Hawker Fall 2002

• Don't Make Two Trips For ELT, RVSM & TAWS
• The Value Of Paint, Plan For Protection
• X-rays And NDT Inspections
• All Service Bulletins Should Be Considered

Don't Make Two Trips For ELT, RVSM & TAWS

— Dave Pleskac

There are three avionics mandates that are quickly coming up for operators:

• ELT—January 1, 2004
• RVSM—December 1, 2004
• TAWS (EGPWS)—March 29, 2005

There are approximately 7,500 aircraft worldwide that still need ELT, RVSM & TAWS avionics upgrades. Duncan Aviation believes that many of these operators may be headed for unnecessary downtime or possibly AOG situations by waiting for the last minute to perform these upgrades.

In order to maximize customer value and minimize customer headaches, Duncan Aviation recommends that customers complete these mandates now while performing other required maintenance. This "killing two birds with one stone" approach will ensure an operator that they are in compliance with the mandates. Duncan Aviation believes that operators who follow this "early compliance" approach will save money, downtime and an AOG situation because we believe there will be a rush to install these upgrades next year.

Contact Dave Pleskac for more info at 402.479.1509.

The Value Of Paint, Plan For Protection

— George Bajo

Our current economy is a catalyst for the exchange of aircraft and new paint is often a differentiator in the decision-making process. If you are considering buying or selling an aircraft, consider the condition of its paint. An aircraft kept in a quality coat of paint is less likely to develop corrosion. For this reason, aircraft should be stripped, inspected and repainted by a reputable aircraft paint facility every five to seven years.

Paint technology has improved considerably in recent years. The new High Solids (HS) primers and paint have evolved into excellent products with proven performance on all surfaces, including composites. Flexible agents in HS paint and primers, combined with skilled paint technicians, ensure a longlasting, top-quality finish and maximum protection for your aircraft.

Also consider that inferior or old paint can cause electrical problems affecting comm radios and navigation recievers. In addition, many aircraft manufacturers' "continuing maintenance instructions" for RVSM aircraft stress that the paint around the static ports needs to be kept in "new condition" with no paint chips allowed to disrupt the airflow over the static-sensing areas, which could cause altitude errors.

X-rays And NDT Inspections

— Dan Fuoco

The main purpose of X-ray and NDT procedures is to detect cracks and corrosion; however, other non specific damage/abnormality may also be detected using these procedures.

Corrosion typically appears as more dense areas or individual spots, irregular in shape with poorly defined extremities. It is generally agreed that corrosion of less than 10% in depth of the total material thickness penetrated by the X-ray beam will NOT be readily detected by the conventional radiographic method.

All Service Bulletins Should Be Considered

— Roy Olsen

Every operator performs the mandatory SBs on their aircraft, but what about recommended and optional ones? Each SB should be looked at for its own merit and whether it will make your aircraft more reliable. Some recommended SBs include parts and labor if performed by a Raytheon Authorized Service Center and may also be covered under warranty if performed within 12 months from the date of the SB.

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