Thu, Oct 26, 2017
New System Allows Airlines To Further Improve Efficiency And Passenger Comfort
Turboprop aircraft manufacturer ATR has certified its new Vibration Monitoring System (VMS) which will allow airlines to constantly monitor and fine tune propeller vibration. This innovation, which will be available on all new aircraft from March 2018, improves both aircraft reliability and passenger comfort. It will also be available to retrofit on in service aircraft, via Service Bulletin.
The new VMS will be permanently installed on the aircraft and replaces the previous temporary ground tooling systems used to monitor engine vibration. This equipment, which will be supplied by Meggitt Sensing Systems, removes the need for airlines to organize regular ground testing or put maintenance personnel on revenue flights, therefore improving maintenance efficiency.
VMS measures vibration at engine level in real time, via an acceleration sensor, or accelerometer, placed on each engine very close to the propeller. The vibration analysis performed throughout the flight within the Vibration Monitoring Control Unit will be stored for easy access after flight by Maintenance personnel through the MCDU (Multifunctional Control Display Unit). The resulting VMS report is then included in the Aircraft Condition Monitoring System, with precise directives to airline maintenance crews on how to balance the propellers.
Reducing propeller vibration improves the comfort for everyone on board by minimizing vibration and engine noise in the cabin. It also improves the reliability of engine components and of the aircraft as a whole, and ultimately reducing Direct Maintenance Costs.
"This new VMS is yet another example of an innovation that ATR has developed which can effectively improve the efficiency of our customers’ maintenance operations," said Tom Anderson, ATR’s Senior Vice-President Programs & Customer Services. "We are committed to continuously developing both our products and maintenance services solutions that we are able to offer to customers, allowing them to minimize the time their aircraft spends on the ground and ensure they maximize the revenues that they generate.”
(Source: ATR news release. Image from file)
More News
Aero Linx: International Business Aviation Council Ltd IBAC promotes the growth of business aviation, benefiting all sectors of the industry and all regions of the world. As a non->[...]
"During the annual inspection of the B-24 “Diamond Lil” this off-season, we made the determination that 'Lil' needs some new feathers. Due to weathering, the cloth-cove>[...]
Also: Bushcat Woes, Hummingbird 300 SL 4-Seat Heli Kit, Carbon Cub UL The newest Junkers is a faithful recreation that mates a 7-cylinder Verner radial engine to the airframe offer>[...]
Also: Seaplane Pilots Association, Rotax 916’s First Year, Gene Conrad After a decade and a half of struggling with the FAA and other aero-politics, G100UL is in production a>[...]
Also: Martha King Scholarship, Montaer Grows, Textron Updates Pistons, FlySto The FAA is hiring thousands of air traffic controllers, but the window to apply will only be open for >[...]