Considerations in the maintenance of aging aircraft are reviewed and discussed, including the use of a logistics computer program for optimal maintenance scheduling, quantitative ranking of critical locations for maintenance, a comparative evaluation of proof testing and preloading as a means of life extension. The primary cause of increasing costs of repair and replacement of parts has been found to be corrosion damage. This causes maintenance costs eventually to rise to the point where the aircraft has to be retired. Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) has developed non-destructive inspection procedures, based on low-frequency eddy-current methods, to detect potential cracking problems, to enable spares to be ordered and stocked in advance. Considerations in critical-location ranking include corrosion susceptibility, stress level, accessibility, geometry and past experience. Tests have indicated that preloading to 1.33-1.5 times the normal operating load can extend service life by a factor of 1.2-4.6. Preloading is recommended before the aircraft enters service and on 1-3 occasions during its service life. This treatment should be paralleled by non-destructive inspection at appropriate intervals.
Review of Aging Aircraft Technology: An IAI Perspective
1991
15 pages
Report
No indication
English
Aircraft , Aircraft maintenance , Aircraft reliability , Service life , Structural reliability , Tanker aircraft , Conversion , Corrosion prevention , Cracks , Fatigue (Materials) , Logistics , Boeing 707 aircraft , Costs , Documentation , Inspection , Nondestructive tests , Prestressing , Proving , Revisions , Foreign technology
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