprehensive
sales; inventory management, production
planning and operation functionality. In
addition, the SAP Aerospace & Defence (SAP
A&D) application enhances the standard suite
to meet the requirements of the MRO and
aerospace industry. The additional
functionality focuses on the following core
MRO areas: maintenance and service
processing; maintenance planning;
provisioning and sales and inventory
management.
The SAP application modules share a
common database and have integrated
functionality. For example, once goods have
been received against a purchase order and
the invoice entered, the financial, cost
controlling and inventory data is automatically
updated. All related information is linked
making it possible to drill down on the
purchase order document and see: who raised
the purchase order; when the goods were
delivered; the related invoice and payment
history; and the associated cost and finance
documents.
The system is configurable, allowing
companies to customise it to suit their
requirements. Using ABAP, SAPs programming
tool, program interfaces and non-standard
reports can be developed.
SAP R/3 uses a client/server architecture
and is compatible with the industry leading
operating systems and databases including
Windows; Linux; UNIX; Oracle and SQL Server.
The development of SAP Netweaver has
enabled its functionality to be integrated with
new web-based technologies such as
Microsoft.Net; Sun Java EE and IBM
WebSphere.

Inventory management
The integrated functionality ensures that
parts are fully traceable throughout the MRO
process whether they are on order, in the
storeroom, at a line station or on an aircraft.
This ensures that swap parts can easily be
SAP is a recognised ERP system that enables companies to manage day to day transactions and identified and delivered to the line station with
activities. minimal delay.

92 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S

check_FPA:ATEM95 5/9/08 15:52 Page 3

GE
Inspection Technologies

portavisibility
Introducing the XL Go.
Its four-pound weight redenes portability. Its bright
LED light and crystal-clear LCD redene visibility.
Put them together and you have an advanced
VideoProbe that will redene the way you work
no cords, no boxes, just outstanding image quality in
an incredibly rugged and portable package.
Please visit www.portavisibility.com for a closer look.

GE Inspection Technologies: productivity through inspection solutions

64
8]b_TRcX^]
CTRW]^[^VXTb
_a^eXSTb
cTRW]^[^VhSaXeT]
X]b_TRcX^]
b^[dcX^]b
cWPc
ST[XeTa
_a^SdRcXeXch
`dP[Xch
P]S
bPUTch
FT
STbXV]

manufacture and service Ultrasonic, Remote Visual, Radiographic and Eddy Current equipment and systems. Offering specialized solutions
cWPc
fX[[
WT[_
h^d
X\_a^eT
_a^SdRcXeXch
X]
h^da
P__[XRPcX^]b
X]
cWT

0Ta^b_PRT
?^fTa
6T]TaPcX^]
>X[

6Pb
0dc^\^cXeT
^a
<TcP[b
8]SdbcaXTb


Contact your GE Inspection Technologies respresentative or visit www.ge.com/inspectiontechnologies for more information.

64
8]b_TRcX^]
CTRW]^[^VXTb
~
'(!
2WPacTa
0eT]dT
2P][Th
2^eT]cah
~
FTbc
<XS[P]Sb
2E#
'05
~
'#$
%
$&&
AT95_IT:AT95_IT 8/9/08 17:10 Page 94
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
MRO companies need to integrate their IT systems throughout the entire maintenance process if they are to remain competitive in todays market.
It is possible to record the internal and
external suppliers part number; the serial
number and link the relevant documentation
to the part within the inventory management
system. If a part is replaced by a newer
version, the numbers can be linked in the
system so that no historic data is lost. The
status of a part is also updated as soon as a
goods movement is entered making it
possible to differentiate between own stock,
customer parts sent in for repair and
customer serviceable parts to be used as
part of a work order.
In addition to the storage of part data, SAP
also keeps an audit trail of all stock
movements. The information remains in the
system for the lifespan of the part thereby
94 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
ensuring that an accurate history is kept. A
report can be extracted at any time to see
what the status of the part is, if it has been
used on an aircraft and when it will require
servicing. This information can be used to
forecast maintenance schedules.
SAP can also be interfaced with radio
frequency identification (RFID) technology.
When goods are received, the barcode is
scanned using a handheld scanner. The data
is used to verify that the correct goods and
quantities have been received as specified in
the shipping notices. If correct, SAP will
assign a storage rack based on the items
weight, dimensions and quantity. Once the
goods have been physically transferred into
storage, the rack is scanned and SAPs
AT95_IT:AT95_IT 8/9/08 17:12 Page 95
warehouse management system is updated
with their location.
The maintenance planning facility provides
an overview of current and planned activities.
Schedulers can determine whether the
resources with particular skill sets, parts and
tools are available to complete a new work
order. In addition to this they can include
deferred work items in related work orders
optimising the overall productivity.
Purchase orders can be automatically
generated based on current stock levels, open
orders and stock requests, using the
materials requirements planning (MRP) facility.
SAP A&D complies with the ATA SPEC 2000
standard as required by the CAA. This
standard ensures that a common
communication protocol is used by suppliers
and customers during the provisioning of
spare parts.
SAP provides a document management
system (DMS) which is able to store the large
volumes of graphic and technical documents
that are used and produced during the
maintenance process. John McFadyen, who
heads up SAP A&D in the UK, says: SAP
DMS supports EAI Viewers that allow users to
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
view CAD drawings and provide a means for
red-lining the drawings. Documents in most
media can be stored within SAP or within an
external content system such as Knowledge SAP has over 30 years of
Provider (KPro). Documents can be accessed experience working in over 25
within SAP, through a portal or Windows
Explorer.
different industries, and SAP
A&D is an industry-specific
The benefits of SAP solution that has evolved
There are several big brand names offering
through strategic collaboration
similar enterprise IT solutions for the MRO
and aviation industry including Maintenix and with a significant number of the
Oracle, however McFadyen thinks SAP has the worlds leading aerospace and
leading edge. He explains: SAP has over 30 defence organisations.
years of experience working in over 25
different industries, and SAP A&D is an
John McFadyen, head of SAP
industry-specific solution that has evolved A&D, UK
through strategic collaboration with a
significant number of the worlds leading
aerospace and defence organisations.
He adds: SAP works very closely with
industry stakeholders to understand their
needs and ensure that the solutions on offer
fulfil their requirements across a broad range
of critical business activities. These include:
programme and project management, contract
and make-to-order manufacturing, operational
S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S 95
AT95_IT:AT95_IT 8/9/08 17:10 Page 96
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
SAPs inventory management system provides storeroom managers with accurate information on stock quantities, location and the status of various parts.
procurement and lifecycle data management.
SAPs renowned embedded security,
governance and intelligence core runs
throughout.
Companies have realised that in order to
improve productivity and reduce customer
turnaround time, they need to streamline their
processes. SAP claims that its integrated
solution can improve business efficiency
through process automation.
SAP says its supply chain management
functionality provides visibility over the entire
supply chain, through the integration between
procurement, sales and operations.
Companies are able to forecast demand and
supply more accurately. It also makes
predicting potential bottlenecks and delays
96 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
possible, thus acting like an early warning
system.
Its inventory management system provides
storeroom managers with accurate
information on stock quantities, location and
the status of the various parts. As stock
demand is determined based on material and
sales forecasts; current demand and open
orders, it is unnecessary to maintain excess
stock quantities thereby reducing actual
material and storage costs.
Supplier management is made easier as it is
possible to analyse buying patterns; rank
suppliers by quality and service using SAP.
Companies can therefore have a comprehensive
analysis of a suppliers track record, which is
useful when it comes to renegotiating contracts.
AT95_IT:AT95_IT 9/9/08 09:02 Page 97

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

SAP also enables online real-time
reporting. Employees no longer need to wait
for a batch report to be run at the end of each
day. If they need to access reports on
production operations; purchasing; cost
controlling or financial reporting, they can do
so at any time of the day and the reports will
continue accurate information.
Part of the appeal of SAP is its ability to
be enhanced and have additional functionality
added as companies expand nationally or
internationally, or merge with competitors.
Once the core system is in place, it can easily
be configured to include extra geographical
locations and companies without the need to
write complex code.
As McFadyen says: The SAP industry
solution enables A&D companies to be
compliant, control costs, increase quality,
get to the market faster and improve their
ability to reach customers effectively in a
very competitive and dynamic market.
However, implementing SAP is not just about
installing new software. In order to achieve
these benefits, it also entails understanding
the business and building the system to
support their requirements, as well as
supporting the employees during the change
over to SAP. I

Challenges
Implementing SAP can be expensive. It
requires specialist project teams to configure
and develop client-specific programs. In many
instances new hardware is also required.
Employees need to be trained to use the new
software and business processes that
accompany it. If they are not sufficiently trained
it may initially result in loss of productivity while
a retraining exercise is in progress.
The majority of problems with SAP
implementations can be traced back to the
start of the project, during the
requirements-gathering phase. If the
Its good being first.
requirements are not captured correctly or if
On February 12, 2008 KLM Royal Dutch Airlines took delivery of Boeings first
they are omitted during the design stage of
the project, it can result in costly rework once ever eEnabled aircraft, a 777-300ER, and on the delivery flight to Amsterdam
the configuration has been completed and is became the first airline in the world to make electronic tech log transmissions
being tested, or worse-case scenario after the while airborne using a connected EFB and to make the worlds first air-to -
system has gone live. ground ASR and IFR reports. On March 20, 2008 KLM put both applications
Some legacy systems are so old and into live production use and on July 9, 2008 received Authorization for
patched that expertise in the system
Paperless Use all aviation first events.
functionality may no longer exist and much of
the data is of poor quality. This could present What software did they use for these aviation first events? ULTRAMAIN
potential problems when trying to determine
how to replicate the processes in SAP. It is But you dont need a new eEnabled 777-300ER to use ULTRAMAIN because
not uncommon for SAP solutions to replace ULTRAMAIN operates on any EFB - Class 1, 2 or 3. Now thats classy. Let us
100s of legacy and bespoke systems for a
show you how you can improve your operational efficiency and profits. Call
customer. This historic build approach leaves
significant problems often leading to
or email us to find out why KLM chose ULTRAMAIN for their e-enablement
inaccuracies of data and inconsistencies program and what we can do for yours.
across the business, notes McFadyen.
efbTechLogs and eReporting. Theyre live. Theyre proven. Theyre
Managing change is vital to the success of
any SAP project. The employees are used to ready for you now.
their old systems and procedures which often
involve entering duplicate data in multiple
systems or relying on paper-based processes.
Getting them to trust in a new automated
system without reverting to their old ways can
be difficult. The product installation may have Ultramain Systems, Inc.
been successful but if the employees reject 7500 Jefferson NE, Courtyard II, Albuquerque, NM 87109 USA
the new system, it may never be used Voice: +1.505.828.9000 Fax: +1.505.823.1841
correctly or even result in the system being sales@ultramain.com
abandoned at a great cost to the company.

S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S 97

AT95RegPersp:AT95Regional 8/9/08 17:21 Page 98
REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE
Although they are no longer in production, the fuel economy,
operating costs and maintenance demands of the Saab 340
and Saab 2000 mean they still meet a demand in the
turboprop market. The S340 has potential as a freighter,
while the S2000 continues to fly as a passenger aircraft.
Saab aircraft continue to
fulfil a niche
P
roduction of Saab turboprops spanned a
decade and a half the Saab 340
(seating up to 36 passengers) was
introduced in 1984 and the Saab 2000 (seating
up to 50 passengers) was introduced in 1994,
with the last deliveries occurring in 1999. The
numbers indicate that the aircraft are operating
well, as out of the 459 S340s and 60 S2000s
made, about 440 and 58 respectively remain in
service. In Europe, Carpatair is the largest S2000
operator. In the US, Mesaba Airlines and Colgan
Air are the two major S340 operators, while
American Eagle operates S340s, but is looking at
phasing them out. The largest S340 operator in
Canada is Pacific Coastal Airlines, followed by
Calm Air. Australias Regional Express Airlines
also maintains a large S340 fleet.
98 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
The core business of Saab Aerotech is
support. With the Saab 340 and 2000 no longer
in production (although we continue to actively
develop the types) our focus is on providing
comprehensive support services to our operators
and our commitment is for the long term,
declares John Belanger, VP public relations at
Saab Aerotech. Operators from North and South
America are supported by the Saab Aerotech
facility in Virginia. It has about 50 employees and
provides services for spares distribution from the
local inventory, as well as parts repair
programmes and technical services. Saab
Aerotech in Linkping, Sweden, supports S340
and S2000 operators from the rest of the world.
A service centre at the Linkping facility
offers full MRO capabilities for the S340 and
check_FPA:ATEM95 5/9/08 15:54 Page 3

MAYBE SOMEDAY. POSSIBLY ONE DAY.

DEFINITELY THIS YEAR.
Pratt & Whitney Canadas PW308 turbofan
engine is going to space in 2008. Its poised to
power Virgin Galactics WhiteKnightTwo, the
mother ship that will launch the rst commercial
passenger spaceship ever. This innovation alone
makes the dream of space travel real for aspiring
astronauts around the world. Their dreams
depend on this mission. And this mission
depends on our innovation.

WWW.PWC.CA/GALACTIC-14
AT95RegPersp:AT95Regional 8/9/08 17:21
REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE
Canadas ExelTech Aerospace offers a range of S340 maintenance support services.
Saab maintenance costs
Average maintenance costs are about
$400 per flight hour (FH) plus about $200
per FH in capital costs. Fuel costs are
having a major impact, currently running at
about $800 per FH according to one US
operator. Other indirect costs depend on
type of operation, overhead, number of
hours/month, etc. Total operating costs
are about $1,500-1,800 per FH.
100 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S
Page 100
S2000 with a staff of about 30 technicians.
We perform heavy checks and inspections
as well as aircraft modifications and
upgrades. We also have a paint shop
capable of taking most regional aircraft
types, explains Belanger. The centre has
extensive component maintenance capability
not only for Saab aircraft, but also for
several other types such as: the Embraer
135/145, Fokker 50, Bombardier and 737
aircraft.
Saab has a mobile team of technicians
and engineers available to perform repairs in
the field. Belanger observes that they have
done everything from basic inspections and
on-wing maintenance, to installations of
service bulletins through to major structural
repairs, including a complete S340 wing
replacement, on site at various locations
around the world.
Logistics and spares services play a central
part in Saab Aerotech. The objective is to
maintain high levels of service and quality,
while developing innovative ways to provide
those services. The company currently
maintains S340 and S2000 inventory covering
25,000 part numbers valued at about $165m.
A significant part of this inventory was
provisioned in conjunction with the end of
aircraft production in order to ensure the
long-term availability of even extremely low
probability of usage items. For example,
says Belanger, we have among many parts two
complete Saab 2000 wing structure
assemblies on-the-shelf.
Maintenance checks and
provisions
The A and C checks are at 400 and 4,000
flight hours for the S340 and S2000. There
are also calendar-based inspections for
various structural assemblies after initial
thresholds have been reached. Both types
have a comprehensive maintenance
programme in place and Saab sees a lot of
potential for operators to extend intervals
locally, based on their own service and
operational experience.
Heavy maintenance of the S340 and S2000
tends to be conducted in-house by Saab
operators. Belanger explains that as the
Swedish service centre is currently committed
to the modification of airborne early warning
and control (AEW&C) aircraft, heavy
maintenance activities are limited. The
company does offer maintenance training
Saab Aerotech has a part 147 certified
organisation that regularly performs
maintenance courses for the S340 and S2000
both in Linkping and at operators home
bases.
Job Air (Central Europe Aircraft
Maintenance) is a recognised maintainer of
Saab aircraft. In 2001/2 Saab subcontracted
base maintenance of the S340 and S2000 to
the Czech provider in order to ensure the
availability of maintenance capabilities in
central Europe. But in 2007 the agreement
was terminated as Job Air had developed into
an organisation fully capable of standing on
its own two feet.
In Canada, ExelTech Aerospace, a provider
of airframe maintenance for regional airlines,
offers a range of maintenance support for the
S340, including: line maintenance, heavy
check and structural repair capabilities. The
company provides S340 heavy maintenance at
the Quebec City facility and line maintenance
at both Montreal and Quebec City locations.
Changing requirements
Maintenance issues for the S340 and
S2000 are similar to other types of aircraft in
operation. Belanger says: The main issues we
are dealing with today are mostly related to
changing regulatory requirements. We have been
affected by the need to meet new fuel tank
safety requirements and changing passenger
weights in the US as well as the need to
increase the security of the cockpit through
strengthening cockpit doors. He says that in all
cases the OEM works to stay ahead of the curve
and ensure that modifications are available well
check_FPA:ATEM95 8/9/08 09:31 Page 3
AT95RegPersp:AT95Regional 9/9/08 13:54 Page 102

REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE

Saab says there is a lot of potential for
operators to extend maintenance intervals on
the S340 and S2000, based on their own
service and operational experience.
before the new requirements go into effect. In
terms of support, there are extensive capabilities
within Saab Aerotech and the entire Saab group
to maintain the type certificates.
According to Saab, the spares situation
for the S340 is excellent with a large pool
of parts available on the market from
several suppliers. However, spares for the
smaller S2000 fleet are not as populous
and the company tends to manage those
pools very carefully with the full support
of the dedicated supplier base. The fact
that we continue to actively develop both
types works to maintain supplier and
maintenance provider interest in supporting
the aircraft as well, comments Belanger.
Donald Kamenz, VP marketing and sales
at ExelTech, declares that the S340 is a
well-designed aircraft with a logical,
well-developed maintenance programme.
As such we have found the aircraft type to
be relatively easy to maintain. Part
sourcing, although not an overwhelming
issue, has at times presented challenges.
He says that on the older S340A models,
some typical effects of aircraft aging are
evident, but as most of the S340s and
S2000s were produced after 1990 they are
still in their prime.
Conversion opportunities
Kamenz explains that the cargo modification
available for the S340 through Saab
Technologies provides customers with a flexible
five section bulk-loading aircraft with both front
and rear access. About 24 S340As have been
modified into cargo aircraft. Belanger says it is
a reliable and profitable cargo aircraft because
it is modern, has a rugged design and
comprehensive maintenance support. In his
opinion the conversion market looks positive
and there is a lot of potential for the S340A in
the future. Kamenz believes that the S340 will
age gracefully. He says: It looks like it will
economically sustain its reliability and
maintainability into the future, making it an
ideal candidate for cargo operations as it is
retired from passenger fleets in the coming
years.
The S340B aircraft are currently not likely
candidates for conversion. Generally, the
S340B has stronger engines allowing better
performance. But the 340B and B-plus aircraft,
as opposed to some of the A models, are still

Yes! Please RENEW my subscription

to Aircraft Technology Engineering &
Maintenance magazine!

ZPVS!EFUBJMT

Obnf

Kpc!Ujumf

Dpnqboz

Beesftt

Djuz Tubuf

Qptu!Dpef Dpvousz

Qipof Gby

Fnbjm

QMFBTF!JOEJDBUF!DPNQBOZ!BDUJWJUZ

Bjsmjoft Pibvm!Cbtf Bwjbujpo!Tfswjdft

Benjojtusbujpo Bjsgsbnft Bdbefnjd!Jotujuvujpo Jotvsbodf
Ufdiojdbm Fohjof0Dpnqpofout Bjsgpsdf Mfbtjoh!Dpnqboz
Pqfsbujpot GCP Bjsqpsu Mfhbm
Bjstipxt0Dpogfsfodft Cbol
Nbovgbduvsfs Bwjbujpo!Bttpdjbujpo Qbsut!Efbmfst
Opo!Bwjbujpo!Qvcmjtijoh Qvcmjd!Sfmbujpot
Bjsgsbnf Fohjoft Dpotvmubout0Csplfst Qvcmjtijoh
Bwjpojdt Ifmjdpqufst Fouivtjbtu Sfhvmbupsz!Cpez
CGF Sbx!Nbufsjbmt Hpwfsonfou!Cpez Tpguxbsf
Dpnqpofout Tjnvmbupst Hspvoe!Tvqqpsu Uppmjoh

Bmmjfe!up!Gjfme QMFBTF!JOEJDBUF!ZPVS!NBOBHFSJBM!SPMF
Bewfsujtjoh!Bhfodz Tfojps!Nbobhfnfou Nbobhfnfou Opo!Nbobhfnfou
Puifs!!qmfbtf!tqfdjgz

GPSN!JOWBMJE!VOMFTT!GVMMZ!DPNQMFUFE-!TJHOFE!BOE!EBUFE

Tjho!ifsf!jg!zpv!xjti!up!sfdfjwf;
Bjsdsbgu!Ufdiopmphz!Fohjoffsjoh!'!Nbjoufobodf

Tjhobuvsf Ebuf

Call us for a personal demo:
WichiTech Industries, Inc.
(800) 776-4277 G www.wichitech.com
(410) 244-1966 G FAX (410) 244-1968
1120 N. Charles Street, Suite 103,
Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
REASONS TO RENEW
XNEW!!! Online interactive issue XThe Engine Yearbook 2009
XAviation Industry Daily e-News XSave upto 30% on back issues
EASY
3 WAYS
TO RENEW
Send your completed form to
AIG Ltd, Subscriptions Department, 2nd Floor, Ludgate House, 245 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 9UY

102 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S

AT95RegPersp:AT95Regional 9/9/08 16:19 Page 103

relatively young aircraft with a lot of potential

service as passenger aircraft. There is currently
no Saab cargo conversion kit designed for the
S340B, but the company is monitoring market
trends and customer demand.
The speed of the Saab 2000 would ideally
suit the cargo industry. I would foresee the cargo
version of that aircraft to be in the medium-term
future, says Kamenz. The S2000 could probably
fill a certain niche for a fast, yet fuel-efficient
cargo aircraft, but there are no plans for its
conversion on the horizon. Instead, Saab is
actively developing and marketing the aircraft to
perform various other special mission roles such
as AEW and maritime patrol aircraft missions.
In fact we have recently rolled out and achieved
first flight with the very first Saab 2000 AEW&C
aircraft. We see great future potential in this
business area, explains Belanger.

Turboprop renaissance
In the last few years, the rising fuel
price has brought about a renaissance of
the turboprop. Regional jets were the rage
previously, but the continuous increase in
fuel costs has basically put an end to
smaller regional jet programmes. The
economics of the turboprops are solid out
to about 400nm. They are simply
unbeatable, declares Belanger.
Kamenz thinks that the regional
turboprop has a bright long term future in
the North American marketplace: The
flexibility, adaptability, and low-operating
costs offered by existing and new
generation turboprops will ensure that they

AT YOUR SIDE
have a role to play in existing turboprop
markets, as replacements for more

ALL THE WAY

expensive regional jets on short to medium
sectors and as drivers of growth in smaller
markets.
Belanger stresses that while fleet
rationalisation in the US (such as Saab is a leading supplier of integrated support solutions.
American Eagles decision to phase out With capabilities and competence spanning the defence,
their S340s) appears to be driven by fuel civil security and commercial aviation sectors, Saab provides
costs, it is more about the need to raise a broad range of services and products for cost effective life-
capacity on existing routes, i.e driven by cycle support of customer systems and platforms.
aircraft size rather than the turboprop/jet
Wherever high standards of function and reliability
debate. He concludes: I believe the
are demanded.
turboprop will continue to have a future in
the industry. To really change that
position, we would need to see a next
step in the development of regional
aircraft a major technical advance in
the area of fuel and environmental
efficiency. While we are now starting to
see these programmes developing the
Mitsubishi Regional Jet with Pratt & www.saabgroup.com
support@saabgroup.com
Whitneys Geared Turbofan engine is a
prime example we are still a few years
away from that point. I
AT95DataDir:AT95_DD 8/9/08 17:25 Page 104

DATA & DIRECTIVES

Aircraft data: Embraer 170 & 190

Fleet status report: 170/190
Ordered: 1063
Delivered: 412
Cancelled: 210
Backlog: 441
Options: 612
Delivered in last 12 months: 151
Destroyed: 0
Retired: 0
Number operated: 418
Number of operators: 33
Number of a/c owned: 225
Parked a/c: 1
Daily utilisation last 12 months: 5.1
Average fleet age: 1.9
*Report on 195-200LR, 195-200AR,
195-100, 190-100, 175, 170-100.
Source: Flights ACAS database.

Embraer 170 Embraer 175

Wingspan 85ft 4in 26.00m Wingspan 85ft 4in 26.00m
Overall length 98ft 1in 29.9m Overall length 103ft 11in 31.68m
Overall height 32ft 4in 9.85m Overall height 31ft 11in 9.73m
Fuselage width 9ft 11in 3.01m Fuselage width 9ft 11in 3.01m
Fuselage height 11ft 0in 3.35m Fuselage height 11ft 0in 3.35m
Horiz. stabiliser Horiz. stabiliser
span 32ft 10in 10.00m span 32ft 10in 10.00m

Max payload* 20,062lb 9,100kg Max payload* 22,223lb 10,080kg

Max payload 21,693lb 9,840kg Max payload 22,840lb 10,360kg
Max fuel* 20,580lb 9,335kg Max fuel* 20,580lb 9,335kg
Max fuel 20,580lb 9,335kg Max fuel 20,580lb 9,335kg

Range 70 PAX Range 78 PAX

@ 220lb (100kg), @ 220lb (100kg),
LRC 2,100nm 3,892km LRC 2,000nm 3,706km
* - Std & LR versions * - Std & LR versions


- AR version - AR version

Embraer 190 Embraer 195

Wingspan 94ft 3in 28.72m Wingspan 94ft 3in 28.72m
Overall length 118ft 11in 36.24m Overall length 126ft 10in 38.65m
Overall height 38ft 8in 10.57m Overall height 34ft 7in 10.55m
Fuselage width 9ft 11in 3.01m Fuselage width 9ft 11in 3.01m
Fuselage height 11ft 0in 3.35m Fuselage height 11ft 0in 3.35m
Horiz. stabiliser Horiz. stabiliser
span 39ft 8in 12.08m span 39ft 8in 12.08m

Max payload* 28,836lb 13,080kg Max payload* 30,093lb 13.650kg

Max payload 28,836lb 13,080kg Max payload 30,093lb 13.650kg
Max fuel* 28,596lb 12,971kg Max fuel* 28,596lb 12.971kg
Max fuel 20,580lb 12,971kg Max fuel 28,596lb 12.971kg

Range 88 PAX Range 108 PAX

@ 220lb (100kg), @ 220lb (100kg),
LRC 2,400nm 4,448km LRC 2,200nm 4,077km
* - Std & LR versions * - Std & LR versions

- AR version - AR version

104 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S

Engine year book Ad:Layout 1 6/6/08 12:47 Page 1

The Engine Yearbook 2009 will be published in October

2008 and will remain current from late 2008 through to
late 2009. It will also benefit from bonus distribution at
the Aero-Engine EXPO in Paris, in October 2008, plus
all AIC engine-related conferences in 2009.
As a special incentive we are currently offering some great
savings off the 2008 rate card, for all new advertisement
bookings made for the next Engine Yearbook (2009 edition),
if booked by: *October 1st 2008.

*25% OFF REGULAR RATES!

Examples include:

G Full pages at: 3,866 GBP or 5,644 Euros or $7,346 USD

G Half pages at: 2,724 GBP or 3,978 Euros or $5,177 USD

G Quarter pages at: 1,481 GBP or 2,163 Euros or $2,814 USD

To reserve your advertising space

in The Engine Yearbook 2009,
please contact either Simon Barker
or Alan Samuel on Tel: +44 (0) 207 579 4840
or via email: simonb@aviation-industry.com
08
20
3 rd
r
t o be 2008
c
e : O 10th
li n er
e ad ctob
D O
k ing line:
oo ad
c e B y De
a
d sp Cop
A
w ork
t
Ar
AT95DataDir:AT95_DD 8/9/08 17:25 Page 106

DATA & DIRECTIVES

175
Operator fleet listing with engine - 170
Operator Country Model Engine Fleet
AIRNORTH REGIONAL AUSTRALIA 170-100LR CF34-8E5 1
ALITALIA EXPRESS ITALY 170-100LR CF34-8E5 6
CIRRUS AIRLINES GERMANY 170-100ST CF34-8E5 1
CIRRUS AIRLINES GERMANY 170-100ST CF34-8E5A1 1
EGYPTAIR EXPRESS EGYPT 170-100LR CF34-8E5 6
170 EMBRAER BRAZIL 170-100SL CF34-8E5 2
FINNAIR FINLAND 170-100LR CF34-8E5 10
KENYA AIRWAYS KENYA 170-100LR CF34-8E5 2
LOT POLISH AIRLINES POLAND 170-100ST CF34-8E5 10
PARAMOUNT AIRWAYS (INDIA) INDIA 170-100LR CF34-8E5A1 2
REPUBLIC AIRLINES UNITED STATES 170-100LR CF34-8E5 29
SATENA COLOMBIA 170-100LR CF34-8E5A1 2
SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES SAUDI ARABIA 170-100LR CF34-8E5A1 15
SHUTTLE AMERICA UNITED STATES 170-100LR CF34-8E5 47
SIRTE OIL COMPANY LIBYA 170-100LR CF34-8E5A1 1
SKYAIRWORLD AUSTRALIA 170-100LR CF34-8E5 1
TAME ECUADOR 170-100LR CF34-8E5A1 2
VIRGIN BLUE AIRLINES AUSTRALIA 170-100LR CF34-8E5 4

Operator fleet listing with engine - 175

Operator Country Model Engine Fleet
AIR CANADA CANADA 175-200LR CF34-8E5A1 15
CIRRUS AIRLINES GERMANY 175-200LR CF34-8E5 1
COMPASS AIRLINES UNITED STATES 175-200AR CF34-8E5 14
175 COMPASS AIRLINES UNITED STATES 175-200LR CF34-8E5 10
EMBRAER BRAZIL 175-100SR CF34-8E5 1
LOT POLISH AIRLINES POLAND 175-200LR CF34-8E5 6
PARAMOUNT AIRWAYS (INDIA) INDIA 175-200LR CF34-8E5A1 3
REPUBLIC AIRLINES UNITED STATES 175-200LR CF34-8E5 37
ROYAL JORDANIAN JORDAN 175-200LR CF34-8E5 2

Operator fleet listing with engine - 190

Operator Country Model Engine Fleet
AEROMEXICO CONNECT MEXICO 190-100LR CF34-10E6 4
AEROREPUBLICA COLOMBIA 190-100AR CF34-10E6A1 2
AEROREPUBLICA COLOMBIA 190-100LR CF34-10E6A1 8
AIR CANADA CANADA 190-100AR CF34-10E5A1 45
AIR CARAIBES GUADELOUPE 190-100LR CF34-10E5 1
BABOO SWITZERLAND 190-100LR CF34-10E5A1 3
190 COPA AIRLINES PANAMA 190-100AR CF34-10E6A1 11
EMBRAER BRAZIL 190-100 CF34-10E5 2
FINNAIR FINLAND 190-100LR CF34-10E5 8
GRAND CHINA EXPRESS AIR CHINA 190-100AR CF34-10E5 4
JETBLUE AIRWAYS UNITED STATES 190-100AR CF34-10E6 36
MANDARIN AIRLINES TAIWAN 190-100AR CF34-10E5A1 6
REGIONAL FRANCE 190-100LR CF34-10E5 6
SKYAIRWORLD AUSTRALIA 190-100LR CF34-10E6A1 1
TAME ECUADOR 190-100AR CF34-10E6 2
TAME ECUADOR 190-100LR CF34-10E6 1
US AIRWAYS UNITED STATES 190-100AR CF34-10E6 20
VIRGIN BLUE AIRLINES AUSTRALIA 190-100AR CF34-10E5 6

Operator fleet listing with engine - 195

Operator Country Model Engine Fleet
EMBRAER BRAZIL 195-100 CF34-10E5 1
FLYBE UNITED KINGDOM 195-200LR CF34-10E7 12
MONTENEGRO AIRLINES MONTENEGRO 195-200LR CF34-10E5 1
NAS AIR SAUDI ARABIA 195-200AR CF34-10E7 2
195 ROYAL JORDANIAN JORDAN 195-200AR CF34-10E7 5

106 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S

Aero Engine Full Page AW 278x210 Ad Fleet 57:Layout 1 8/9/08 11:07 Page 1

THE WORLDS ONLY INTERNATIONAL

AERO ENGINE LIFE CYCLE EVENT

29th 30th October 2008 Espace Grande Arche, Paris

PLATINUM SPONSOR
Featuring the
Aero Engine
Manufacturing
& Technology
GOLD SPONSOR
conference

SILVER SPONSOR
and the
17th Annual
International
Aero-Engine
BRONZE SPONSOR Maintenance
& Overhaul
conference

SUPPORTERS

I Limited Exhibition Space Available

I Conference Delegates & Visitors Register Online
I FREE places for Airlines

Aviation Industry Exhibitions

Tel: +44 (0) 207 579 4864

www.aeroengineexpo.com
AT95DataDir:AT95_DD 8/9/08 17:25 Page 108

DATA & DIRECTIVES

FAA airworthiness directives - large aircraft

Summary of biweekly listings for the last two months
Biweekly 2008-10
2008-09-06 Saab Aircraft SAAB-Fairchild SF340A & SAAB 340B Revise the Airworthiness Limitations Section (ALS)
of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness to
incorporate the maintenance and inspection
instructions in Part 1 of Saab 340 Fuel Airworthiness
Limitations Document 340 LKS 009033.
2008-09-11 Boeing 777-200, -300 & -300ER Inspect the forward and aft gray water drain mast. If
composite, install a bonding jumper between a
ground and the clamp on the tube of the gray water
composite drain mast IAW SB 777-30-0014.
2008-09-12 Bombardier CL-600-2B19 Revise the ALS of the Instructions for Continued
Airworthiness to include the CDCCLs specified in
Canadair Temporary Revision (TR) 2D-2.
2008-09-13 Boeing 737-300, -400 & -500 Do the applicable initial inspections to detect cracks
of all SSIs, in accordance with the SSID.
2008-09-14 Boeing 737-600, -700, -700C, -800 & -900 Do a general visual inspection of ground blocks
GD261 and GD264 for corrosion, measure the
electrical bond resistance, and separate the ground
wires for the fuel boost pump circuit between ground
blocks GD261 and GD264 IAW SB 737-28-1257.
2008-09-15 Boeing 737-100, -200, -200C, -300, -400, -500 Do the internal and external detailed inspections for
any cracking of or damage to the left side and right
side flight deck No. 2, No. 4, and No. 5 windows and
do the applicable corrective actions.
2008-09-16 Airbus A318, A319, A320 & A321 Inspect the lower and the upper THSA attachments
for installation deviations and metallic particles IAW
SB A320-27A1179.
2008-09-17 McDonnell Douglas DC-10, MC-10 Do a video probe inspection for the presence of stray
nickel or chrome plating deposits on the air filler
valve bore of the MLG shock strut cylinders IAW SB
DC10-32A259.
2008-09-19 De Havilland Beagle B.121 Replace any cracked rudder torque tube assemblies
and correct any loose rivets in the rudder torque tube
assemblies IAW SB B121/65.
2008-09-20A Boeing 747-200F, 747-300, 747-400 Do the inspection and applicable related investigative
and corrective actions by accomplishing all the
applicable actions as specified.
2008-09-21 Dassault Aviation Mystere-Falcon 50 Inspect for damage of the electrical feeder bundle;
repair or replace wiring, as applicable; and modify its
routing IAW SB F50-483.
2008-09-22 Construcciones Aeronauticas CN-235, CN-295 Revise the Airworthiness Limitations section of the
Instructions for Continued Airworthiness to include
the CDCCL data.
2008-09-23 Bombardier CL-600 Revise the ALS of the Instructions for Continued
Airworthiness to incorporate the CDCCL data
specified in CRJ 700/900 Series Regional Jet
(Bombardier) Temporary Revision 2-222.
2008-09-24 Bombardier DHC-8-400, DHC-8-401, DHC-8-402 Revise the ALS of the Instructions for Continued
Airworthiness to incorporate the CDCCLs specified
in Dash 8 Q400 (Bombardier) Temporary Revisions
(TRs) ALI-55.
2008-09-25 Bombardier DHC-8 Revise the Airworthiness Limitations section of the
Instructions for Continued Airworthiness to
incorporate the CDCCL data specified.
2008-10-05 BAE Systems BAe 146, Avro 146 Revise the Limitations Section of the Airplane Flight
Manual (AFM) to include the specified statement.
2008-10-06 Boeing 747-400, -400D, -400F Complete inspections and repair.
2008-10-07 Boeing 747 Complete inspections and repair.
2008-10-08S Embraer EMB-135, -145 Supersedes AD 2005-26-15. Accomplish actions
before newly specified dates.
2008-10-09 Boeing 737 Do a special detailed inspection of the lightning
shield to ground termination on the out-of-tank fuel
quantity indication system (FQIS) wiring to verify
functional integrity.
2008-10-10 Boeing 737 Do a special detailed inspection of the lightning
shield to ground termination on the out-of-tank fuel
quantity indication system (FQIS) wiring to verify
functional integrity.
2008-10-11 Boeing 757-200, -200PF, -200CB, -300 Revise AWLs, perform inspections and repairs.
2008-10-51E Support Services Dornier Model 328-100 and -300 Accomplish a detailed visual inspection of both the
left-hand (LH) and right-hand (RH) lower wing panel
inboard and outboard of flap lever arm 1 (rib 5) for
cracks IAW SB ASB-328J-57-015.

108 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S

AT95DataDir:AT95_DD 8/9/08 17:25 Page 109

DATA & DIRECTIVES

FAA airworthiness directives large aircraft (cont...)

Biweekly 2008-11
2008-10-14 Rolls-Royce Deutschland TAY 650-15 Inspect the low pressure turbine disks stage 2 and
stage 3 for corrosion IAW SB TAY-72-A1524.
2008-10-15 Boeing 747 Do an external general visual inspection to determine
if acceptable external skin doublers are installed at
the left- and right-side S-6 lap splices. If not found,
perform corrective actions.
2008-11-01 Boeing 767-200, -300, -300F, -400ER Complete inspections and repair.
2008-11-02 Lockheed L-1011 Revise the FAA-approved maintenance programme to
incorporate the fuel system limitations (FSLs)
specified.
2008-11-03 Boeing 737-100, -200, -200C Make revisions IAW directive.
2008-11-04 Boeing 737 Do external detailed, low frequency eddy current,
high frequency eddy current, and high frequency
eddy current rotary probe inspections, as applicable,
for cracks in and around the upper and lower hinge
cutouts of the forward entry and forward galley
service doorways.
2008-11-05S Airbus A310 and A300-600 Supersedes AD 2006-07-13. Perform a special
detailed one-time inspection in the areas of rudder
hoisting points and trailing edge screws IAW SB
A310-55-2045.

Biweekly 2008-12
2008-11-06 McDonnell Douglas 717-200 Do the installations, replacement, inspections, and
applicable corrective actions IAW SB 717-38A0004.
2008-11-07 Boeing 757-200, -200CB, -200PF, -300 Install an automatic shutoff system for the centre tank
fuel boost pumps. Install a placard adjacent to the
pilot's primary flight display on all airplanes in the
operator's fleet not equipped with an automatic
shutoff system for the centre tank fuel boost pumps.
2008-11-08 Boeing 737 Do the internal and external detailed inspections for
any cracking of or damage to the left side and right
side flight deck No. 2, No. 4, and No. 5 windows, as
applicable, and do the applicable corrective actions
IAW SB 737-56A1022.
2008-11-09 Boeing 727 Do the internal and external detailed inspections for
any cracking of or damage to the left side and right
side flight deck No. 2, No. 4, and No. 5 windows, as
applicable, and do the applicable corrective actions
IAW SB 727-56A0019.
2008-11-12 Fokker Services F.28 Mark 0070 and 0100 Install autopilot disconnect units and do associated
wiring changes IAW SB F100-22-050.
2008-11-13 Boeing 777-200, -200LR, -300, -300ER Revise AWLs and perform inspections and repair.
2008-11-14 McDonnell Douglas DC-10, MD-11 Install control cable freeze protection by making the
changes specified.
2008-11-15 McDonnell Douglas 717-200 Revise Maintenance Programme and AWLs.
2008-11-19 Rolls-Royce 768-60, 772-60, 772B-60, 772C-60 Remove affected IP Turbine Discs.
2008-12-03 Various Transport Category 707, 727, 737, 767, DC-9 Deactivate the auxiliary fuel tanks IAW a
Airplanes deactivation procedure approved by the Manager of
the Los Angeles ACO.

Biweekly 2008-13
2006-16-18R Sandel Avionics Incorporated Model ST3400 Revises AD 2006-16-18. Field-load the TAWS/RMI
with updated software having revision 3.07 (for units
having serial numbers (S/Ns) under 2000) or revision
A3.06 (for units having S/Ns 2000 and subsequent).
2008-12-04 Boeing 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, -900 Do the applicable inspections and replacement IAW
SB 737-53-1232.
2008-12-05 Boeing 777-200, -200LR, -300, -300ER Do a general visual inspection to determine the
manufacturer and manufacture date of the oxygen
masks in the centre and outboard passenger service
units, crew rests, and lavatory and flight attendant
oxygen boxes, as applicable, and do the applicable
related investigative and corrective actions IAW SB
777-35-0019.
2008-12-07 Embraer EMB-135BJ and EMB-145XR Remove the sealant used to protect the LH and RH
clear ice detector wiring conduits at the holes through
the wing spars and install protective Teflon spiral
IAW SB 145-30-0048.
2008-12-08 Short Brothers SD3-60 Any auxiliary fuel tank system component that
remains on the airplane must be secured and must
have no effect on the continued operational safety and
airworthiness of the airplane. Deactivation may not
result in the need for additional Instructions for
Continued Airworthiness (ICA).

S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S 109

AT95DataDir:AT95_DD 8/9/08 17:25 Page 110

DATA & DIRECTIVES

FAA airworthiness directives large aircraft (cont...)

2008-12-09 Bombardier CL-600-2C10, CL-600-2D24 Replace fuel tube couplings inside the wing and
centre fuel tanks with redesigned couplings IAW SB
670BA-28-014, as applicable. Do a visual inspection
of the aft scavenge ejector fuel couplings inside the
left- and right-hand wing fuel tanks to determine if
redesigned couplings are installed, and replace with
redesigned couplings as applicable IAW SB 670BA-
28-014, as applicable.
2008-12-10 Bombardier CL-600-2B19 Modify the FQGS harness routing according IAW SB
601R-28-059.
2008-12-14 Dassault Aviation Falcon 2000EX Modify the electrical wiring of the wings' anti-ice
system IAW SB F2000EX-116.
2008-12-15 Dassault Aviation Falcon 2000EX and 900EX Replace the passenger oxygen mask boxes IAW SB
F900EX-257 or F2000EX-61.
2008-12-16 M7 Aerospace SA226 Complete inspections and repairs as applicable.
2008-12-17S Lockheed L-1011 Do a general visual inspection of the fuel level
control switch, wiring harness, and wiring harness
conduit for any visible damage, wear or chafing,
broken or missing O-rings, or indications of electrical
arcing; do an inspection to determine the P/N
of the wiring harness conduit; replace any braided
fiberglass sleeving with PVC electrical sleeving over
the wiring harness of the fuel level control switch;
and do all applicable corrective actions IAW SB 093-
28-094.
2008-12-18 Dassault Aviation Falcon 2000EX & 900EX Do the IRS2 wiring modification and test the GP
(general purpose) bus IRS entry IAW SB F2000EX-
89, as applicable. Do a test of the GP bus IRS entry
IAW SB F2000EX-89.
2008-12-19 Dassault Aviation Mystre-Falcon 900, Falcon 900EX Inspect for damage of the feeder cable bundle at the
right side partition wall at frames 22/23, and, if no
damage of any feeder cable is found, install a
protective Teflon tube over the feeder cable bundle
IAW SB F900-358. If chafing or damage of any
feeder cable is found, repair the feeder cable IAW SB
F900-359. Modify the right side partition wall at
frames 22/23 IAW SB F900-359.
2008-13-02 BAE Systems 4101 Replace the existing Propeller Limitations Placard in
the cockpit with a new placard IAW SB J41-11-027.
Revise the BAe Jetstream Series 4100 Flight Manual
(FM) to include the information in BAe Jetstream
Series 4100 General Amendment G12.
2008-13-03S Boeing 747-400, 747-400D, and 747-400F Supersedes AD 2006-18-17. Do an ultrasonic
inspection for cracking of the yaw damper actuator
portion of the upper and lower rudder PCMs at the
applicable times specified in SB 747-27A2397 and
perform relevant corrective actions.
2008-13-04 Dassault Aviation Mystere-Falcon 20-C5, 20-D5, 20-E5 Inspect to determine whether any wing anti-ice
flexible hose having P/N FAL1006 or P/N
ARM224A is installed. Remove any wing anti-ice
flexible hose having P/N FAL1006 or P/N
ARM224A, and install a new hose having ESPA
(brand) P/N 60503104509 IAW SB F20-775.
2008-13-10 Dassault Aviation Falcon 7X Revise the Limitations Section of the AFM to include
the specified information.

Biweekly 2008-14
2008-13-07 Bombardier DHC-8-400, DHC-8-401, DHC-8-402 Visually inspect both left and right elevator overload
bungees, part number (P/N) FE289000000, to
determine if they are correctly installed, IAW SB 84-
27-30.
2008-13-08 Bombardier DHC-8-400, DHC-8-401, DHC-8-402 Revise the ALS of the Instructions for Continued
Airworthiness to incorporate the inspection
requirements of Dash 8 Q400 (Bombardier)
Temporary Revision (TR) ALI-69.
2008-13-14 Embraer EMB-135, -145 Revise the ALS of the ICA to incorporate Section
A2.5.2, Fuel System Limitation Items, of Appendix 2
of the MRBR.
2008-13-15 Embraer EMB-135BJ Revise the ALS of the ICA to incorporate Section
A2.5.2, Fuel System Limitation Items, of Appendix 2
of the MPG.
2008-13-16 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW305A and PW305B Inspect low-pressure (LP) compressor fan blades and
replace any blade that is found to be under-minimum
material condition.
2008-13-19 ATR ATR42, ATR72 Measure the heating resistance of the three pitot
probes IAW SB ATR42-30-0074 or ATR72-30-1044.
If any resistance exceeds 50 ohms, before next flight,
replace the pitot probe. Replace the three pitot probe
current sensors.

110 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S

AT95DataDir:AT95_DD 8/9/08 17:25 Page 111

DATA & DIRECTIVES

FAA airworthiness directives large aircraft (cont...)

2008-13-20 Boeing 757-200, -200CB, -200PF, -300 Do a detailed inspection for signs of damage of the
aft hinge fittings and attachment bolts of the thrust
reversers.
2008-13-21 Boeing 767-200, -300, -400ER Do a general visual inspection to determine the
manufacturer and manufacture date of the oxygen
masks in the passenger service units and the flight
attendant and lavatory oxygen boxes, as applicable,
and do the applicable related investigative and
corrective actions IAW SB 767-35-0054.
2008-13-22 Boeing 747-400, 747-400D, and 747-400F Replace at least one of the three EIUs, P/N 622-8589-
104, located on the E2-6 shelf of the main equipment
center with a new or modified EIU, P/N 622-8589-
105 IAW SB 747-31-2368.
2008-13-23 Support Services Dornier Model 328-100 Install a drain hole in the lower skin of the left and
right-hand elevator horns IAW SB-328-55-450.

Biweekly 2008-15
2008-13-01 Fokker Services Model F27 Mark 050 Inspect the engine mounting frames to identify those
that have any sideways deviations in the welds IAW
SB F50-71-048, and perform relevant corrective
actions.
2008-13-12 Boeing 737 Do the applicable inspections for cracking of the
upper frame to side frame splice of the fuselage.
2008-13-13 Airbus A330, A340 Revise the Limitations Section of the Airbus A330 or
A340 AFM, as applicable, to prohibit the flightcrew
from performing CAT 2 and CAT 3 automatic
landings and roll-outs at certain airports by
incorporating the applicable Temporary Revision into
the AFM.
2008-13-24 ATR ATR42, ATR72 Measure the hole diameter of the retainer of the
aileron automatic tab bellcrank assembly IAW SB
ATR42-27-0098 or ATR72-27-1060, and replace if
applicable.
2008-13-25 Boeing 737-300 and -400 Do a test of the web panel of the main wheel well
pressure deck to determine the material type, and do
an ultrasonic inspection to determine material
thickness IAW SB 737-57-1289.
2008-13-26 Lockheed 1329-23, 1329-25 Replace any cylinder assembly having P/N JL1955-1
with a new assembly, as applicable.
2008-13-29 McDonnell Douglas DC-9 Do general visual and high frequency eddy current
inspections, and all applicable corrective actions IAW
SB MD80-53A301.
2008-13-30 Gulfstream Aerospace Astra SPX, Westwind, Gulfstream 100 Revise the Limitations section of the AFM by
incorporating the information in the applicable Israel
Aircraft Industries (Gulfstream) temporary revisions
(TR): Astra AFM TR 15; Astra SPX AFM TR 8; or
Gulfstream 100 AFM TR 1.
2008-13-31 Dassault Aviation Falcon 2000 Modify the existing engine cowls locking system
IAW SB F2000-298.
2008-14-08 Boeing 747 Do a detailed inspection for broken or missing
fasteners of the single-row hinge fasteners of the
forward and aft cargo door hinge segments, and do all
applicable related investigative (torque application)
and corrective actions IAW SB 747-52A2287.
2008-14-09 Airbus A300, A300-600 Perform all applicable specified actions, of FR47
forward fitting vertical splice (including crack stop
hole), crack stop hole (depending on crack's length
and position), centre wing box lower panel, and
reinforced parts (internal angle, lower external splice
and external fitting).
2008-14-10 Lockheed 382 Replace upper engine mount bolts if appropriate.
2008-14-11 Boeing 777-200, -200LR, -300, and -300ER If a Kidde Aerospace cargo compartment fire
suppression filter/regulator specified is found
installed during inspection or records check, revise
the ''Maximum Diversion Time In Minutes,'' specified
in the FAA-approved Operations Specifications,
Document D086.
2008-14-14 Boeing 747-400 and 747-400D Do a general visual inspection of the power feeder
wire bundle of the APU where it crosses the
hydraulic system 4 return tube to determine if parts
are installed to provide separation between the wire
bundle and hydraulic tube, and do all the related
investigative and corrective actions as applicable
IAW SB 747-24-2257.
2008-14-15 International Aero Engines V25 series Remove applicable parts.
2008-14-16 Support Services Dornier Model 328-100 Install warning placards on the inside of the
passenger door and service doors IAW SB-328-11-
454. Modify the hinge supports and support struts of
the passenger doors IAW SB-328-52-460.

S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S 111

AT95DataDir:AT95_DD 8/9/08 17:31 Page 112

DATA & DIRECTIVES

FAA airworthiness directives large aircraft (cont...)

2008-14-17 Airbus A330-200 and A340-300 Do the HFEC inspection for cracking, and corrective
actions as applicable; and modify the upper shell
structure of the fuselage IAW SB A330-53-3152.
2008-15-01 Embraer EMB-120 Revise Airplane Flight Manual as specified.

Biweekly 2008-16
2008-15-15 Boeing 737-300, -400, and -500 Inspect the carriage sub-assembly to determine
whether an affected carriage spindle with a high
velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) thermal coating is installed
IAW SB 737-57A1304. If installed, do a detailed
inspection (or, as an option for the forward end of the
spindle only, a borescope inspection technique may
be used) of the spindle for corrosion and potential
indications of corrosion of the carriage spindle, and
do all applicable related investigative and corrective
actions IAW SB 737-57A1304.
2008-16-01 General Electric CF34-8E series Remove CF34-8E FADEC Software Version
8Ev5.40, and replace or reprogram.
2008-16-05 Rolls-Royce Deutschland Dart 528, 529, 532, 535, 542, 552 Perform a dimensional inspection of the IPT disk and
repair or replace the IPT disk, if necessary using
paragraph 3 of the Accomplishment Instructions of
RRD SB Da72-538. Perform an ultrasonic inspection
of the disk seal arm contact between the HPT and the
IPT using paragraph 3 of the Accomplishment
Instructions of RRD SB Da72-536. Perform a
dimensional inspection and repair or replace the IPT
disk, if necessary.
Note:
The letter C after the AD number denotes a correction to the original AD The letter S after the AD number indicates that the AD supersedes a previous AD
The letter R after the AD number indicates a revision to the original AD The letter E after the AD number indicates an emergency AD
The letters FR indicate the final rule of an emergency AD
Please note that the above information is quoted for interest purposes. The latest versions of the ADs issued by the FAA must be used for reference purposes

Delivering critical aircraft market information

to your business
ACAS 3 has been developed to provide the most timely and detailed aircraft data available anywhere
in the market, delivering the accurate reporting and forecasting you rely on for your business.
Everyday ACAS helps thousands of air transport professionals at OEMs, MROs, suppliers, operators,
lessors, CAAs and governments to better understand the worlds civil and military fleets.
Planners, market analysts, product managers, CSMs, sales and marketing teams alike,
know that ACAS helps them:

React first With daily updates on fleet data, Win business and save time ACAS 3 contains
aircraft orders and aircraft retirements, ACAS 3 all the data you need, in one constantly updated
will ensure youre always the first to know. service.

Forecast, analyse and benchmark With

ACAS 3 innovative reporting tools you can
forecast aircraft retirements and delivery rates
to really discover where your next customer is To request a free demo email
coming from. acas.sales@flightglobal.com *ACAS user survey 2005

or call +44 1788 564 800

US toll free +1 866 348 4503

112 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 95 S

check_FPAW:ATEM94 6/6/08 15:37 Page 3
check_FPA:ATEM93 4/4/08 09:01 Page 3