As more nacelles are made of composites, their repair market is becoming quite diverse. “Fleet transitions are adding complexity, failure modes vary as aircraft age, and operators are customizing work scopes to fit their needs,” says Meredith Siegfried, CEO of Nordam, a major nacelle OEM and repair specialist. Siegfried says most of today's nacelle work stems from mature aircraft, which generally employ comparable technologies and materials, so today's primary focus is on doing the work faster and cheaper.
New-generation turbine engines are being designed to run hotter for better fuel efficiency and lower emissions. This requires a second generation of thermal barrier coating (TBC) technologies that offer greater protection for costly engine components such as the high-pressure turbine blades and vanes. “The new generation of ceramic TBCs, which are referred to as 'Low K TBC,' will provide lower conductivity, resulting in greater insulative conductivity,” says Ravi Shankar, director of coating and process technologies for Chromalloy.
Finance is playing an ever-increasing role in today's airline industry, with nearly half the world's commercial fleet under lease, according to Lufthansa Technik. And that trend is growing. Banks and private-equity firms are becoming more involved, expanding their investments from aircraft into engine and component financing as well.
The recent announcement of a merger between US Airways and American Airlines does far more than create the largest airline in the U.S. (see page MRO28). It may be releasing vast amounts of cortisol into the brains of workers who are unsure what this combination may mean for their jobs and future.
As the average age of the global commercial fleet continues to get younger, is the corresponding aftermarket becoming more mature? In the last three years, the average aircraft age has decreased to 11.9 from 12.2 years, according to Aviation Week data. While that is not a precipitous drop, it is significant in that it corresponds to younger aircraft and engines being torn apart because their values are higher individually. (Don't miss the AW&ST package on life cycles in this issue.)
Forty-three years after entering revenue service, the Pratt & Whitney JT9D series continues to power a cross section of operators sprinkled around the globe. While still diverse, the cross section is much thinner than in years past, however, with many operators flying just a handful of engines. It's a sign of the steady and inevitable decline facing the venerable series.
1. House of Hose Manufacturer: Air-Pro Specifications: Miami-based Air Pro's specialties include aircraft and engine hoses as well as interiors expendables. It offers customized hose kits for scheduled maintenance support and to store onboard for emergencies. Air-Pro is a distributor/manufacturer for Smiths Tubular Systems and Hydrasearch. www.air-pro.com Link 606 2. Just Expendables Manufacturer: Aircraft Inventory & Management Services
1. Air Data Test Set On Wheels Manufacturer: DAC International Applications: Reduced vertical separation minimum-compliant three- or four-channel air data test set with multiport isolation capabilities as designed to test static, pitot and angle-of-attack functions.
Washington Contractor Conundrum Everything old is new again, though sometimes going back to the future requires a mandate. The FAA is hard at work on a rule aimed at making contract maintenance easier to perform and oversee. At the draft rule's core are two requirements—that airlines keep lists of all their third-party maintenance providers, and that the providers follow instructions provided to them by the carrier—including everything that has been on the books for four-plus decades.
Think “brake container” and safety might not be one's first consideration. Perhaps it should be. Extricating aircraft brakes from traditional containers entails lots of tugging and plenty of manhandling. That's because “the brake lies horizontally,” says Ron Miller. He chairs the Joint Air Transport Safety Committee at the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers. He estimates, depending on the aircraft, those brakes weigh 100-400 lb.
1. Aeria Luxury Interiors MRO: ST Aerospace Locations: Singapore and San Antonio Capabilities: ST Aerospace launched Aeria Luxury Interiors in 2012 to offer total support packages for airline interior completion and refurbishment projects. The MRO also offers this for VIP completions. DRB Aviation Consultants, a design specialist in San Antonio that holds an Organization Designation Authorization, supports ST Aero.
