Airwolf's rotor blade protective tape provides approved level of safety

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology

ISSN: 0002-2667

Article publication date: 16 May 2008

118

Citation

(2008), "Airwolf's rotor blade protective tape provides approved level of safety", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 80 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2008.12780cad.021

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2008, Emerald Group Publishing Limited


Airwolf's rotor blade protective tape provides approved level of safety

Article Type: Materials From: Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal, Volume 80, Issue 3.

Airwolf Aerospace has been granted an alternative method of compliance (AMOC) by the Federal Aviation Administration for Airworthiness Directive 2007-26-12. The AD was issued for delamination of Robinson R22 and R44 helicopters' main rotor blades. Installation of Airwolf s Rotor Blade Protective Tape system is found by the FAA to provide a permanent and acceptable level of safety.

The AMOC permits all R22 and R44 operators to use Airwolf's Rotor Blade Protective Tape which, eliminates the need for preflight inspections and entries into the aircraft's permanent maintenance record, which would otherwise be mandatory under the requirements of the AD. The AMOC also legally eliminates the restriction on the installation of “blade tapes (anti- erosion tapes)” which was recently added by Robinson to its Maintenance Manuals.

Airwolf's solution STC-SR02491CH is a one-time application, using an 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's painted finish. “As of today, our Protective Rotor Blade Solution is the only permanent product on the market that is AD 2007-26-12 compliant” says Jonny Quest, Airwolf's Technical Director. “Now operators don't have to go through daily blade inspections and can rely on an inexpensive and one-time application solution to a problem, which affects more than 2290 helicopters in the US alone.”

Robinson operators, mechanics and maintenance departments can order the Airwolf RBPT factory-direct at: Tel.: 800 326 1534, Fax: 440 632 5136 or web site: www.airwolfaerospace.com

Details available from: Airwolf Aerospace LLC, Tel.: +1 800 326 1534, web site: www.airwolfaerospace.com

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