Training Techniques and Methodologies for Helicopter Rotor Track and Balance

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1 Rotary Wing Aircraft Maintenance School Aeroskills Division of the Army Aviation Training Centre Training Techniques and Methodologies for Helicopter Rotor Track and Balance presented by Mick Richmond Technical Instructor/Development Officer Technical Mastery Wing Rotary Wing Aircraft Maintenance School OVERVIEW ARMY ROTOR TRACK AND BALANCE (RTB) BACKGROUND RTB METHODOLOGY INCREMENTED TRAINING CURRENT AND PROPOSED METHODS FOR ADVANCED OPERATOR TRAINING AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO RTB & VIBE ANALYSIS CH47D CM PROGRAM OVERVIEW HUMS2003 1

2 RTB - THE ARMY EXPERIENCE CONTINUED INEFFICIENCIES ARE LEADING TO UNNECESSARY A/C DOWNTIME. ON AVERAGE - APPROX 80% OF ALL TEST FLYING FOR RTB CONTINUAL WASTED MAN HOURS AND AFHRS DIRECTLY RELATED TO RTB TASKS TYPICALLY, EVERY SQUADRON HAS ITS RESIDENT EXPERT DILUTION OF EXPERIENCE EXPERTS FREQUENTLY ILL INFORMED AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SQUADRONS IS LIMITED, TRAINING BY OSMOSIS RTB BACKGROUND EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE WITH RTB IS ESSENTIAL TO MINIMISE A/C DOWNTIME, INCREASE AVAILABILITY FOR TASKING AND EFFICIENT TIMES TO SERVICEABLE (TTS) CONTINUATION TRAINING, RE FAMILIARISATION WITH EQUIPMENT AND DEVELOPING EXPERTISE DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE WITH INCREASING DEMANDS ON TRADESMAN S TIME PREVIOUS LACK OF ADF ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RTB AND VA AS A SPECIALITY AND THE QUANTUM SAVINGS ACHIEVABLE IF CORRECTLY IMPLEMENTED THROUGHOUT ADF. HUMS2003 2

3 EXISTING RTB METHODOLOGY CONSERVATIVE - SLOW TO EMBRACE CHANGE INSISTENCE ON GOING BACK TO THE OLD CHARTS BECAUSE OF NOT UNDERSTANDING THE METHODOLOGY OF THE NEWER EQUIP TRADITIONAL - ALWAYS DONE IT THIS WAY EXISTING RTB METHODOLOGY BY NUMBERS APPROACH - DOGGED NATURE OF REPEATING EXACTLY THE SAME MISTAKE AGAIN IF THE RTB DOESN T WORK OUT - FAILS TO LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE OR TROUBLE SHOOT ADEQUATELY LACK OF UNDERSTANDING - BY NOT UNDERSTANDING HIS ACTIONS, CAUSE & EFFECT ETC, IN-ABILITY TO TROUBLESHOOT HUMS2003 3

4 EXISTING RTB METHODOLOGY VERY LITTLE INNOVATION OR CHANGE IN HELICOPTER RTB LONG HELD BELIEF IN ONLY THE DYNAMIC PORTION OF RTB - ALWAYS DONE IT THIS WAY EXISTING RTB METHODOLOGY VERY LITTLE ATTENTION TO STATIC BALANCE, SPAN AND CHORD MOMENT ARMS AND THEIR EFFECT ON THE DYNAMIC RTB. HUMS2003 4

5 BLACK HAWK INCIDENTS GROUND ROLL VIBRATION IN EXCESS OF 1.5IPS WEIGHT MAXED OUT (5 lbs) RESULTING IN GROUND ROLL OF 0.6IPS SOFTWARE INVOKED SIKORSKY BLADE SWAP ROUTINE RESULTED IN OPERATORS COMPLETING UP TO 8 GROUND RUNS AND MULTIPLE BLADE SWAPS WITH NO EFFECT BLACK HAWK INCIDENTS STATIC BALANCE, AT BLADE REPAIR VENUE, SHOWED CONSIDERABLE VARIATION IN STATIC MOMENT AS A RESULT, INTERIM RECOVERY PLAN ISSUED BY WSLM DUE TO INABILITY TO STATICALLY BALANCE AT UNIT, CHANGE 1 BLADE - CHANGE ALL 4 2 X AVION STATIC BALANCE FIXTURE PURCHASED, ONE AT UNIT, ONE AT BLADE REPAIR VENUE HUMS2003 5

6 BLACK HAWK INCIDENTS RESULTS: CONFIDENCE LEVELS OF OPERATOR GREATLY INCREASED AFTER BLADES ARE PASSED OVER USBF (STARTING POINT, UNDERSTANDING OF THE ENTIRE PROCESS) CONSIDERABLE REDUCTION IN TEST FLIGHTS (FROM 4 TO 2) APPRECIATION OF THE ENTIRE PROCESS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED RESULTING IN GREATER EFFICIENCY INCREMENTED TRAINING 3 LEVELS 1. INITIAL EMPLOYMENT TRAINING 2. AIRCRAFT TYPE CONVERSION TRAINING 3. SQUADRON ADVANCED TRAINING ALL TRAINING - COMPETENCY BASED TRAINED TO EXPECTED LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE IN THE WORKPLACE ASSESSED AT STANDARDS REQUIRED IN THE WORKPLACE HUMS2003 6

7 INITIAL EMPLOYMENT TRAINING GENERAL VIBRATION THEORY GENERIC EQUIPMENT TYPES AND BASIC FUNCTION BASIC FAMILIARISATION WITH PROCEDURES LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRACTICAL APPLICATION AIRCRAFT TYPE CONVERSION TRAINING AIRCRAFT TYPE SPECIFIC THEORY EQUIPMENT APPLICATION TO SPECIFIC TYPE TYPE SPECIFIC PROCEDURES LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRACTICAL APPLICATION HUMS2003 7

8 AIRCRAFT ADVANCED TECHNICIAN COURSE IN THE PAST, EXPERIENCE LEVELS OF TRADE SUPERVISORS WERE CONSIDERABLE. ON AVERAGE, FROM TRADESMAN TO SUPERVISOR WAS APPROX 3-4 YEARS. IN THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT, AS QUICKLY AS 1-2 YEARS. SYSTEM KNOWLEDGE AND FAULT FINDING ABILITIES HAVE SUFFERED CONSIDERABLY AS A RESULT. AIRCRAFT ADVANCED TECHNICIAN COURSE ADVANCED DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES COMMON TYPE SPECIFIC FAULTS REMOVE GENERIC INFORMATION AND CONCENTRATE ON AIRCRAFT SPECIFIC ISSUES HUMS2003 8

9 AIRCRAFT ADVANCED TECHNICIAN COURSE INCORPORATION INTO TRAINING OF THE BLACK HAWK FULL MISSION FLIGHT SIMULATOR SIM ALLOWS INTEGRATION OF SIMULATED SIGNAL AND PHYSICAL VIBRATIONS OF THE AIRCRAFT ASSESSMENT CONDUCTED IN THE SIM TO BEST REPLICATE THE TASK ENVIRONMENT (THE WORKPLACE) HUMS2003 9

10 HUMS

11 TIME OF TASK THERE IS NO ESCAPING THE ACTUAL TIME TAKEN FOR RTB DATA ACQUISITION AND ROTOR ADJUSTMENTS IN THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT HOWEVER, THERE IS SCOPE FOR IMPROVEMENT OF CURRENT PRACTICES WHAT TO DO? SETTLE FOR QUOTED PRACTICES? DEVELOP AND REFINE YOUR OWN CONSOLIDATE THE PRACTICE AND DOCUMENT IT HUMS

12 AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO RTB 1. LOOK AT ENTIRE RTB PICTURE - STATIC & DYNAMIC AT UNIT/OPERATOR LEVEL. 2. INCREASING IMPORTANCE OF STATIC BALANCE SPAN MOMENT ARM ON THE SUCCESS OF THE DYNAMIC RTB EXERCISE. 3. INCORPORATE IT INTO ROUTINE MAINTENANCE 4. ENCOURAGE INNOVATION, FEEDBACK AND DOCUMENTATION OF NEW PROCEDURES, EFFECTS, TECHNIQUES AND OBSERVATIONS. 5. MODIFY, UPDATE AND TEACH NEW PROCEDURES. (ENSURES MAXIMUM BENEFIT IS MADE OF THE NEWEST TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPROVE RTB EFFICIENCIES). HUMS

13 INTEGRATED AND EASILY EXPANDABLE APPROACH TO RTB, VIBRATION ANALYSIS & CONDITION MONITORING IMPLEMENT 3 TIER TRAINING SYSTEM. CENTRE OF EXPERTISE: - TRAINING - TROUBLESHOOTING/ASSISTANCE - PROCEDURES - RTB DOCTRINE INTEGRATED AND EASILY EXPANDABLE APPROACH TO RTB, VIBRATION ANALYSIS & CONDITION MONITORING FOOD FOR THOUGHT THIS APPROACH HAS REDUCED TIMES TO SERVICEABLE FOR VIBRATION RELATED TEST FLIGHTS FOR THE BLACK HAWK FLEET IN 5 AVIATION REGIMENT BY 50% BETWEEN 1997 AND HUMS

14 SUMMARY AIRCRAFT ADVANCED TECHNICIAN TRAINING PROGRAM MOVING AHEAD WITH EXCELLENT RESULTS USE OF BLACK HAWK FMFS PROVING VERY EFFECTIVE IN RAISING AWARENESS OF WHAT RTB TASKS ARE ALL ABOUT ANY QUESTIONS? HUMS