As350B2 Maintenance Schedules

[Heliandy]

I am looking to put together a maintenance schedule for an AS350B2. I've never made one before and don't have a ton of AStar experience. I was hoping someone with more experience in building maintenance schedules / more experience with an AStar could give me some pointers in terms of inspection intervals and or a sample of an Astar maintenance schedule to get me started.

Cheers.

[ray]

Chapter 04 of the AMM for life limited items.

 

Chapter 05 of the AMM for maintenance schedules.

 

Look at all the STC's listed as being installed on your specific aircraft. Look up the 'Instructions for Continuing Airworthiness' for those installed items. (Available on line from the manufacturer's websites.) This always gets overlooked.

 

If you need anything more specific, PM me.

[ThreePer]

I just finished up overhauling our company aster sched. It is all straight forward until you get to the "specific periodic intervals" section then it all goes to ****. Basically if you follow it to a "T" then there will be a 100,150,300,500,600,1200,1500 and onwards and upwards. Meaning an inspection almost every 50 FH. For convenience, shuffling some of the items to a more frequent interval might help if your company likes to send the machine away from the engineers for longer periods of time.

 

PM me if you want and I can describe essentially how I built my check sheets.

 

Threeper

[Lunchbox]

Both of the above replies are good info.

 

As 3per points out, there is alot of 'out of phase' stuff when going through the MSM and ALS. Our company has consolidated as much as possible for simplicity's sake into a 100 hr, 300 hr, 600 hr, 1200 hr, and 12 month inspection intervals. All the 150 hr stuff gets bumped down into the 100 hr, etc.

 

Also research all Airworthines Directives and Service Bulletins for the B2 and engine, as there is some stuff buried in there too.

 

Watch out as there are a couple items listed as 600hr intervals in the MSM, but tied to 500hr interval ADs (Lebozec Fuel Filter and T/R Driveshaft Bearings). The AD takes precedence which messes up the neat intervals.

 

Also, when going through the Turbomeca books, their inspection intervals don't 100% line up with the airframe stuff. Again, our compny has bumped stuff down into a more frequent interval to make it easier.

 

There will be a bunch of after inspection checks and retorques in the B2 MSM to comply with as well, which can be overlooked.

[ThreePer]

Yes Lunchbox is right about the ADs as well. They are another PIA. I went and added them to the bottom of the check sheets as there is a couple ADs or re-occurring SBs for almost every inspection interval and it is always a good reminder so you don't forget about them.

[whirlygig]

I just finished up overhauling our company aster sched. It is all straight forward until you get to the "specific periodic intervals" section then it all goes to ****. Basically if you follow it to a "T" then there will be a 100,150,300,500,600,1200,1500 and onwards and upwards. Meaning an inspection almost every 50 FH. For convenience, shuffling some of the items to a more frequent interval might help if your company likes to send the machine away from the engineers for longer periods of time.

 

PM me if you want and I can describe essentially how I built my check sheets.

 

Threeper

 

Note quite. If you follow it to a "T":

 

Table 1 will include:

- 150// 12M

- 600

- 24M

- 1200// 48M

- 144M

- One line saying Engine(s) as per the engine maintenance manual (do not describe the schedule, unless you just can't get enough of revising documents, as it is not required).

 

*The other inspections you mention are out of phase and should not be specified in your inspection table.

 

Table 3 will include: (don't describe the tasks, just the reference)

- "Airframe" ; out of phase tasks as per 05.25.00

- "Airframe/ Engine": Component overhaul as stated in the current Eurocopter AS350 Maintenance Manual Section 05.10.00 & Turbomeca SL 1910/99/AR1D/49 .

- "Airframe/ Engine": Airworthiness limitations as as stated in the current Eurocopter AS350 Maintenance Manual Section 04 & Turbomeca SL 1910/99/AR1D/49.

- "Airframe/ Engine": Temporary checks and operations after component replacements as stated in the current Eurocopter AS350 Maintenance Manual Section 05.26.00 & Turbomeca Arriel 1 Maintenance Manual 05.50

 

Hope this helps.

[ThreePer]

I think what you are describing Whirlygig, and correct me if I am wrong, is your inspection approval, not your actual check sheets? Because if you were to build check sheets for the engineering team like that it would require a lot of work each time to dig up all those references and print off the required sheets I would think.

Maybe the OP was for what you are describing though, in which case that makes sense....

[whirlygig]

Yes, it happens to be our system, and also "by the book". This is the simplest system you can have approved, as it is directly based on the manufacturers programs.

 

This method means you do not have your own "company inspection check sheets" to have to approve.

 

It isn't a lot of work and in my opinion does not leave the door wide open for you to miss revisions to the maintenance tasks or a specific item within the maintenance schedule. (like how items are moving around all the time currently, task references change every revision too.). It also means you will likely revise your MSA less frequently as it is more "vague" than approving a step by step check sheet for each inspection.

 

It does not prevent us from performing these inspections at an accelerated rate either, like you mentioned.

 

Just my opinion, and for us it works great, but like you said, it may not for others. Just trying to add our perspective.

[helidude]

"This method means you do not have your own "company inspection check sheets" to have to approve."

 

The check sheets, weather they are custom made or taken right out of the manual, are not part of the schedule and do not have to be approved, you just need to refer to them in your inspection schedule.

When done correctly, custom made check sheets are far more simple to use than the manufacturer's as you can include everything in one document, AD's, STC's etc. Much easier on the guy preparing the inspection paperwork and also for the end user on the hangar floor.

[FiveCut]

Follow the airframe and engine inspection criteria and ICA's. Custom sheets in the companies I've seen them in are riddled with problems. So long as the guy on the machine as current engine TU statuses and airframe mod list it's pretty simple. That and the fact there are so many changes in the maintenance schedules in airframe and engine manuals you don't have to constantly ammend stupid custom stuff. Just how I learned from the old boys and it's always worked for me. Good luck!