Important Phases of Aircraft Maintenance
Aircraft owners or owners of airline companies should make sure that their aircrafts are subjected to regular maintenance and inspection so that the aircrafts perform well and are safe to use. Because an aircraft is complicated, maintenance is performed on it by professionals in several different ways to ensure that every part operates properly. Aircrafts should undergo all the different types of maintenance stated below.
The basic mechanical structure of an aircraft is called the airframe. The fuselage, the wings, and the undercarriage make up the airframe. When you do airframe maintenance, you focus of these parts and not on the others like the engine or the propulsion system. When the airframe in being maintained it involves work such as the inspection and replacement of winglets, corrosion prevention and control, aircraft painting, and landing gear replacement. There is also what is known as the letter checks of aircraft maintenance. The aircraft is subjected to the letter checks, which are detailed inspections done after the aircraft has flown a certain number of miles. Cosmetic A and B checks, intensive C checks of all components, and D check which is the dismantling and reassemebling of the aircraft, are all procedures in the letter check. A and B checks are frequently done but C and D checks which are time consuming are done only every few years.
One of the most important aspects of aircraft maintenance is engine maintenance. A mechanic who specializes in the specific type of engine that the aircraft has is the only one qualified to do its maintenance work. Engine work involves many things. A comprehensive testing of the engine,removal and reinstallation, and troubleshooting are all included in engine maintenance. The aircraft’s APU or auxiliary power unit should also be subjected to regular check and maintenance. This unit provides the necessary power that the aircraft needs to function other than propulsion. APUs have specific make and model and the mechanic that will do the maintenance work should have been trained with these types of APU.
There are other aircraft components that also need maintenance checks and repairs. If these other components are subjected to a full scale component check what will be done are the following: removing and cleaning the components, applying compounds to prevent corrosion, lubrication of parts, and replacement of damaged parts.
The electronic systems or avionics are very important parts that has a great bearing on an aircraft’s performance. Navigation and communication equipment including GPS, radar, radio communicators, and computer systems are included in the testing of the avionics. Rewiring and replacement of components parts is involved in the maintenance of avionics and which is also done by a mechanic with electrical engineering qualifications.
Source: http://factsurf.com/facts/10-incredible-facts-about-aircraft/