J U L Y 2 0 0 9 FLIGHT AIRWORTHINESS SUPPORT 44 TECHNOLOGY FAST AIRBUSTECHNICALMAGAZINE F A S T 4 4 “If you want to say nothing, write a book. If you want to I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the quality work say something, write an article”. done by Kenneth. Thanks to his long aviation experience I like this saying and I must say that over the past years and excellent editorial skills, he has been instrumental in our FAST magazine editors made use of it as a kind of keeping the level of quality of the magazine at high golden rule. standards. This is confirmed by the customer satisfaction For a technical magazine like FAST, the role of an editor surveys regularly done by Airbus Customer Services is key. He/she must ensure that the quality of the articles where FAST magazine achieves high scores. meets our readers’ expectations. It’s not an easy task Kenneth will be sorely missed, but after a long career in considering the high level of technical expertise of our Airbus, his retirement is well earned, so my colleagues readership as well as its diversity: Aircraft engineers, and I would like to thank him for his exceptional work and maintenance specialists, pilots, performance engineers, wish him well in his retirement. I feel confident that you, etc. The editor must also ensure the content of the the readers of his work, will feel the same and therefore we magazine is well balanced; that the topics are of interest will wish him well on your behalf. and make sure complex subjects are treated in a way that is attractive and understandable. Our new FAST editor is Lucas BLUMENFELD. Lucas (47) is American and French. He has a good knowledge You may wonder why I am sharing my views with you on of Airbus aircraft having worked in the Flight Test ‘the editor's role’? department of our company, as well as in Engineering as The reason is simple. FAST magazine is now celebrating a Continued Airworthiness Engineer. His background is in its 26th year. Over this past quarter century - a nice aircraft interiors’ refurbishment and cabin upgrades. He longevity! - only two persons held the position of ‘editor’: holds a degree in Surfaces Chemical Physics and Flight Denis DEMPSTER, until 2004 when he retired, and since Operations. My colleagues and I welcome Lucas to the then Kenneth JOHNSON. Today, we turn a page in the Airbus Customer Services Communications team and history of this magazine. Kenneth is retiring and a new wish him well in his new task. editor, the third one, is taking the relay. Bruno PIQUET, FAST magazine publisher J U L Y 2 0 0 9 4044J U L Y 2 0 0 7 FLIGHT AIRWORTHINESS SUPPORT TECHNOLOGY A320 Family Maintenance planning escalation package 2 Pierre-Jean GARROT Fuel Tank Inerting System also called Flammability Reduction System (FRS) 8 A retrofit industrial challenge for the next decade AIRBUSTECHNICALMAGAZINEAlain LEROUX Publisher: Bruno PIQUET Sammy BOUGACI Editor: Lucas BLUMENFELD Laurent SEGUY Page layout: Quat’coul Cover: Brake-to-Vacate system A380 main landing gear, see article on page 17 The smart automatic braking system for enhanced 17 Authorization for reprint of FAST Magazine articles should be requested surface operations from the editor at the FAST Magazine e-mail address given below Fabrice VILLAUMÉ Customer Services Communications Tel: +33 (0)5 61 93 43 88 Fax: +33 (0)5 61 93 47 73 Implementing RNP AR e-mail: fast.magazine@airbus.com 26 Printer: Amadio The operational approval process Matthias MAEDER FAST Magazine may be read on Internet http://www.content.airbusworld.com/SITES/Customer_services/index.html Erwan CADOT under ‘Quick references’ ISSN 1293-5476 Junkers G.38 © AIRBUS S.A.S. 2009. AN EADS COMPANY First air brake system 31 All rights reserved. Proprietary document By taking delivery of this Magazine (hereafter “Magazine”), you accept on behalf of Customer Services your company to comply with the following. No other property rights are granted by the Events 32 delivery of this Magazine than the right to read it, for the sole purpose of information. This Magazine, its content, illustrations and photos shall not be modified nor reproduced without prior written consent of Airbus S.A.S. This Magazine and the Customer Services Worldwide materials it contains shall not, in whole or in part, be sold, rented, or licensed to any 33 third party subject to payment or not. This Magazine may contain market-sensitive or Around the clock... Around the world other information that is correct at the time of going to press. This information involves a number of factors which could change over time, affecting the true public representation. Airbus assumes no obligation to update any information contained in this document or with respect to the information described herein. The statements made herein do not constitute an offer or form part of any contract. They are based on Airbus information and are expressed in good faith but no warranty or representation is given as to their accuracy. When additional information is required, Airbus S.A.S can be contacted to provide further details. Airbus S.A.S shall assume no liability for any damage in connection with the use of this Magazine and the materials it contains, even if Airbus S.A.S has been advised of the likelihood of such damages. This licence is governed by French law and exclusive jurisdiction is given to the courts and tribunals of Toulouse (France) without prejudice to the right of Airbus to bring proceedings for infringement of copyright or any other intellectual property right in any other court of competent jurisdiction. Airbus, its logo, A300, A310, A318, A319, A320, A321, A330, A340, A350, A380 and A400M are registered trademarks. This issue of FAST Magazine has been printed on paper produced without using chlorine, to reduce Photo copyright Airbus Photo credits: waste and help conserve natural resources. Airbus Photographic Library, exm company, Airbus France Every little helps! FAST 44 1 A320 FAMILY - MAINTENANCE PLANNING ESCALATION PACKAGE A320 Family Maintenance planning escalation package Structure improvements are provided by Airbus Planning Document (MPD) escalation. This Upgrade Services to enable structures’ main- escalation is a concrete benefit for airlines tenance tasks escalation from five to six years. that can reduce their direct maintenance costs This article presents the Service Bulletin (SB) related to corrosion inspections by an esti- package necessary to achieve such Maintenance mated 20%. Pierre-Jean GARROT Design Manager Upgrade Services Airbus Customer Services FAST 44 2 A320 FAMILY - MAINTENANCE PLANNING ESCALATION PACKAGE Structures’ maintenance tasks mapping Figure 1 Task 531189 Task 534195 Before SB 53-1198 5 years Before SB 53-1194 and 53-1207 5 years After SB 53-1198 6 years After SB 53-1194 and 53-1207 6 years FR12 FR21 FR24 FR35.8 FR46 FR66 FR68 FR70 Forward entrance area Aft entrance area Task 531166 Task 531194 Task 532180 Task 534143 Before SB 53-1198 5 years Before SB 53-1198 5 years Before SB 53-1193 5 years Before SB 53-1121 and 53-1202 5 years After SB 53-1198 6 years After SB 53-1198 6 years After SB 53-1193 6 years After SB 53-1121 and 53-1202 6 years Fluid path in forward and aft entrance area Figure 2 The interval for the vast majority of structure maintenance tasks, Non Textile Floor (NTF) initially scheduled at five years, Glass Fibre was extended to six years for the Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) A320 Family, during the year 2004. In order to harmonize all Sealant structures’ maintenance tasks Mylar foil formerly from five years to the Cord new six years interval, some technical enhancements were deemed necessary in areas suscep- Foam Panel tible to corrosion (see figure 1). Whilst the original design fully Bolt meets maintenance objectives, it is Clip nut clearly beneficial to operators to Longitudinal beam extend the check interval. The corrosion discovered in a limited number of cases was Floor structure corrosion caused by fluid ingress from typical damage impact galleys, lavatories and door en- trances. The most significant Figure 3 impact was found in the wet areas of the forward and aft cabin (see Clip nuts Hard point figures 2 and 3). holes fittings Wrong tool used Floor panel at floor panel junction removal End of crown Door sill FAST 44 3 A320 FAMILY - MAINTENANCE PLANNING ESCALATION PACKAGE As ‘gaining access’ to the impacted The technical enhancements ne- area and performing the job is cessary to escalate the inspection costly in terms of embodiment interval years have gradually time, installation during the heavy been introduced in production maintenance check is strongly since 1996 and made available advised to avoid unnecessary for retrofit in 2007 (refer to downtime. Service Information Letter (SIL) Table 1 1 53-093). They consist mainly of the following package of Ser- vice Bulletins: 53-1121, 53-1198, 53-1191, 53-1193, 53-1194, 53- 1202 and 53-1207. Maintenance Planning Document escalation SB package The SB package necessary to enable Maintenance Planning Document (MPD) escalations is composed of one optional SB and six standard SBs; all of these are grouped in a package as it is appropriate to embody them simultaneously during the heavy maintenance check as currently scheduled at five or 10 years. These SBs are listed in table 1 with their technical contents and manufacturing embodiment point. Another MPD task 575150, listed in SIL 53-093, has not been 2 included in this package due to the fact that the linked SB 57-1118, which allows the escalation from five to six years, is mandatory.