Sat, Mar 08, 2008
Provides Approved Level Of Safety Against Delamination
Airwolf Aerospace told ANN this week the company was recently
granted approval by the European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA)
for its recently FAA-approved rotor blade tape installation STC for
Robinson R22 and R44 helicopters.
Airworthiness Directive 2007-26-12 was issued in January 2008 to
address delamination of Robinson R22 and R44 helicopters’
main rotor blades. Subsequently, Airwolf’s patented blade
tape solution won the final authority by the FAA of an Alternative Method of Compliance
(AMOC). Both EASA and FAA confirm that installation of
Airwolf’s product provides approved levels of safety.
"We are very pleased with EASA’s approval of our Rotor
Blade Protective Tape (RBPT)", says Jonny Quest, Airwolf’s
technical director. "Now, European Union operators of Robinson
helicopters will also benefit from it, as this is the only patented
product on the market that is AD 2007-26-12 compliant."
The AMOC permits all R22 and R44 operators to use
Airwolf’s tape solution if visual inspections show that the
rotor blades are not airworthy, and eliminates the need of daily
preflight visual checks, which would otherwise be obligatory under
the requirements of the AD. The AMOC also supersedes and removes
the restriction on installation of "blade tapes (anti-erosion
tapes)", which was recently added by Robinson Helicopter Company to
its Maintenance Manuals.
Airwolf’s solution STC-SR02491CH is a one-time repair,
using a unique adhesive polymer tape to prevent permanently the
leading-edge skin debonding, which occurs when the bond line is
exposed due to excessive erosion of the blade finish, or when
corrosion occurs on the internal aluminum tip cap.
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