Citation Fall 2007

• Repairing Missing Fasteners on Nacelle Inlets
• Remanufactured Windshields
• Magnastar ARTU Reprogramming Deadline
• 500 Series Inflatable Door Seal

Repairing Missing Fasteners on Nacelle Inlets

— Justin Merkling

The nacelle inlet assembly mounted on the engine directs a smooth flow of air to an operating engine. Prior to each flight they are inspected for foreign objects that can cause damage to the engine when started. All Citation inlets are also routinely inspected through phase inspections or inspection documents. One item technicians are instructed to look for is missing fasteners. On some Citation models, missing rivets are acceptable as long as the number of missing rivets and their location meet criteria laid out in the aircraft’s maintenance manual. Action taken can range from “no action required” to “must be repaired in the next 50 flight hours” to “must be repaired before the next flight.” If the broken or missing fasteners are not in these specified locations then they must be replaced before the next flight. On models that do not have any missing fastener criteria in their maintenance manual, broken or missing fasteners are not allowed and must be repaired before the next flight.

If there are any questions on this topic or any other topic please contact me at 269.969.8422.

Remanufactured Windshields

— Ed Johnson

We have received some inquiries lately about installation of non-OEM aftermarket windshields in the Citation 500, 550, S550, and 560 aircraft. The main driving force behind these inquiries is the cost of the OEM parts vs. aftermarket parts. Most operators are not aware that Cessna Approved Remanufactured windshields/windows are available and are of the same quality and carry the same warranty and OEM support as the new units. The part numbers of the remanufactured units are the same as the current part number with the addition of the suffix “R” following the dash number. The cost savings are substantial. For example, the new windshields with part numbers 9912064-15/-16 have a list price of $10,795 each, while remanufactured units part numbers 9912064-15R/-16R have a list price of $8,000 each. This pricing makes the remanufactured windshields competitive with the non-OEM aftermarket units.

Questions? Please contact me at 402.479.1555.

Magnastar ARTU Reprogramming Deadline

— Jim Wheaton

Teledyne has released information stating the Magnastar ARTU will need to be reprogrammed from a 3 MHz bandwidth transceiver to a 1 MHz transceiver by end of December 2007. Dealers are instructed to reference Magnastar Service Bulletin #15. This bandwidth change can be accomplished with software obtained from Teledyne utilizing the same MMTI software program and the Magnastar tester MMT cable as all previous software updates. The cost to perform the software update is $1500, the same as all previous software loads to the ARTU.

For more information on this procedure, please contact me at 269.968.8150.

500 Series Inflatable Door Seal

— Justin Merkling

500 Series cabin doors have an inflatable seal around the circumference to seal the door during pressurization. This seal works in conjunction with the door frame to maintain a tight seal. Always take special care when entering and exiting the aircraft to avoid damaging the fuselage door frame. The frame is built up with an aerodynamic fairing compound which is easily damaged when other rigid objects bump into it. When the condition of the door frame becomes compromised, so do the sealing capabilities of the door seal.

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