MRO

AW Feature Why do aircraft need effective Radome protection? In this feature the writer has dwelled upon one of the key elements of aircraft equipment that need to be protected in a very economical and effective solution. By Abhik Pal Radomes are usually large dome-shaped structures, often made up of composite, which protect the radars against rain, sand erosion and particle impact with minimal impact to attenuation of electromagnetic signals being received by the radar. However, being a composite material, they are prone to various types of damages including erosion caused by Foreign Object Debris (FOD) such as rain and sand while flying at speeds of 200-500 mph under demanding weather conditions. Once damaged, radomes need to be removed, assessed, and repaired / replaced. Radomes are high value assets (one A320 Radome costs approx. $80,000 to replace with subsequent downtime involved with repair/ replacing the radome). It is observed that sometimes airlines use a white coating on the damaged portion of the radome as a quick fix. However it is not a fool proof solution as the level of erosion protection offered by paints/coatings is not adequate and specialized equipment is typically required to refinish radomes per the C.M.M., (Component Maintenance Manual) making the coating repair process expensive and time consuming. Therefore, it is desired to have economical and effective solutions available to protect those high value assets that are subject to damage. Polyurethane tapes with adhesive backing provides several advantages over coatings e.g. uniform thickness / weight, no specialized tools are needed for installation, easily repairable with patch tape and repair paste, easily removed if needed, long service life etc. Refer Fig 1 for a representative comparison between coatings and a polyurethane tape (3M™ Polyurethane Protective Tape 8673) during a rain erosion test. Radome Boot: A Radome “boot” is sheet of protective tape thermoformed into the same, curved shape of the radome and is preferred over flat tape which can be difficult to install over curved surfaces. Typical Benefits of Polyurethane Radome Boots: • Radome boots are typically made of an abrasion-resistant polyurethane and are resistant to ultraviolet light. The product is constructed with a durable, solvent-resistant, pressure-sensitive acrylic adhesive, and protected with an easy-release liner. • Radome boots provide excellent erosion protection for aircraft, from radomes to navigation light lenses and help keep these vulnerable components looking good between heavy maintenance intervals. • They are usually available in a variety of shapes and colors for many industrial and common aircraft applications (including radomes, wing tips, landing gear pods, etc.) • Typically, they are transparent, paintable and can be applied over painted surfaces and forms a protective barrier between vulnerable surfaces and damaging elements. • Radome boots do not significantly interfere with radar transmissivity. For aircraft radomes, their optimized thickness is virtually invisible to radar. • They are extremely simple and easy to install. Once installed, they establish an excellent erosion barrier. • Radome boots prevent paint and surface erosion, even on the most vulnerable leading surfaces of the aircraft such as radomes, wing tips, wing root fairings, horizontal stabilizer tips, tail fairings, spinners, landing gear components and more. Protective boots provide many years of paint erosion protection, making them a cost-effective aircraft paint and surface protection solution. (The writer is Technical Lead – Aerospace at Automotive and Aerospace Solutions Division of 3M India Ltd.)

The commercial aviation sector is beginning to stretch its wings once again as international travel resumes. This revival has spotlighted a number of pinch points to be dealt with—such as reintroducing stored aircraft and converting passenger planes to cargo configurations and back again, all while balancing remote working and financial overheads to secure a long-term period of renewed growth and profitability.Technology is providing the answers. As OEMs, airlines, and MROs focus on integrating new technologies into their value chains and embracing digital transformation, we look at three key areas where new advancements can be most valuable and easily integrated to help gain competitive advantages in a sector where there is a fine line between profit and loss. Rob Mather, Vice President Aerospace & Defence Industries, IFS, explains. Since 2020 the aviation industry has faced unprecedented change, instability, and shock which has rippled throughout the entire sector—from flight restrictions and a host of quarantine regulations to complete state-wide commercial shutdowns that OEMs, airlines and MROs are still recovering from. Cancelled flights, mothballed planes, and aviation uncertainty Initial pandemic pressures saw onsite work change drastically. New restrictions, staff shortages due to isolation and stringent social distancing restrictions have all been challenges for businesses. In some cases, this has opened new opportunities for companies who have unlocked the potential—examples are the boom in freight and the corresponding uptick in ‘preighters’, the conversion of aircraft from passenger to cargo configuration, and the FAA using remote working channels in the evolution of the 737-MAX. There has also been a mixed reaction in reducing fleet sizes. Cirium reported that large commercial jets saw a 15% decrease in retirements as replacement orders became uneconomical—this was as OEMs were hit by worker and supply shortages. For example,the EU Parliament found European demand for manufacturing decreased by 43% in 2020 primarily due to Airbus order deferrals. Other airlines accelerated the retirement of costly aircraft with Oliver Wyman’s data showing 5,000 aircraft that were in service at the start of 2020 were no longer flying at the beginning of 2021. However, recovery has begun as passengers once more take to the skies with a predicted 47% more passengers flying in 2022 than in 2021—aided by increased vaccination numbers and lower Covid infection rates. This recovery is projected to only strengthen through the rest of this decade as worldwide fleet numbers are due to increase to 36,500 by 2031. This recovery is not without its unforeseen challenges. The airport infrastructure has significantly hampered travel experiences for both airlines and frustrated passengers. Staff shortages created by pandemic-induced layoffs have not return to the same levels and the results have led to flight cancellations and extreme delays at airports globally. Technology is on course to deliver transformation But there is still opportunity for airlines who invest in future-proofing operations through digital transformation to be first off the runway—currently, only 10% of the top carriers have invested in technology initiatives such as predictive maintenance—which would give them a large competitive advantage in the next few years, and minimise delays caused by aircraft issues. Traditionally airlines run on very fine margins, meaning an airline’s value chain is as lean as possible, and as such the adoption of a major IT infrastructure project has traditionally been seen as a potential operational and financial risk. The industry as a whole typically has no slack that can be used for resource investment, and any threat of a disruption to normal service caused by an IT project can be very costly. But the pandemic changed all that. The technologies that are enabling aviation to taxi for take-off However, this increase in IT spending does not have to be dedicated to large-scale or business-wide overhauls. IFS has found that both MROs and airlines are benefitting from tools that can open transformative new areas of potential such as investing in predictive maintenance and the efficiencies it offers. There are several operational areas that will allow for a competitive advantage to be created or maintained in this new aviation reality of post-pandemic recovery and the continued threat of potential disruption. In particular, there are three key maintenance-focused technologies that can create this advantage throughout an aircraft’s life cycle. 1. Predictive maintenance redefines efficiency with AI and an IoT One of the maturing industry technology applications is the use of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine Learning (ML) for predictive maintenance. Maintenance software applications now allow for the aggregation of real-time sensor data, business & operations data, logs, and more into a data lake infrastructure—with the ability to transform all this information into proactive maintenance tasks. These data insights, along with machine learning models, can then be used to produce advanced statistics and KPIs to provide a holistic view of the asset or component in question, combining historical and forecasted values. Thanks to these digital developments, the often risk-averse aviation industry can pivot to using predictive maintenance models not only to increase performance and reduce costs but also to better manage risk and enhance safety. For example, as of 2020, Rolls-Royce is using AI forecasting, which is supported by IFS, to help airline customers automatically update predicted maintenance deadlines for every life-limited component inside their engines—a key part of the Rolls-Royce Blue Data Thread strategy, a digital information thread connecting every Rolls-Royce powered aircraft, every airline operation, every maintenance shop, and every factory. 2. Digital help stems from remote assistance Passengers will now be greeted by more mobile, touchless, and socially distanced technology to help navigate them through the airports. Similarly, airlines have deployed technology to protect their employees and deliver new operational efficiencies. The proliferation of smart devices, and maintenance software applications now available on mobile has fast-forwarded merged reality—where the real and virtual world are mixed and objects from both can interact. With remote working and social distancing becoming commonplace, remote assistance technology is ready and available and has been taken up by more and more airlines and MROs who are quick to see the benefits and adopt the

Châteauroux – 22nd February 2022: Vallair, the multi-faceted aviation business dedicated to the support of airlines and lessors, has opened the doors to its unique new maintenance hangar located at Marcel Dassault Airport in Châteauroux, France. The enormous state-of-the-art facility can accommodate up to five A321 size aircraft simultaneously, or a combination of A330/A340 and A321s. Together with the Centre-Val de Loire Region and the Châteauroux Centre Airport Establishment, Vallair is proud to play a key role in the reindustrialisation of France and its aeronautical scene with this A380 capable, 8,520m² hangar which will create nearly 200 jobs in the region.As this unique facility stands as one of the largest hangars of its kind in the world, this milestone has involved unprecedented collaboration from several parties. Supply chain shortages and COVID aside, establishing the infrastructure, resources and technology for this environmentally friendly facility has necessitated the resolution of many challenges. Grégoire Lebigot, Founder & CEO of Vallair, sums up what it means for local economy dynamics: “We are part of ‘Aérocentre’, the regional centre of excellence in Centre-Val de Loire that works to develop and sustain the aeronautical sector across the area with over 120 member organisations. Vallair stands as one of its key players over the last fifteen years and we are proud to be part of the rich aviation heritage in the heart of France.” “During this period, we have developed an unparalleled expertise in the aerostructures arena, including composites and key components like nacelles and thrust reversers on site, along with aircraft recycling, cargo conversions, and our MRO activities which now extend to widebody capabilities. It is our aim to ensure that our customers can benefit from all these complementary on-site skills and the associated cost savings that we can offer.” Parking and storage at CHR airport can already accommodate widebodies and Vallair believes this is the perfect timing and opportunity to enhance its capabilities and reach those airlines who are presently struggling with maintenance slots. Vallair will initially focus on Airbus A330 heavy maintenance capabilities with a view to adding A340, A350, and possibly Boeing B777 capabilities in the near future. In-house cargo conversion services will also commence with narrowbodies and quickly expand to a range of other popular platforms, including widebodies. Lebigot adds further details about the Company’s objectives. “We’re excited to build up a new reputation for widebody excellence as we enter into 2022, this is the dawn of a new era for Vallair and our customers. Our activities in Châteauroux will also focus on passenger-to-freighter conversions and a dedicated unit will showcase our significant experience and knowledge in this area. As we step up our P2F programme it is essential for us to expand our resources across all geographical areas, and we will now be able to efficiently re-locate several conversion projects to France. In addition, our expertise with mature aeronautical assets enables us to follow our sustainability agenda as Vallair continues to grow.” Lebigot goes on to say, “Since mid-2020, the project has been an incredible journey and a major investment. Everyone involved has been committed to reach the ambitious deadlines and everyone in the Vallair team must be congratulated for their dedication and unstoppable enthusiasm. I’d also like to thank François Bonneau, President of Region Centre Val de Loire, Dominique Roullet, President of Châteauroux Airport, and their teams, for their continuous support.” “This new extension of Vallair’s services in Châteauroux will operate alongside our existing narrowbody MRO and painting capabilities in Montpellier” continues Lebigot. “We are part of the Aerospace Valley, a French cluster of more than 800 aerospace and engineering companies and research centres located in the regions of Occitanie and Nouvelle-Aquitaine in the southwest of France. “The aviation industry has faced an unprecedented a time of turmoil over the past two years, but recovery is evident. Vallair’s expanded capabilities in France will offer both operators and lessors a comprehensive solution whilst improving efficiency and turn-around times.”

Dubai,22nd Feb 2022: At MRO Middle East, Satair, an Airbus Services company and Joramco, an independent commercial aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul company, extended an agreement covering the supply of consumables and expendables for the support of Boeing and Airbus aircraft.The contract secures solid regional spares availabilities for Joramco and brings the benefits of costs savings, relieving the supply chain and minimizing the risk of AOGs. With a history of doing business together for more than 25 years, the deal further strengthens the partnership between Satair and Joramco. The agreement has global coverage and is set to go into effect from 22 February 2022. Fraser Currie, Joramco’s Chief Executive Officer stated: “We are delighted to extend our long-term cooperation with Satair who will continue to be a reliable partner in our sourcing and procurement activities by ensuring and sustaining our access to parts and reducing our lead times.” Terry Stone, Satair’s Managing Director and Head of Sales and Support, EMEA, added: “This is an important step in further developing our support to MROs in the Middle East and to increase material availability for our long-trusted partner.”

Dubai, UAE, 17 November 2021: Comlux, one of the leaders in business aviation, transaction and completion services,announced the signing of an agreement with Mohammed Bin Rashid Aerospace Hub, the aerospace platform of Dubai dedicated to the advancement of the aviation industry, to develop a hangar facility at MBRAH that spreads across 12,000 square meters of land. The facility is equipped to simultaneously accommodate two ACJ and BBJ family aircraft types, including the future ACJ Two Twenty.By mid-2023, the hangar will be fully operational, and Comlux will provide its Middle East customers with EASA Part 145- and UAE Part 145-approved maintenance services and cabin upgrade as well as refurbishment quality works on their VIP aircraft. HE Khalifa Al Zaffin, Executive Chairman of Dubai Aviation Corporation, said: “We are thrilled to be welcoming Comlux to the Mohammed Bin Rashid Aerospace Hub. Its market positioning will expand our service capabilities and bring in new businesses, consolidating our global position as the preferred choice for industry players seeking to operate in an integrated, economic environment, where they can connect with international markets.” Richard Gaona, Executive Chairman and CEO of Comlux, said: “We are pleased with this new milestone for the development of Comlux in the Middle East; MBRAH’s organization at DWC airport is providing us with the ideal location for our expansion in the immediate future. Our goal is to provide our Middle East customers with convenient, high-quality and cost-efficient solutionsfor their VIP cabin changes and upgrades at DWC during their stay in Dubai or during maintenance grounding time.”

New Delhi, 19th July 2021: A high powered delegation from MRO Association of India meets the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday, 19th July 2021.The meeting was coordinated by Joint Secretary, MoCA, Amber Dubey and the delgation briefed the minister on various issues related to the Indian MRO industry.