windshield rain protection
TRANSCRIPT
AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
Airbus Resident Customer Support Managers are based at their operator’s premises. With over 25 nationalities
represented, they can be relied upon to understand your country’s culture, ensuring they’ve a close relationship
based on mutual trust. Many have an airline background, which means they’re at home with
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WE’VE A REVOLUTIONARY METHOD OF UNDERSTANDING YOUR AIRLINE’S REQUIREMENTS. WE LISTEN.
AIRBUSSE TT I N G TH E STAN DA R DS
Cover / backcover 17/09/1998 11:06 Page 1
© AIRBUS INDUSTRIE 1998
Publisher: Airbus Industrie Customer Services, 1 rond-point Maurice Bellonte, 31707 Blagnac Cedex, FranceEditor: Denis Dempster, Product MarketingTelephone +33 (0)5 61 93 39 29, Telex AIRBU 530526F, Telefax +33 (0)5 61 93 27 67 Graphic design: Agnès Lacombe, Customer Services Marketing Photo-engraving: Passion Graphic, 60 boulevard Déodat de Séverac, 31027 Toulouse Cedex, FrancePrinter: Escourbiac, 5 avenue Marcel Dassault, 31502 Toulouse Cedex, France
This issue of FAST has been printed on paper produced without using chlorine, to reduce waste and help to conserve natural resources. 'Every little helps'.
FAST may be read on Internet http://www.airbus.com
The articles herein may be reprinted without permission except where copyright source is indicated, but with acknowledgement to Airbus Industrie. Articles which may be subject to ongoing review must have their accuracy verified prior to reprint. The statements made herein do not constitute an offer. They are based on the assumptions shown and are expressed in good faith. Where the supporting grounds for these statements are not shown, the Company will be pleased to explain the basis thereof.
AIRBUSTECHNICALDIGEST
NUMBER 23OCTOBER 1998
TRAINING PHILOSOPHY FOR PROTECTED AIRCRAFTIN EMERGENCY SITUATIONSCAPTAIN ETIENNE TARNOWSKI 22
COMMON, RELIABLE AND PUNCTUAL...THE PATH TO LOWER SPARES COSTSOLYMPIOS PANAYIOTOU AND MARTIN WOODS 1313
AVOIDING ELEVATOR VIBRATION - A319, A320, A321SONIA BOURCHARDIE
1919COMBINING ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AND WINDSHIELD RAIN PROTECTION ON AIRBUS AIRCRAFTFRANCOIS POVEDA
121210
CUSTOMER SERVICES CONFERENCES
10
24SERVICE BULLETIN REPORTINGTECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS WHICH REFLECT THE CONFIGURATION OF YOUR AIRCRAFTCLAIRE HAREL
2431
RESIDENT CUSTOMER SUPPORT REPRESENTATION
31ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION - PART II
3232
FAST / NUMBER 23 1
fast23 p1 / 11 17/09/1998 9:18 Page 1
FAST / NUMBER 23 3
ince 1985, Airbus Industrie hasdesigned a fly-by-wire aircraftfamily; the fly-by-wire controllaws include protections that
have been provided as an assistance tothe pilot in emergency situations.
Crews are being trained to face emer-gency situations such as evasive ma-noeuvres to avoid Controlled FlightInto Terrain (CFIT). The Flight SafetyFoundation (FSF) has sponsored a largeprogramme regarding “how to train forCFIT escape manoeuvres”, and AirbusIndustrie has released a training manualon this issue to Airbus operators.Thisarticle aims to inform the aviation com-munity on the safety benefits of thoseprotections, and on the ways they areimplemented in the training philosophy,which are:l Explain the protection philosophyl Explain and demonstrate the achiev-able performancel Provide alertness training for pilotsby flying realistic scenarios in fullflight simulators (FFS).
THE PROTECTIONPHILOSOPHY
Most late-technology aircraft carry themost up-to-date systems to assist the pi-lots in achieving their tasks, withoutchanging the nature of the tasks them-selves. The protections built in the fly-by-wire system is one of them. Thesesystems have been designed to be aCOMPLEMENT for the pilots, after athorough analysis of pilots’ strengthsand weaknesses; basically they havebeen added wherever they could do bet-ter than man, to compensate for thoseweaknesses.
These systems are merely operatorswhich work repetitively, accurately andconsistently, according to built-in logic,but with no intuition, no discernment,no decision capacity. However pilotsneed an understanding of those systemsto operate them properly. As a conse-quence, if the main goal of training is tomake flying more instinctive, more nat-ural, the pilots have to be taught thewhy’s of those systems. Then the pilotsunderstand the process and become nat-urally part of it and will apply the asso-ciated procedures instinctively and nat-urally. This statement applies to theprotections that are implemented on es-sential systems of the aircraft.
When a pilot faces an unexpectedevent, he normally has to react withinseconds to save the aircraft. He is theone ultimately responsible for thesafety of the flight. Dangerous unex-pected situations are often linked tonon-linear, discontinuous phenomenathat appear at the border of the flight
envelope. In such circumstances the pi-lot does not normally have any relevantpast experience, to give him a sponta-neously correct response. Therefore, thedesign of the main aircraft systemsmust aim at giving full authority to thepilot to consistently achieve the maxi-mum possible aircraft performance insuch extreme circumstances, with aneasy, instinctive and immediate proce-dure, while minimising the risks ofover-controlling or over-stressing theaircraft.
This design philosophy has been ap-plied homogeneously throughout theessential systems of the Airbus fly-by-wire aircraft.
Protection in the brakes
A pilot may apply full pedals down, attake-off or landing when required (re-jected take-off or landing a heavy air-craft on a short runway...), because thebraking system is protected by the anti-skid system which releases the brakepressure whenever a skidding conditionis detected.
The braking system with anti-skid al-lows the pilot to get the best brakingperformance with an instinctive actionon the pedals; by no means does it limitthe authority of the pilot.
Protection in the engines
The engine acceleration characteristics,on a high by-pass ratio engine, seems tobe very sluggish to a pilot who needsfull Take-off and Go Around (TOGA)thrust out of idle, in order to recoverfrom a dangerous situation. As shownin the graph (Figure 1), there is hardlyany thrust increase in the first 3 to 4seconds; then the thrust increases veryrapidly to its maximum. This character-
Time (sec)
100
50
0
Maximum thrust (%)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Figure 1TYPICAL ENGINE ACCELERATION RESPONSE
S
FAST / NUMBER 232
The civil aviationenvironment has evolvedconsiderably in the pastdecade. The passenger andcargo demands haveincreased enormously,leading to a far largernumber of aircraft inservice. Also flight safetycriteria have become moreand more stringent.Furthermore, the media andthe expectations of thepublic, in terms of safety,have set even greaterpressure on the civilaviation industry.Although the accident rateshave dropped considerably,due to the ever-increasingnumber of airliners in service, accidents do notseem to be much lessfrequent, and it is thisfactor which mayinfluence publicopinion. Consequently, the civil aviationindustry has to fightuntiringly against themain causes ofaccidents which occurmostly in approachphases: controlled flightinto terrain, and to a lesser extent, windshear.
TRAINING PHILOSOPHY FOR
PROTECTED AIRCRAFT IN EMERGENCYSITUATIONSby Captain Etienne Tarnowski
Vice President Engineering Operations, Airbus Industrie
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maintain speed at, or above VLS.l Should the aircraft energy drop be-low a certain threshold, a low energyaural warning is triggered calling“SPEED - SPEED”. The aircraft energyis a function of speed, acceleration andflight path angle, and the aural warningcomes typically below VLS.l Should the aircraft angle of attackreach the threshold of Alpha Floor theATHR sets TOGA thrust automatically.
The resulting procedures are shownin the table on the right.
Due to this protection function,which allows the pilot to apply fullback stick immediately, the escape pro-cedures on protected aircraft arestraight-forward, instinctive and nat-ural. They do not require exceptionalskills or flying techniques, which arefar more difficult to achieve when thepilot is under pressure, or subject toheavy stress when facing emergencysituation.
The optimum escape procedures onnon-protected aircraft are most difficultto achieve! The pilot has to try toachieve a pitch rate of 3°/sec, and fly atthe stick shaker angle of attack, be-cause it is the best for the escape! Thisis exactly the goal achieved by the fly-by-wire protections.
ACHIEVABLEPERFORMANCE
In case of an emergency on approach(CFIT, windshear...) what matters tothe pilot is the overall performance heis able to get from the aircraft (airframe& engines) during a recovery manoeu-vre. He must always have in mind thecapability of the aircraft, so as to beable to always fly ahead of the aircraft.This is the only way for him to readilyreact to any emergency warning.
For the pilot, the overall performanceof the aircraft is materialised with thealtitude versus distance profile the air-craft is able to fly in a recovery ma-noeuvre. This profile is essentially afunction of two paramount parameters:l The engine thrust spool-up character-istic, which is similar on all FADECcontrolled high by-pass ratio engines,since ALL engine manufacturers haveimplemented an anti-surge protection.l The aircraft’s response to the pilot’sinputs on the side-stick or on the yoke;this response depends significantly onthe pilot’s flying technique, on how ag-gressively he acts.
The aircraft’s response will thereforebe very tightly linked to whether theaircraft is protected or not:➜ If the aircraft is protected the pilotmay apply full back stick immediatelywhenever an emergency is detected.
The flying technique is simple and mostinstinctive; it allows the pilot to rapidlytrade speed for altitude in minimumdistance, and then to climb at maximumAOA properly stabilised.➜ If the aircraft is not protected the pi-lot has to act on the yoke cautiously,not too aggressively, so as not to getinto the stall, in other words to reach,but not over-shoot, the stick shaker an-gle of attack and try to stay there. Thisrequires a lot of skill and a lot of con-centration, in a very stressful situation.The observed result is invariably AOAoscillations around the stick shaker set-ting, with usually an initial significantovershoot. As a consequence, the over-all performance is severely penalised.
In order for the pilot to really feelthose characteristics, the training ses-sions must include:l an explanation and a description ofthe characteristics of the altitude versusdistance profile, on both types of con-figuration (protected and not protected);l a demonstration of the aircraft/enginebehaviour and of the resulting perfor-mance, by specific manoeuvres on theFull Flight Simulator.
This will make pilots fully aware ofthe real capabilities of the aircraft, andthus will comfort their confidence inthe recommended escape procedure.
Altitude versus distanceprofile during a recovery
The flight trajectories achieved on allprotected aircraft have the same charac-teristics since, on a short-term basis,they are a function of aircraft dynamicsand engine response, which are similarfor all these types of aircraft. On alonger-term basis, once stabilised, theydepend upon the thrust-to-weight ratios.
The flight trajectories achieved on allnon protected aircraft also have similarcharacteristics; however, they are sig-nificantly penalised by the excessivedifficulty to properly achieve the ma-noeuvre, and to stabilise the stick
ESCAPE PROCEDURES COMPARISONNon protected aircraft Airbus protected aircraft
Apply TOGA thrust Apply TOGA thrust
Autopilot disconnect -
Rotate with pitch rate 3°/sec -
Pitch initially 20° up Pull full back stick
Respect stick shaker -
Retract speed brakes Check speed brakes retracted
Maintain wings level Maintain wings level
FAST / NUMBER 234
istic is common to all turbofan engineswith high by-pass ratio. High by-passratio implies:l High inertia, in particular in the lowpressure assembly because of the sizeof the fan and turbine discs;l Only a fraction of the airflow getsinto the combustion chamber to pro-duce energy in the combustion process.
Today, all engine manufacturers haveprogrammed an engine accelerationschedule and a “bleed bias” system inthe Full Authority Digital EngineControl (FADEC), in order to protectthe engines against stall. This protec-tion allows the pilot to get the best pos-sible thrust increase rate, consistentlyand repetitively, by pushing thrustlevers full forward instinctively andrapidly, while minimising the risks ofengine stall and without limiting what-soever the authority of the pilot.
Fly-by-wire protectionin the flight controls
Fly-by-wire control systems in Airbusfly-by-wire aircraft protect the aircraftagainst a stall. This protection allowsthe pilot to get the maximum availableperformance of the aircraft consistentlyand repetitively, with a unique, instinc-tive and immediate action on the side-stick, while minimising the risks ofover-controlling or over-stressing theaircraft. (Non protected aircraft providewarning of the arrival of a stall andleave the pilot to deal with it as best hecan).
How is this achieved?
By pulling the side-stick fully aft thepilot gets:l maximum angle of attack givingmaximum lift,l alpha floor* function giving maxi-mum TOGA thrust,l speed brake auto-retraction givingreduced drag.(* see below - angle-of-attack wheremaximum thrust is automatically ap-plied by the autothrust system).
How does this work?
The high Angle of Attack (AOA) pro-tection is an aerodynamic protectionthat prevents the aircraft reaching anAOA at which is stalls. AOA is alsoknown as alpha (α):
There are three thresholds incorpo-rated in the protection:l Alpha Prot(ection), which is themaximum attainable stick-free AOA.The auto-trim stops there becausethere is no valid reason to fly atsuch a low speed for a lengthy pe-riod of time; The speed brakes, ifextended, retract automatically. l Alpha floor, which is the AOAwhere engine thrust increases toTOGA even with autothrust selectedoff.l Alpha max, which is the maxi-mum attainable AOA with the sidestick held fully back.
Suppose that an aircraft decelerates,stick free, with thrust at idle in levelflight; the fly-by-wire pitch normal lawwill keep the aircraft roughly in levelflight and auto-trimmed and when VLS(minimum normal speed) is reached,the pilot should take an action to pre-vent the speed from dropping further. Ifthe pilot takes no action, the aircraftwill continue to decelerate till it reachesAlpha Prot.
This is where the angle of attack pro-tection starts:l If there is still no action from the pi-lot, the aircraft will sink to maintain theα Prot and associated speed. This is amajor change in the aircraft behaviour.l If, due to the sink rate the pilot thenpulls the side-stick back, he directly or-ders a higher angle of attack, till hereaches full back stick where he ordersα Max (Figure 2).
In addition to the aerodynamic pro-tection, three energy features enhancethat function since engine thrust isneeded to maintain the flight path:l When Autothrust (ATHR) is inSPEED mode, it will adjust the thrust tothe maximum possible, in order to
CLAirspeed scale
VLS
VLS
α Floor
Vα Floor
α Prot
Vα Prot
α Max
Vα Max
α Stall
140
120
Figure 2HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK PROTECTION
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The deductive step
Two exercises will demonstrate the ca-pabilities of the aircraft in recovery ma-noeuvres, and parameters essential tothe pilots will materialise.l Go around from high vertical speed(V/S) approach (Figure 5).l Escape manoeuvre (Figure 6).
ALERTNESS TRAINING
The training for escape from emer-gency situations such as windshear andCFIT has actually two aspects: l Train the pilot to be alert to the ele-ments which may create an emergencysituation., l Train for the escape manoeuvre.
Training the escape manoeuvre
A GPWS alert comes up with about15 seconds before potential impact, de-
pending on the terrain configuration.Therefore, the pilot’s reaction must bequick and efficient. Thus, he must beable to achieve the escape manoeuvreeasily and naturally.➜ On a protected aircraft, no trainingis required to achieve the escape ma-noeuvre; indeed, the procedure isstraight-forward, is instinctive and doesnot require exceptional flying skills.And, it systematically leads to the bestachievable aircraft performance.
The demonstrations “in clear air”, asdescribed in the previous paragraph, areactually enough to train the manoeuvreitself, and provide an awareness of theaircraft’s performance.➜ On a non protected aircraft, a thor-ough training is required in order toreach a certain level of flying skill. Theflying technique is not easy to acquire.Furthermore, it is very dependent uponthe situation! Therefore, a lot of time isrequired to try to make this manoeuvre“natural” for the pilot and a lot of men-
Go aroundinitiation altitude
Altitudeloss
Fly SRS
Escape manoeuvreInitiation altitude
Altitudeloss
Fly full back stick
Landing configurationVAPP`V/S - 1500 ft/mn
Figure 5TYPICAL GO-AROUND FROM HIGH VERTICAL SPEED APPROACH - ALTITUDE LOSS
Figure 6TYPICAL ESCAPE MANOEUVRE - PERFORMANCE
A typical go around with Auto Pilot engaged, out of a highvertical speed approach (approx. -1500 ft/mn) will be flown.This will show the crew a typical altitude loss in such amanoeuvre, as well as the effect of the engine spool-up time.The influence of the aircraft speed at go around initiation willbe outlined .
A typical escape manoeuvre, out of a high vertical speedapproach (approx. -1500 ft/mn) final approach speed (VAPP),will be flown in order to outline the resulting performance, the procedure and the aircraft behaviour (manoeuvrability, AOA stability...).
Note: The difference in altitude loss between these two procedures is approximately 50ft.
Landing configurationVAPP V/S -1500 ft/min.
Landing configurationVAPP V/S -1500 ft/min.
FAST / NUMBER 236
160
140
120
160
140
120
160
140
120
160
140
120
VLS
Stick fully aft
-16
Vα prot
Vα Floor
Vα max
Maintains α maxwith stick full aft
Maintains α protwith stick neutral
Figure 4ANALYTICAL DEMONSTRATION OF THE PROTECTIONS
shaker / stall warning AOA. But theyare also penalised by the procedure it-self that limits necessarily the initialmanoeuvrability and the pitch target soas to try to avoid the stall. Figure 3 out-lines the flight trajectories in bothcases. Since the average time between aGround Proximity Warning System(GPWS) pull-up warning to impact isabout 15 seconds, the safety margin ona protected aircraft is doubled, and thereaction time is more than halved. (Thesafety margin is 15 seconds, minus thetime which it takes the aircraft to stopdescending and climb back to the alti-tude at which the pull-up signal wasgiven, named the Bucket time).
In-flight demonstration
This demonstration is achieved in twosteps:l An analytical step which demon-strates successive phases of the protec-tion, and resulting aircraft/engine be-haviour.l A deductive step where a typical re-covery manoeuvre shows the flight tra-jectories to the pilots.
The analytical step (Figure 4)
Slowly decelerate (approximately 0.5knot/sec.), with ATHR off, in flaps ex-tended configuration (e.g CONF3),level flight, stick free:l Reaching VLS minus 5 knots ap-proximately: Check “Speed - Speed”aural message.l Reaching Alpha Prot speed:Note the significant change in aircraftbehaviour. The aircraft sinks down atAlpha Prot speed; the auto-trim stops; to keep level flight the stick feels“heavy”.l Acting on the side-stick to maintainlevel flight, speed decreases: AlphaFloor is reached, TOGA is automati-cally set by ATHR, the aircraft climbsat Alpha Prot speed, if stick is free.l Pulling full back side-stick : theAlpha Prot speed is immediately tradedinto additional rate of climb till AlphaMax speed is reached, and Alpha Maxmaintained.
ALTinit
Altitude (ft)
Distance (ft)
Duckunder
Protected Non-protected
125
80
500
7 sec 12 sec 15 sec
1000 1500 2000 2500
Figure 3CFIT ESCAPE TRAJECTORIES - PROTECTED VERSUS NON-PROTECTED AIRCRAFT
Maintains α protwith stick neutral
Landing configuration V/S init - 1500 ft/min.MLW Aft CG for protected aircraft
Stick back for levelflight
Stick fully back
Maintains α maxwith stick fully back
Vα floor
(SRS is the flight director pitch law used in Go Around)
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CONCLUSION
The effort to improve flight safety must be a co-ordinated one, from aircraft manufacturers to airline management, includingAir Traffic Control and other agencies. However, the pilot is the last link in the chain. The pilot has to take the right deci-sion, and the pilot has to take the right action at the right moment, in an emergency situation, so as to save lives. Therefore,all efforts have to converge, to assist pilots in their decision-making processes, to ensure that they achieve the safest andmost efficient manoeuvre, in an emergency.
Training is obviously one of these essential efforts; and it is most clear that the training to handle emergency situations onprotected aircraft is a rational one, because the protection of fly-by-wire allows concentration on the most important aspectof the accident prevention, which is pilot alertness. On a protected aircraft, valuable training time is not necessary and is notlost in teaching and learning how to fly the escape manoeuvre itself. ✈
Sink rate
-3° glide slopePull up
aircraft’s instantaneous position alongits predicted trajectory. However, thisfacility shall be used in an environmentwhere it will create an alert realisti-cally. Four examples of realistic scenar-ios are proposed hereunder; these willcreate a surprise for the pilots withoutdegrading the crew confidence in theGPWS warning.
Note: The same principle applies forwindshear scenarios.
l Intermediate approach / Mountain-ous area / Radar vector (Figure 7).l Non precision approach / Moun-tainous area / Turbulent (gusty)weather (Figure 8).l ILS approach / Any area / ATCbrings the aircraft high above the glideslope (Figure 9).l Initial climb after take-off (or goaround) - Mountainous area(Figure 10).
Too low terrain
Pull up
Figure 9PRECISION (ILS) APPROACH - ATC BRINGS AIRCRAFT HIGH ABOVE GLIDE SLOPE - ANY AREA - GPWS MODE1 “SINK RATE”
Aircraft is beyond the FinalApproach Fix (FAF)at high verticalspeed (= -1500 ft/mn) to captureglide slope from above.
Figure 10INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKE-OFF (OR GO-AROUND) - MOUNTAINOUS AREA - GPWS MODE 4 / MODE 2
Radar vectoring of the aircraftduring configuration clean up andacceleration to initial climb speed
FAST / NUMBER 238 FAST / NUMBER 23
tal effort is required from the pilot to beable to achieve this manoeuvre effi-ciently!
Having an alertstate of mind
This should be the core of the training:Get pilots to be aware of the situation.Get pilots to be alert. The earlier an es-cape manoeuvre is initiated, the greaterare the chances of success! Thus, thepilot’s skill and mental capacity have tobe concentrated on consciousness andawareness of the situation; this state-ment is obviously true on any aircrafttype.
On a protected aircraft the trainingcan therefore be fully devoted to pilotalertness, since all the pilot’s skill andmental capacity are available for thatpurpose. This is not the case on a nonprotected aircraft, where a lot of the pi-lot’s mental energy is required for theachievement of the manoeuvre itself.
In order to train the pilot alertness,many aspects have to be reviewed:l proper departure/arrival procedures,l proper and concise take-off and ap-proach briefings,l proper review of major obstacles andsafety altitudes,l proper appreciation of lateral andvertical situation of the aircraft,l radio communication phraseology,altimeter setting, task sharing.
Last but not least, in case of emer-gency, the pilots’ reaction must be au-tomatic and immediate, with little roomfor argument (unless in clear, cloudlessweather for GPWS warning). This isalso part of the training for pilot’s alert-ness. It will be achieved through sev-eral realistic scenarios flown in the sim-ulators, spread throughout the trainingcourses.
For that purpose the simulator musthave the capability to create an “elec-tronic mountain” from the instructorpanel, at a selected point ahead of the
Terrain
Pull up
Figure 7INTERMEDIATE APPROACH - MOUNTAINOUS AREA - RADAR VECTORING - GPWS MODE 2 CLOSURE RATE
Below Minimum Safe Altitude (MSA)down to Minimum Vectoring Altitude(MVA): Aircraft at end of descent, stillin clean configuration with a “high”speed (say 250 knots).
Terrain
Pull up
Figure 8NON-PRESICION APPROACH - MOUNTAINOUS AREA - TURBULENT WEATHER - GPWS MODE 2 / MODE 4
Aircraft on final approach, in landingconfiguration. Stabilised approach speed (VAPP).
fast23 p1 / 11 17/09/1998 9:45 Page 8
FAST / NUMBER 23 11
by Sonia Bouchardie, Engineer Flight Control Systems, Customer Services, Airbus Industrie
FAST / NUMBER 2310
VOIDING ELEVATOR VIBRATION
F
Added to potential aerodynamic excitation, two concomitant conditions causing theLCO were discovered: servo control bearing backlash and low actuator load.
SOLUTIONS
Two solutions were developed to eliminate these two causes: reduce backlash andincrease hinge moment.
CONCLUSION
The extensive work performed by the Airframe Vibration Task Force led to conclusions for eliminating airframe vibrationwhich have since been proven in service. The effectiveness of these modifications has been clearly demonstrated throughthe positive feedback from the Operators. Therefore as a preventive measure, the incorporation of the Service Bulletins arehighly recommended by Airbus Industrie. ✈
TO REDUCE BACKLASHSeveral cases of excessive play within the spherical
bearings of the elevator servo control, due to premature wearof the Teflon liners, were discovered during inspectionsfollowing reports of in flight airframe vibrations.
This condition has now been eliminated thanks to higherperformance NMB bearings, introduced on the elevatorservo-controls through the LUCAS Service Bulletin 31075-27-17 and Airbus Service Bulletin A320-27-1111. Thismodification incorporates an additive in the existing liner,and chromium and super finishing of the inner ball to reducethe wear rate and friction coefficient. Also the maximumacceptable value for backlash, measured at the elevatortrailing edge has been reduced from 10mm to 7mm, asdescribed in the AMM.
TO INCREASE HINGE MOMENTThe Airbus Service Bulletin A320-27-1114 describes the resetting of the
elevator neutral position to 0.5 degree (aircraft) nose up. Accomplishment ofthis modification ensures that the elevators are aerodynamically loaded in anappropriate manner in order to eliminate vibration, even during flight inturbulent conditions.
Those changes have no effect on aircraft performance and there is nochange in the handling characteristics of the aircraft, nor is there any penaltyin fuel consumption. This modification has been developed to fit easily into themaintenance program.
To perform the revised elevator rigging, a new elevator rigging tool,developed by Airbus Industrie, enables the new neutral position to bedetermined. It is highly recommended that this new tool be used, as it allowsmore accurate rigging through a simplified procedure. Nevertheless, theelevators can also be set using the previous tool which was developedoriginally to set the elevators to a 0 degree position.
Therefore the Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM) procedure nowdescribes how to set the elevators to the 0.5 degree using the original tool orthe new tool.
ADVANTAGESAs a preventive measure, these modifications will: ● improve the fleet reliability due to the new elevator servo spherical bearings and revised elevator rigging,● improve passenger and crew comfort by removing the causes of vibration,● reduce maintenance costs.
REFERENCES• TSM Task 05-50-00, “In-flight airframe vibration”• AMM Task 27-34-00-200-001 “Check of the elevator servo controls and hinge bearings for too much play, and condition”• Video Tape “A320 Family elevator rigging”The Part Numbers are: New Elevator Rigging Tool, 98D27309006000 / Previous Elevator Rigging Tool, 98D27309002000To order the new Elevator Rigging Tool, please contact AIRBUS INDUSTRIE, Materiel Support Center Tel: +49 (40) 50 76 0 - Fax: +49 (40) 50 31 68For further information or to receive a copy of the video tape please contact:Airbus Industrie Customer Services AI/SE-E52 - Flight Control Systems - Sonia Bouchardie1, rond-point Maurice Bellonte - 31707 BLAGNAC Cedex FRANCE Tel: +33 (0) 5 61 93 22 33 Fax: +33 (0) 5 61 93 44 25
Elevator rigging tool (developed by Airbus Industrie)
ollowing reports of in-flight vibrations on the A320 Family, an intensive flight testcampaign was launched by Airbus Industrie to determine the different sources of elevatorvibrations. They are described in the Trouble Shooting Manual (TSM) Chapter 05-50-00,and each possible cause is associated with corresponding trouble shooting procedures.The TSM also provides a recording sheet to help operators establish the cause of vibration.
The main source is the elevator system, which accounts for more than 70% of allvibrations. Further to the flight test campaign, it was revealed that the phenomenon was infact a Limit Cycle Oscillation (LCO) which is a sustained vibration at a fixed frequencywith limited amplitude and having no impact on flight safety.
This article describes how to avoid elevator vibration through the incorporation of amodification on the spherical bearing of the elevator servo control and a new elevatorsetting.
AA319, A320, A321
fast23 p1 / 11 17/09/1998 9:53 Page 10
13FAST / NUMBER 23
In everyday life,the wordscommon, reliable
and punctual oftenconjure up animage of something
dull, lacklustre, andnon-spectacular.
In the commercial orengineering worldthese terms can mean
the difference betweenprofit and loss orsuccess and failure. The
aircraft industry is noexception to this. In the
aircraft manufacturingbusiness, the benefits ofbeing common are
apparent not only throughflight deck commonality (1)
with cross crew qualification(CCQ) and common systemarchitecture and maintenance
philosophy, but also in thesavings which can be madethrough common spare parts.
More reliable equipmentnaturally means that less spareparts are required.
The punctuality in the repair ofspare parts will determine how
many spares are required to ensurethe operation of the aircraft while apart is away for repair. All these
factors, when optimised, yieldconsiderable cost savings which this
article examines with respect toaircraft spare parts.
Common, reliable and punctualÉthe path to lower spares costs
Three hundred representatives from 33 Airlines, 40 Vendors, Airbus Industrie and Partners attended the third A330/A340 Technical Symposium which took place 11-15 May in Kuala Lumpur. The symposium was hosted by Gerard Misrai, Deputy VP Engineering andTechnical Support, and John Grother, Programme Manager for Long Range Aircraft. During the four day event all major technical items affecting the A330/A340 in service fleetwere reviewed with the operators as well as some areas of more general interest.In accordance with tradition the event was preceeded by a social evening at which awards weregiven to some operators in recognition of exceptional operation of their aircraft. Cathay Pacific took two awards on their A340 fleet, winning both the dispatch reliability andhighest daily utilization awards. On the A330 fleet the honours went to LTU for utilization and Aer Lingus for dispatch
reliability.A special recognition was also give toPhilipines Airlines for the simultaneous entryinto service of three Airbus types (A320,A330and A340) last year.
The awards winners (left to right) and their hosts,John GROTHER (left) and Gérard MISRAI (right):• Helmut FEIGL, LTU,
Team Leader A330• Mike KINSELLA, AER LINGUS,
Technical Liaison Manager• Michael BOCK, LTU,
Head of Engineering & Planning• Chris GIBBS, CATHAY PACIFIC,
General Manager Engineering• Arnelou BADIOLA, PHILIPINES AIRLINES,
Senior Airframe & System Engineer
FAST / NUMBER 2312
Every two years since 1980, Airbus Industrie Flight Operations Support has organised aPerformance and Operations Conference. This year will be the 10th, a milestone!An excellent opportunity for Airbus Operators, Flight Operations directors and managers, chiefpilots, training pilots, operations engineers... and Airbus Industrie Training, Flight Operations andFlight Test staff to share their experience.Looking ahead, Documentation Procedures, Operations and environment and new technologiesare part of the programme.Separate sessions are also planned for fly-by-wire aircraft, conventional aircraft and performanceissues.
Providing an opportunity for the operators, suppliers and Airbus Industrie staff to discusstechnical subjects of common interest and share in-service experience.
A300/A310/A300-300 TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM30 NOVEMBER - 5 DECEMBER 1998 IN BANGKOK
THE 10TH PERFORMANCE AND OPERATIONS CONFERENCE28 SEPTEMBER - 2 OCTOBER 1998 IN SAN FRANCISCO
A330/A340 TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM11 - 15 MAY 1998 IN KUALA LUMPUR
byOlympios PanayiotouSenior Marketing Analyst
andMartin WoodsProvisioning Manager
Materiel Support CentreAirbus Industrie
(1) FAST no.14 February 1993, pages 7 - 11
fast23 p12 / 23 17/09/1998 10:10 Page 12
FAST / NUMBER 23 15FAST / NUMBER 2314
day, share the highest commonality ofspare parts. In the case of the A320family this is due to the introduction ofcommon standards along with the intro-duction of the A321 and A319, asshown in figure 3.
We will examine the achievable sav-ings through commonality by compar-ing the addition of A319s and a non-common type to an existing fleet of 10A320s. The commonality dividend i.e.the savings made specifically throughthe effect of commonality can be seenin figure 4. This illustrates the effect ofadding the first A319 to a 10 strongA320 fleet with the full benefits ofcommonality, compared to adding onenon-A320 family aircraft. The impactof commonality is clear. The cost of thefleet of 10 A320s is $11.63m and thecost of adding an A319 to the A320fleet is $0.27m, compared to a cost of$2.35m of adding a non-common type.The commonality dividend is therefore88.5% of the cost of the spares for theadditional aircraft. The overall invest-ment for 11 aircraft in a combinedAirbus fleet is 85% that of the invest-ment required for the non-commonfleets.
As the number of added A319 air-craft increases, the commonality divi-dend expressed as a percentage
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Additional investment
Commonality dividendA320 investment
Investment (US$m)
10 A320 + 1 A319 combined
+$2,35m
$11.63m
+$0,27m
$11.63m
10 A320 + 1 non common type
Figure 3CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND INTEGRATION
1988
A320 introductionA320 introduction
1994
A321 introductionA321 introductionA320 / A321
common standard
1996
A319 introductionA319 introductionA319 / A320 / A321common standard
Figure 4 COMPARISON OF ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT FOR A319 VS. NON COMMON TYPE
Airframe consumed spares 4%
Airframe spares float 5%
Engine consumed spares 5%
Engine spares float 4%
Fuel 14%
Airframe price 31%
Insurance 2%
Flight Crew 16%
Operational fees 14%
Labour 5%
Acquisition cost (depreciation & finance)
Operating expenses
COMMONALITY
Looking at a typical airline’s DirectOperating Costs (DOC) which mayvary depending on individual airlinesand regions, spares costs are an impor-tant part (figure 1). Typically, con-sumed airframe spares represent 29%of direct maintenance costs (airframe,and engine consumed parts and labour),whilst airframe spares acquisition ac-count for 12.5% of total acquisitioncosts. Therefore, a common set ofspares will bring cost savings, whichthis article will highlight.
When considering spares commonal-ity it is useful to first consider the initialinvestment required at entry-into-service of a new aircraft. AirbusIndustrie provides spares recommenda-tions for operators, which enables themto select with a certain degree of confi-dence the optimum spares holding thatthey will need for their aircraft opera-tion (see FAST no. 21 May 1997, pages 25-29). The major share (figure 2), over90% of the spares investment by value,consists of vendor Line ReplaceableUnits (LRU). These parts are rotablespares and repairable spares which areconsidered re-usable over the lifetimeof the aircraft.
Of approximately 500 LRUs recom-mended, the top fifty spare LRUs, interms of recommended investment, ac-count for approximately 70% of that in-vestment, the top hundred for 80% andthe top two hundred for 95%. Given thedistribution of the investment, an effortto concentrate on the commonality of afew spare parts can result in large costsavings. If an airline chooses to fit thesame equipment across its fleet, e.g.wheels and brakes, navigation equip-ment or communication equipment, upto 95% investment commonality can beachieved within an Airbus family. Thisimplies considerable savings whenadding say an A319 or A321 to an ex-isting fleet of A320s in order to provideflexibility. Commonality therefore en-ables economies of scale to be realisedas the fleet grows.
The Airbus idea of family planninginvolves maximum parts commonalityand system maintenance commonality.Naturally, the greatest commonality ex-ists within family groups; ● A300-A310, ● A319-A320-A321 and ● A330-A340
Commonality between the A320 fam-ily and A330/A340 family is concen-trated in the cockpit and systems. Theevolution of Airbus aircraft commonal-ity means that aircraft in the same fam-ily, rolling off the production lines to-
Vendor line replaceable units (LRUs)
Vendor breakdown parts (LMPs)
Standard hardware Cockpit pushbuttons Tools and GSE
90.3%4.5%
24.7%
31.7%
37.2%
2.3% 4.1%
1.4%
0.6%
3.2%
by value
by part number count
Figure 1 OPERATING EXPENSES AND ACQUISITION COSTS
Figure 2 SPARES INVESTMENT
fast23 p12 / 23 17/09/1998 10:17 Page 14
function, the FMGC and the FAC. Withthe introduction of the A330/A340 thefunctions of these LRUs were furtherintegrated into one unit, the FlightManagement Guidance and EnvelopeComputer (FMGEC). The impact on re-liability and spares provisioning cost ofthis leap from non-FBW to FBW air-craft will be examined.
To examine the impact that systemsintegration has had upon spares provi-sioning it is necessary to consider thereliability (mean time between un-scheduled removals - MTBUR) of theLRUs and, of course, their cost to thecustomer. There have been certaintrends which have been evident in thedevelopment of FBW technology:● As can be seen in Figure 9, thenumber of units required to fulfill theAutomated Flight System function hasbeen reduced simplifying maintenanceand spares holding costs.● Generally the reliability (MTBUR)of the individual LRUs has remainedfairly constant.● Individual LRU prices have in-creased
The savings attained as a result ofcombining these factors must be calcu-lated by considering the AutomatedFlight System as one system. It is there-fore necessary to calculate the reliabil-ity of the system as a whole. This we
have done by using the following calcu-lation where Nu = number of units (seeformula below).
Applying this formula the impact ofFBW integration is readily apparent.Although the individual LRU MTBURshave remained relatively steady.
FAST / NUMBER 23 17FAST / NUMBER 2316
Non Non fly-by-wirefly-by-wiregenerationgenerationaircraftaircraft
11 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 38 49 52 53 55 56 57
Investment (US$m)
ATA chapters
1.4
1.2
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
Figure 8DISTRIBUTON OF AN A320 INITIAL PROVISIONING RECOMMENDATION BY ATA CHAPTER
A330/340A330/340
A320 A320
1
∑ (Nu A/MTBUR A + Nu B/MTBUR B + Nu C/MTBUR C....) *
* For spares provisioning purposes the AFS components above are consideredas a series of failure probabilities, since a spare is required as soon as a partis taken off the aircraft to be tested or repaired regardless of whether the sys-tem remains functional.
Figure 9EVOLUTION AND INTEGRATION OF AFS COMPUTERS
FAC FCC
FAC FMGC
FMGEC1
2
TCC FMC
decreases due to averaging effects(Figure 5). The reason for this is thatthe fleets are so large that the individualfleet commonalities and economies ofscale have been maximised and thespares investment curve has flattenedout. In other words, by adding a 51stA319, the additional spares investmentwould be constant at a minimal level.
The commonality dividend and theaveraging effects are evident when weconsider the total investment ratherthan just the savings themselves.Figure 6 illustrates not only these pointsbut also that the investment required fora ‘combined’ fleet differs little from theinvestment required for a fleet consist-ing of only A320s.
In this article we have consideredonly the single aisle family using datafor the A320, A319 and a non-commonaircraft of similar size. Similar com-monality savings are evident with theA321 and the long-range A340/A330family as can be seen in the similaritybetween Figures 6 and 7.
RELIABILITY
Along with the initial provisioning and“in service” savings achievablethrough commonality there are thespares savings that Airbus Industriehas sought to make through continu-ous improvement and integration ofaircraft systems.
As we have already seen LRUs arethe most expensive materiel categorywithin an initial provisioning recom-mendation. Of the ATA chapters, chap-ter 22 “Auto Flight” generates the high-est spares investment for an Airbusaircraft representing 14% of the totalinvestment (Figure 8).
For the A320, ATA chapter 22 con-sists of only five LRU part numbers re-flecting the continuous integration offunctions into single boxes. It is there-fore an appropriate area to focus upon:within this ATA chapter a significantimprovement has taken place in inte-grating the computers performing theAutomated Flight System (AFS) func-tion.
Looking at the Figure 9, the AFScomputers in a typical non ‘fly-by-wire’ generation aircraft consists of theFlight Control Computer (FCC), theFlight Augmentation Computer (FAC),the Thrust Control Computer (TCC)and Flight Management Computer(FMC) or equivalent. For the A320, thefirst full ‘fly-by-wire’ (FBW) aircraftthe functions of the FCC, TCC andFMC were integrated into a singleLRU, the Flight Management GuidanceComputer (FMGC) leaving the A320with two LRUs performing the AFS
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Investment saved (US$m)
Fleet10+
1
10+
2
10+
3
10+
4
10+
5
10+
6
10+
7
10+
8
10+
9
10+
10
10+
15
10+
20
10+
25
10+
30
10+
35
10+
40
10+
45
10+
50
Percentage investment saved
10
8
6
4
2
0
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
10+
1
10+
2
10+
3
10+
4
10+
5
10+
6
10+
7
10+
8
10+
9
10+
10
10+
15
10+
20
10+
25
10+
30
10+
35
10+
40
10+
45
10+
50
Investment saved (US$m)
Fleet
Percentage investment saved
Spares investment (US$m)
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
00 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Fleet development
Non common fleet
Combined A320/A319A320 only
The commonality dividend
InitialA320 build upto 10 a/c fleet
Figure 5COMMONALITY SAVINGS: ADDING A319S TO A FLEET OF 10 A320S
Figure 7COMMONALITY SAVINGS: ADDING A330-300S TO A FLEET OF 10 A340S
Figure 6COMPARISON OF SPARES INVESTMENT
fast23 p12 / 23 17/09/1998 10:19 Page 16
FAST / NUMBER 2318
CONCLUSION
Airbus Industrie is able to demonstrate that its aircraft families share large commonality in aircraft spares, enabling opera-tors to reduce their operating costs. This has been achieved through aircraft design with maintenance in mind. Further, thefly-by-wire technology has lent itself to improving commonality by integrating the Automated Flight System Computersinto a reduced number of LRUs, which share high commonality and reliability within the family groups. So, when it comesto aircraft spare parts, Airbus Industrie is glad to be called common, reliable and punctual. ✈
However with eleven years of techno-logical improvements the Auto Flightsystem MTBUR has increased quitedramatically from the non-FBW aircraftto the latest technology FBW aircraft,the A320 and A340.
The savings for a recommendedspares investment in dollar terms as aresult of the integration of AFS func-tions are considerable. The investmentrequired for the AFS equipment for tenA340 or A320 being roughly half ofthat required for ten non FBW type air-craft. The advances made in componentintegration offsets the increase in priceof the individual LRUs (Figure 10).
The cost effectiveness of the integra-tion of the AFS can be measured by di-viding the recommended spares invest-ment figures by the AFS reliability i.e.Cost/AFS MTBUR. The results can beseen in the Figure 11.
The AFS fitted to the A320 is fourtimes, and the A340 seven times, morecost effective than the pre-FBW aircraftand as fleet size increases this effect be-comes more pronounced.
PUNCTUALITY
The turnaround time for rotable and re-pairable spares is a combination of thetransit time and the repair processingtime.
The transit time
The transit time is dependent on the
two following factors:● The administrative efficiency of anairline in realising that a spare has beenremoved, shipping the spare part outand then, when the spare part returns,placing it back on the shelf. ● The speed and efficiency of thefreight forwarder and Customs authori-ties in importing/exporting and trans-porting the spare part will have an im-pact on the transit time. AirbusIndustrie has been working closely withseveral major forwarders and logisticsservice suppliers to develop an off-the-shelf transit management programme.This will offer customers a choice offorwarder service with defined perfor-mance levels and terms.
The repair processing time
Airbus Industrie has taken the initiativewith its proprietary parts repair turn-around time.
Airbus Industrie now guarantees amaximum of 15 calendar days repairtime for its proprietary parts. This isbacked up by a forward exchange at noadditional cost should the repair timeexceed this guarantee. The operator inthis case is then only invoiced for therepair charges and not the exchangefee. This significantly reduces the levelof inventory which needs to be storedto cover those “just-in-case” situationsand moves away from the current industry ‘standard’ of guaranteeing av-erage repair times.
Figure 11AFS COST EFFECTIVENESSCOMPARISON
100
190
Relative MTBUR value
LRU MTBUR
AFS MTBUR400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0FAC FMGC FMGECFCC FAC TCC FMCNon FBW a/c A320 A340
364
Index value
Non FBW a/c
(10 aircraft fleet)
A320
A340
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
RelativeSpares investment / AFS MTBUR
19
COMBINING ENVIRONMENTPROTECTION AND
WINDSHIELD RAIN PROTECTIONON AIRBUS AIRCRAFT
Windshield rain protection providesthe flight crew with a clear vision throughthe aircraft windshield when rain isencountered. The “ Rainboe ” rainrepellent fluid, originally used on Airbusaircraft in addition to the basic windshieldwiper system, has been phased out aspart of the worldwide effort to protect theOzone layer. Airbus Industrie has beenactively working on alternative solutionsand is now in a position to provide theoperators with a choice of environmentallyfriendly rain repellent fluid or windshieldhydrophobic coating. This combinesmaximum windshield rain protection withsafe guards for the environment.
Figure 10AFS MTBUR COMPARED TO INDIVIDUAL LRU MTBUR
by François PovedaEngineer Fire, Ice and Rain Protection
Customer Services EngineeringAirbus Industrie
FAST / NUMBER 23
fast23 p12 / 23 17/09/1998 10:21 Page 18
21
S S
RAIN RPLNT WIPER
OFF
SLOW
FAST
Figure 3RAIN REPELLENT SYSTEM SCHEMATIC
From hot airmanifold
Test check valve
Purge check valves
Solenoid valves
‘RAINBOE’ RAIN REPELLENT FLUID DEACTIVATIONA300 A300-600 A310 A319/A320/A321 A330 A340
MOD 11480 11480 11480 25419 44482 44482SB A300-30-0044 A300-30-6023 A310-30-2029 A320-30-1032 A330-30-3015 A340-30-4020
(1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1)
CFC FREE (LBFS) RAIN REPELLENT FLUID INSTALLATIONA300 A300-600 A310 A319/A320/A321 A330 A340
MOD 11974 11974 11974 26963 45897 45897SB A300-30-0046 A300-30-6025 A310-30-2032 A320-30-1037 A330-30-3019 A340-30-4022
(2) (2) (2) (3) (3) (3)
PPG ‘SURFACE SEAL’ COATING INSTALLATIONAIRBUS Service Information Letter 30-024 - Issued in July 1997
(1) SB issued in January 1996 (2) SB will be issued by end of 1998 (3) SB issued in July 1998
Applicable Service Bulletins and Modifications references
FAST / NUMBER 2320
Figure 1WINDSHIELD WIPER SYSTEM
Figure 2WINDSHIELD RAIN PROTECTION COCKPIT CONTROLS
Wiper blade
Wiper arm
Motor converter
SLOW
WIPER
OFF
FAST
RAIN RPLNTRAIN RPLNT WIPER
OFF
SLOW
FAST
- WINDSHIELD WIPERS -THE BASIC RAIN
PROTECTION SYSTEM
The basic windshield rain protectionsystem on Airbus aircraft consists oftwo electrically operated windshieldwipers, one on the Captain’s side andone on the First Officer’s side(Figure 1). The wipers can be operatedindependently and at low or high speed,depending on the level of the precipita-tion (Figure 2). An optional intermittentfunction is also available.
All Airbus aircraft are certified foroperation without further windshieldrain protection system.
- RAIN REPELLENT -AN ADDITIONAL FORMOF RAIN PROTECTION
All Airbus aircraft are also equippedwith a so-called rain repellent system.This system allows spraying of a fluidonto the windshield outer surface whenheavy rain is encountered (see Figure 3on the following page).
The fluid can be sprayed indepen-dently on the Captain’s side and on theFirst Officer’s side. It temporarily mod-ifies the surface tension on the wind-shield and, combined with the effect ofthe air flow caused by aircraft move-ment, prevents water droplets from ad-hering to the windshield outer surface.
- RAINBOE -RAIN REPELLENT FLUID
PHASE OUT
The ‘Rainboe’ rain repellent fluid origi-nally used on Airbus aircraft and on allother jetliners equipped with a similarsystem contains CFC 113. This sub-stance is a type of freon (Chloro-fluorocarbon). It is officially listed asan Ozone depleting substance by theMontreal Protocol which bans its pro-duction, import and export since 1stJanuary 1996.
Since this date and in order to complywith the international agreements forthe protection of the Ozone layer(Vienna Convention and MontrealProtocol), the ‘Rainboe’ fluid bottle isno longer installed on delivered aircraft.Airbus Industrie has nevertheless takenthe option to leave the rain repellentsystem installed on the aircraft (electri-cally deactivated) whilst actively work-ing with chemical manufacturers on thedevelopment of a new rain repellentfluid free of CFC.
Service Bulletins for all aircraft typeswere issued in January 1996 in order toallow ‘Rainboe’ fluid bottle removaland system deactivation on aircraft inservice (refer to Table below for the applicable Service Bulletins andModifications references).
Rain repellent fluid can assembly
Gauge assembly
Rain repellent blowout reservoir
Spray nozzles
FAST / NUMBER 23
fast23 p12 / 23 17/09/1998 10:34 Page 20
WINDSHIELDHYDROPHOBIC COATINGS
- AN ALTERNATIVE -
For those operators wishing to leave therain repellent system deactivated,Airbus Industrie has also formally ap-proved the use of the PPG Industries“Surface Seal” windshield hydrophobiccoating on all Airbus aircraft types
The coating, which can be used with-out restriction on all types of wind-shields available on Airbus aircraft,consists of a treatment applied on thewindshield outer surface in a liquidform. It dries out to provide rain repel-lent characteristics similar to those ofthe fluid.
The coating does not contain CFCand is therefore not subjected to the re-quirements of the Montreal protocol.
The treatment has a limited service
life and needs to be reapplied on a regu-lar basis.
Airbus Service Information Letter30-024, issued in July 1997, providesprocurement and material informationrelated to the coating, as well as recom-mendations for application and servic-ing. The content of this SIL is being in-corporated in the Aircraft MaintenanceManual, Maintenance Planning docu-ment, Consumable Materials List andTool and Equipment Manual in accor-dance with the normal revision plan-ning set for each document and aircrafttype.
Airbus Industrie is closely monitor-ing the development of other wind-shield hydrophobic coatings, which willalso be incorporated in the SIL and inthe aircraft documentation if their per-formance is found to be satisfactory onAirbus aircraft.
NEW RAIN REPELLENTFLUID FREE OF CFC
A new rain repellent fluid has been suc-cessfully developed. The product com-plies with all the existing regulationsfor the protection of the environment.Laboratory testing has confirmed itscompliance with the existing toxicityrequirements and its compatibility withthe surrounding materials on Airbusaircraft (windshield, structure, paint).
The excellent rain repellent charac-teristics of the fluid and its endurancehave been demonstrated by extensive
bench testing and flight testing(Figure 4). The fluid bottle can be in-stalled on the aircraft with only minormodification of the existing rain repel-lent system.
Airbus Industrie is now preparing theintroduction of the new fluid in produc-tion. Service Bulletins allow reactiva-tion of the rain repellent system and in-stallation of the fluid bottle on aircraftin service (Figure 5).
The rain repellent fluid bottle is sup-plied by Le Bozec Filtration andSystems (LBFS). Refer to the Table onthe preceding page for the applicableService Bulletins and Mod references.
FAST / NUMBER 23 23FAST / NUMBER 2322
Figure 5CFC-FREE RAIN REPELLENT FLUIDBOTTLE REPLACEMENT
Figure 4CFC-FREE RAIN REPELLENT FLUID - ENDURANCE TESTINGHEAVY RAIN
No rain repellent
Rain repellent fluid applied
After 15 seconds
After 2 minutes
Before After
After 10 minutes
EFFECT OF RAIN REPELLENT OR HYDROPHOBIC COATING ON WATER DROPLET / WINDSHIELD CONTACT ANGLE
BEFORE APPLICATION AFTER APPLICATION
CONCLUSION
The commitments of Airbus Industrie on the subject of windshield rain protection were twofold:● To comply with the requirements of the Montreal Protocol on Ozone depleting substances.● To provide Airbus operators with an alternative form of windshield rain protection, in addition to the basic wiper system.
These commitments are today achieved with the removal of the ‘Rainboe’ fluid from the Airbus aircraft and with theavailability of two alternative forms of windshield rain protection for use on all Airbus aircraft types:● A new rain repellent fluid,● A windshield hydrophobic coating.
The needs of Airbus operators regarding windshield rain protection vary a lot, depending on local weather conditions,habits, operational and maintenance procedures.
Airbus Industrie strongly believes that the choice of fluid or coating now available provides the best response to these dif-ferent needs. ✈
fast23 p12 / 23 17/09/1998 10:37 Page 22
SSERVICE BULLETINERVICE BULLETINREPORTINGREPORTINGTechnical Publications which reflect Technical Publications which reflect the configuration of your aircraftthe configuration of your aircraft
AA irbus Industrie endeavours tosupply all Airbus Operatorswith Technical Publications
that accurately reflect the configurationof their aircraft. However, in order todo this the Operators must supplyAirbus Industrie with the relevant dataon Service Bulletins (SB) selected for,and implemented on the aircraft in atimely manner, since the Operators arethe sole source of such information.
SERVICE BULLETINREPORTING
During aircraft final assembly, for eachpiece of equipment installed in the air-craft the relevant data is directly incor-porated into the Technical Publications.In this case, the Airbus Industrie inter-nal process is smooth, as the source ofthe data is controlled by AirbusIndustrie production system.
Once the aircraft has been in service,the aircraft is regularly inspected, re-paired and upgraded by the incorpora-tion of SBs. The Technical Publicationsshould evolve with the aircraft, reflect-ing the changes that the aircraft under-goes throughout its service life. To en-able this to happen, Operators shouldsystematically report SB selection andaccomplishment to Airbus Industrie.These changes can only be reflected inthe customised manuals as and whenAirbus Industrie is informed of them.
In the event an aircraft is sold ortransferred from one operator to an-other, Technical Publications which ac-curately reflect the state of the aircraftcan significantly ease the sale or trans-fer.
1st step: SB selection
Upon receipt of an Airbus Industrie SB,the Operator decides whether thechange is to be accepted and imple-mented on the fleet. The last page ofeach SB (Figure 1) can be used to in-form Airbus Industrie of this decision:SB selected for embodiment or SB re-jected. Airbus Industrie also accepts asimple fax, letter or other documentfrom the Operator.
When Airbus Industrie has been in-formed of the Operator’s decision, therecords are updated and a target datefor the updating of the manuals is sup-plied to the Operator. Once the SB hasbeen selected, data is incorporated inthe affected customised maintenancemanuals: ● Aircraft Maintenance Manual(AMM), ● Trouble Shooting Manual (TSM),● Aircraft Schematic Manual (ASM),
● Aircraft Wiring Manual (AWM),● Aircraft Wiring List (AWL)● Illustrated Parts Catalog (IPC).
Note: All affected non-customisedmanuals are systematically revised withSB data after SB release (no Operatorinput is required).
The original information i.e. PRE SBdata, remains valid but, in addition, thePOST SB data is included and dualconfiguration is shown, i.e. PRE andPOST service bulletin configuration.
FAST / NUMBER 2324
Figure 1SB ACCEPTANCE/REJECTION SHEET
by Claire Harel.Group Manager Configuration ControlTechnical Data and DocumentationCustomer ServicesAirbus Industrie
FAST / NUMBER 23 25
fast23 p24/32 17/09/1998 10:46 Page 24
Figure 2A shows the PRE solutionand also the PRE and POST SB solu-tion in the AMM with the addition ofsubtask 26-21-00-860-057-A (high-lighted) in the close-up paragraph.
As long as aircraft 0401 to 0405 arePRE SB A340-24-4015, the PRE SBsubtask 26-21-00-860-057 applies.
When aircraft are retrofitted, themaintenance personnel can then findthe POST SB subtask 26-21-00-860-057-A.
Figure 2B shows the introduction ofnew part number 5908974-17 (high-lighted) in Figure 1 - 1B of the IPC 24-22-34-1 for aircraft 0401 to 0405.
Pending retrofit on the aircraft, theOperator’s maintenance personnel canconsult the PRE SB data while POSTSB data is also available (highlighted).
Note: If the SB is rejected, only thePRE SB data is reflected.
2nd step:SB accomplishment
As soon as an SB is installed on a givenaircraft, all that is required of theOperator is to notify Airbus Industrie.The pre-printed card that is supplied to-gether with the kit can be used to in-form Airbus Industrie of SB accom-plishment.
Figure 3 shows a completed card.Here also a simple fax, letter or otherdocument from the Operator is ac-cepted.
For each aircraft the SB accomplish-ment is recorded and a target date forthe updating of the manuals is suppliedto the Operator.
When affected, the operational manu-als are revised: ● Flight Crew Operating Manual(FCOM),● Quick Reference Handbook (QRH), ● Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM)● Master Minimum Equipment List(MMEL).
The operational manuals are config-ured on an aircraft-by-aircraft basis andevery SB accomplishment is reflected.In addition, any relevant OperationsEngineering Bulletin (OEB) can be re-moved.
In addition and upon specific request,a Temporary Revision (TR) (Figure 4)can be issued when the new pages ofthe manual are needed on an urgent ba-sis.
When the SB is reported as havingbeen accomplished on the whole fleet,the PRE SB data is removed from thecustomised maintenance manuals:AMM, TSM, ASM, AWM, AWL andIPC.
As long as one aircraft remains to beretrofitted, both PRE and POST SBconfigurations are valid and will be re-flected in the manuals.
FAST / NUMBER 23 27FAST / NUMBER 2326
Figure 22A - PRE SB SOLUTION ON AFFECTED AMM
2B - PRE SB SOLUTION ON AFFECTED IPC
Figure 3SB ACCOMPLISHMENT CARD
Figure 4TEMPORARY REVISION
PRE & POST SB SOLUTION
PRE & POST SB SOLUTION
fast23 p24/32 17/09/1998 10:50 Page 26
Figure 6 shows the introduction pageof a typical SB list, including theOperator’s Engineering Order (EO).The left column gives the SB incorpo-ration code: ‘S’ means split (or dual)configuration (PRE and POST) while‘C’ indicates the complete (final) con-figuration (POST).
On the Operator’s request, it is possi-ble to show the Operator’s internal EOnumber that is associated with the SB.
FAST / NUMBER 23
Figure 5A highlights the subtask 26-21-00-860-057 to be deleted fromthe AMM when SB A340-24-4015 hasbeen installed on aircraft 0401-0405.
Figure 5B highlights the part number5908974-16 and associated informationto be deleted from the IPC figure whenSB A340-24-4015 has been installed onaircraft 0401 to 0405.
This process ensures that the manualsaccurately reflect the technical status ofthe fleet with respect to SB application.The volume of the manuals is also sig-nificantly reduced after fleet-wide SBreporting, as obsolete PRE SB data isremoved from the manuals leaving therelevant POST SB information. Thisalso results in more user-friendly manu-als and can help avoid any confusionwhen ordering spares and carrying outmaintenance tasks.
An overall view of SB application/incorporation is available in the SB listof each maintenance manual.
FAST / NUMBER 2328
Figure 55A - PRE & POST SB SOLUTION ON AFFECTED AMM
Figure 6INTRODUCTION TO A SERVICE BULLETIN LIST
5B - PRE & POST SB SOLUTION ON AFFECTED IPC
POST SB SOLUTION
POST SB SOLUTION
29
▼ These two steps of the reporting process are absolutely vital if theTechnical Publications are to be correctly updated. Regular reportingof SBs that have been selected by the Operators for embodiment is thefirst and basic stage and should always be completed by reports oftheir accomplishment. All reports should be sent to Airbus Industrie Customer ServicesDirectorate Technical Data and Documentation AI/SE-D321, rond-point Maurice Bellonte - 31707 Blagnac Cedex France Fax: +33 (0)5 61 93 28 06
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SERVICE BULLETINCONFIGURATION REVIEW
An SB configuration review has beenlaunched and sent to all AirbusIndustrie Operators with specific em-phasis on the SBs which are classifiedas mandatory (linked to anAirworthiness Directive).
This exercise enables the Operatorsto review their SB data and to makesure that proper information is suppliedto Airbus Industrie. As a result, thetechnical level and content of all main-tenance and operational documentationshould reflect the technical status of theOperators’ fleets.
Two SB status lists were sent to allAirbus Industrie Operators:● The first list containing all SBswhich are effective for the Operator’sfleet.● The second list containing onlymandatory SBs.
Figure 7 shows one status list. Thislists are available in printed form andon diskette. They reflect the current SBembodiment status based on the data re-ceived from the Operators. In the caseof leased or second-hand aircraft, theyalso include SB status reported fromprevious Operators.
Each Operator is requested to provideAirbus Industrie with the configurationof their aircraft after cross checkingagainst the real aircraft status. ThenAirbus Industrie will update their data-base. Continuous updating will also beperformed from the regular reportswhich should be received from eachOperator.
As previously mentioned the SB ac-ceptance/rejection sheets and accom-plishment cards can be used for this re-porting.
It should also be noted that a simplefax, letter or other document from theOperator is also accepted.
FAST / NUMBER 2330
Figure 7SB STATUS LIST
CONCLUSION
Methods of SB reporting will improve as time goes on, and reduce the Operators’ workload. On-line access to theTechnical Publications database will become available with SPOC (Single Point of Contact). Another reporting process us-ing bar codes could also be introduced. A project is under evaluation to record bar codes on the SB kits, Line ReplaceableUnits (LRU)s, and Airbus Industrie proprietary parts. This system of recording could not only trace the repair of any spe-cific piece of equipment but it could also make it possible to easily and safely monitor the changes carried out on each air-craft.
This could also lead to individual aircraft ‘identity cards’. The service Airbus Industrie offers its clients would then beimproved by a more direct source of information and shorter lead-time for incorporation of the relevant information into theTechnical Publications.
Please remember that the data you expect from Airbus Industrie can only be as good as the configuration informationprovided by you. ✈
FAST / NUMBER 23 31
In the early days of civil aviation,Environmentalp r o t e c t i o n actually meantP r o t e c t i o nf r o m t h eEnvironment.Windshieldswere care-fully pro-
filed to give themaximum protection, and rain
dispersion was pro-vided by aquick wipe of
the pilot’shand.
All that wasneeded was a
good scarf and/orhat, and a pair of
goggles, for thepassengers as well
as the pilot.Mind you, having a
stiff upper lip proba-bly made the ele-
ments easier to bear.
Passengers preparing for a flight from Paris to
Brussels in a Caudron in February 1919.
Monsieur Parmelin preparing to fly his
Deperdussin over the Alps in 1914.
A Lady preparing for
flight in her private de Havilland
Moth.
Lieutenant Stainforth having wonthe World Speed Record in 1931in a Supermarine S 6-B.
fast23 p24/32 17/09/1998 10:55 Page 30
32
LOCATION COUNTRY TELEPHONE TELEFAXABU DHABI United Arab Emirates 971 (2) 706 7702 971 (2) 757 097 AMMAN Jordan 962 (6) 445 1284 962 (6) 445 1195ATHENS Greece 30 (1)981 8581 30 (1) 983 2479 BANGKOK Thailand 66 (2) 531 0076 66 (2) 531 1940BEIJING Peoples Republic of China 86 (10) 6457 2688 86 (10) 6457 0503BEIRUT Lebanon 961 (1) 601 300 961 (1) 601 200BERLIN Germany 49 (30) 887 55 245 49 (30) 887 55 248BOGOTA Columbia 57 (1) 414 8095/96 57 (1) 414 8094 BOMBAY (MUMBAI) India 91 (22) 618 3273 91 (22) 611 3691
91 (22) 611 7147 91 (22) 611 7122BRUSSELS Belgium 32 2723 4824/25/26 32 2723 4823BUENOS AIRES Argentina 54 (1) 480 9408 54 (1) 480 9408 CAIRO Egypt 20 (2) 418 3687 20 (2) 418 3707CARACAS Venezuela 58 315 52 210 58 315 52 210CHENGDU Peoples Republic of China 86 (28) 570 3851 86 (28) 521 6511CHICAGO USA (Illinois) 1 (773) 601 4602 1 (773) 601 2406COLOMBO Sri Lanka 94 73 2197 / 2199 94 (1) 253 893 DAKAR Senegal 221 8201 615 221 8201 148 DAKHA Bangladesh 880 (2) 896129 880 (2) 896130DELHI India 91 (11) 565 2033 91 (11) 565 2541 DERBY England 44 1332 852 898 44 1332 852 967DETROIT USA (Michigan) 1 (734) 247 5090 1 (734) 247 5087DUBAI United Arab Emirates 971 (4) 2085 630/31/32 971 (4) 244806 DUBLIN Ireland 353 (1) 705 2294 353 (1) 705 3803 DULUTH USA (Minnesota) 1 (218) 733 5077 1 (218) 733 5082DUSSELDORF Germany 49 (211) 9418 687 49 (211) 9418 035FRANKFURT Germany 49 (69) 696 3947 49 (69) 696 4699GUANGZHOU Peoples Republic of China 86 (20) 8612 8813 86 (20) 8612 8809GUAYAQUIL Ecuador 593 (9) 744 734 593 (4) 290 432HANGHZOU Peoples Republic of China 86 (571) 514 5876 86 (571) 514 5916HANOI Vietnam 84 (48) 731 613 84 (48) 731 612HO CHI MINH CITY Vietnam 84 (8) 84 57 602 84 (8) 84 46 419 HONG KONG Peoples Republic of China 852 2747 8449 852 2352 5957 ISTANBUL Turkey 90 (212) 574 0907 90 (212) 573 5521 JAKARTA Indonesia 62 (21) 550 1993 62 (21) 550 1943 JOHANNESBURG South Africa 27 (11) 978 3193 27 (11) 978 3190 KARACHI Pakistan 92 (21) 457 0604 92 (21) 457 0604 KINGSTON Jamaica 1 (876) 924 8057 1 (876) 924 8154KUALA LUMPUR Malaysia 60 (3) 746 7352 60 (3) 746 2230 KUWAIT Kuwait 965 474 2193 965 434 2567 LARNACA Cyprus 357 (4) 643 181 357 (4) 643 185 LISBON Portugal 351 (1) 840 7032 351 (1) 847 4444 LONDON (LHR) England 44 (181) 751 5431 44 (181) 751 2844 LUTON England 44 (1582) 39 8706 44 (1582) 70 6173 MACAO Macao 853 898 4023 853 898 4024MADRID Spain 34 (1) 329 1447 34 (1) 329 0708 MALE Maldives 960 317 042 960 318 823MANCHESTER England 44 (161) 489 3155 44 (161) 489 3240MANILA Philippines 63 (2) 831 5444 63 (2) 831 0834
FAST / NUMBER 23
RESIDENTCUSTOMERSUPPORTREPRESENTATION
USA / CANADA
Thierry van der Heyden, Vice President Customer ServicesTelephone: +1 .703. 834 3484 / Telefax:+1 .703. 834 3464
CHINA
Emmanuel Peraud, Director Customer ServicesTelephone: +86 .10. 6456 7720 / Telefax: +86 .10. 6456 76942 /3 /4
REST OF THE WORLD
Mohamed El-Boraï, Vice President Customer Support Services DivisionTelephone: +33 (0) 5 61 93 35 04 / Telefax:+33 (0) 5 61 93 41 01
GENERAL ADMINISTRATION
Jean-Paul Gayral, Resident Customer Representation Administration DirectorTelephone: +33 (0) 5 61 93 38 79 / Telefax:+33 (0) 5 61 93 49 64
fast23 p24/32 17/09/1998 11:00 Page 32
FAST / NUMBER 23 33
LOCATION COUNTRY TELEPHONE TELEFAXMAURITIUS Mauritius 230 637 8542 230 637 3882MEDELIN Columbia 57 (4) 5361027 57 (4) 5361024MEMPHIS USA (Tennessee) 1 (901) 224 4842 1 (901) 224 5018 MEXICO CITY Mexico 52 (5) 784 3874 52 (5) 785 5195 MELBOURNE Australia 61 (3) 9338 2038 61 (3) 9338 0281 MIAMI USA (Florida) 1 (305) 871 1441 1 (305) 871 2322 MINNEAPOLIS USA (Minnesota) 1 (612) 726 0431 1 (612) 726 0414 MONTREAL Canada 1 (514) 422 6320 1 (514) 422 6310 MOSCOW Russia 7 (095) 753 8061 7 (095) 753 8006 MUSCAT Oman 968 521 286 968 521 286NAIROBI Kenya 254 (2) 822 763 254 (2) 822 763 NANJING Peoples Republic of China 86 (25) 248 1030/32 86 (25) 248 1031NEW YORK USA (New York) 1 (718) 656 0700 1 (718) 656 8635 NUREMBERG Germany 49 (911) 365 68219 49 (911) 365 68218PARIS (CDG) France 33 (0)1 48 62 08 82 / 87 33 (0)1 48 62 08 99 PARIS (ORY) France 33 (0)1 49 78 02 88 33 (0)1 49 78 01 85 PHOENIX USA (Arizona) 1 (602) 693 7445 1 (602) 693 7444 PITTSBURG USA (Pennsylvania) 1 (412) 472 6420 1 (412) 472 1052PUSAN South Korea 82 (51) 971 6977 82 (51) 971 4106 ROME Italy 39 (6) 6501 0564 39 (6) 652 9077 SAN’A Yemen 967 (1) 344 439 967 (1) 344 439SAN FRANCISCO USA (California) 1 (650) 6344375/76/79 1 (650) 6344378 SAN JOSE Costa Rica 506 (4) 417 223 506 (4) 412 228 SAN SALVADOR El Salvador 503 339 9335 503 339 9323SAO PAULO Brasil 55 (11) 644 54 364 55 (11) 644 54 363SEOUL South Korea 82 (2) 665 4417 82 (2) 664 3219 SHANGHAI Peoples Republic of China 86 (21) 6268 4122 86 (21) 6268 6671 SHANNON Ireland 353 (1) 705 2084 353 (1) 705 2085 SHENYANG Peoples Republic of China 86 (24) 8939 2699 86 (24) 2272 5177SHENZHEN Peoples Republic of China 86 755 777 0690 86 755 777 0689SINGAPORE Singapore 65 (5) 455 027 65 (5) 425 380 TAIPEI Taiwan 886 (2) 25 450 424 886 (2) 25 450 438
886 (3) 38 34 410 886 (3) 38 34 718TASHKENT Uzbekistan 7 (37) 1254 8552 7 (37) 12 407 049 TEHRAN Iran 98 (21) 603 5647 98 (21) 603 5647 TOKYO (HND) Japan 81 (3) 5756 5081 81 (3) 5756 5084
81 (3) 5756 8770 81 (3) 5756 8772TORONTO Canada 1 (905) 677 8874 1 (905) 677 1090 TULSA USA (Oklahoma) 1 (918) 292 3227 1 (918) 292 2581 TUNIS Tunisia 216 (1) 750 639 216 (1) 750 855 ULAN BATOR Mongolia 976 (1) 379 930 976 (1) 379 930VANCOUVER Canada 1 (604) 231 6965 1 (604) 231 6917VIENNA Austria 43 (1) 7007 3688 43 (1) 7007 3235 WINNIPEG Canada 1 (204) 985 5908 1 (204) 837 2489 XIAN Peoples Republic of China 86 (29) 870 7651 86 (29) 870 7255YAKUTSK Russia 7 4112 420 165 7 4112 420 165YEREVAN Armenia 3742 593 415 3742 151 393ZAGREB Croatia 385 (1) 456 2536 385 (1) 456 2537ZURICH Switzerland 41 (1) 812 7727 41 (1) 810 2383
Cover / backcover 17/09/1998 11:12 Page 4
AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
Airbus Resident Customer Support Managers are based at their operator’s premises. With over 25 nationalities
represented, they can be relied upon to understand your country’s culture, ensuring they’ve a close relationship
based on mutual trust. Many have an airline background, which means they’re at home with
your operation and aircraft. In fact, whatever you require, you can be sure our Resident Customer Support
Managers are all ears. Airbus Customer Services. Dedicated to meet your requirements.
ht tp://www.a i rbus.com
WE’VE A REVOLUTIONARY METHOD OF UNDERSTANDING YOUR AIRLINE’S REQUIREMENTS. WE LISTEN.
AIRBUSSE TT I N G TH E STAN DA R DS
Cover / backcover 17/09/1998 11:06 Page 1