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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 0025.PDF
FLIGHT International, 3 January 1963 tenance experts, another study has been proceeding at the hands of maintenance methods engineers. Their work has been under three main heads. They have developed the Maintenance Schedule which provides all the basic planning data required to suit any operator, all inspections and tests being laid out in tabulated form. Secondly, they have produced comprehensive work-study data sheets—the most detailed ever evolved by an aircraft constructor—to ensure the planned removal and installation of components, with minimum time-out-of-service penalty, using the most economical labour force. Each sheet records the parts, tools and test equipment required for the job, and gives basic labour times to which the airline applies its own efficiency factors. It is expected that all checks and inspections in the Maintenance Schedule will have been studied by July 1963. Thirdly, the maintenance methods engineers have prepared basic data frcm which detailed Trident Maintenance Plans can be pro duced, either by the airline or by the de Havilland Service Depart ment. The Maintenance Schedule has particular advantage to airlines preferring an equalized plan, where work due within a period—say a year—is divided into a number of checks equal in work content. A short-haul jet with a cruising speed around 600 m.p.h. demands a very quick turn-round and much stricter control over check times than with jet airliners of the previous generation. As an example of the standards now set, the Trident can work continuously for two years without ever wasting a day on the ground. None of the routine checks in this time would take longer than nine hours, so that these checks can always be done at night. Every two years there is a major check; and this will take only 18hr. 23 DH Service Department work-study cards are the basis for the programme of spares provisioning. The DH Spare-parts Department have closely followed the development of ATA Specifications 100 and 200, and decided early in 1959 to follow their format. As part of the service to Trident operators an Internal Master Record is being prepared in such a manner that it can be reproduced for each airline: in plain English, in a manner designed to provide a permanent planning and modi fication control record for the life of the aircraft; and in a fully integrated punched-card form. The latter enables the department to produce a recommendation of spares to support the complete airframe and its equipment at short notice. This recommendation will include all vendor accessories, tools, ground equipment, stan dard parts and raw materials fully priced and totalled. This will facilitate spares planning at the level of efficiency needed for this class of jet airliner. To support the Trident when it enters operational service, a comprehensive range of spare parts is now being manufactured, including items of vendor manufacture. De Havilland have also taken full action to ensure the supply of vendor accessories, on a realistic scale in keeping with the most modern provisioning practice. From the substantial improvement already achieved in support of Comets working to high utilization (more than ten hours a day) the company are confident that the standard required for the Trident will be met. As a matter of routine, monthly status reports for all spare parts ordered from DH will be issued to all operators. These status reports will show the actual range of outstanding dues to the custo- 1 Part of the IBM.402 computer system used at Hatfield for Trident spare- parts recommendations. In this picture the input/output unit is being fed with punched cards to produce a specific recommendation and the actual cost of all spares required for a fully equipped airframe A large number of these machines are employed at Hatfield to punch cards from the airlines' order forms for spare parts. These cards pass to the computer room for sorting and collating before being fed into the data- processing system. The machines on the right are by ICT Periodic C of A renewal is taken care of within this programme. The Trident's routine maintenance, including checks 1-20, for an annual utilization of 3,000 flying hours is expected, according to the work studies, to use only 5,000 man-hours per year; and 16,600 man-hours are estimated to be necessary for the remainder of the maintenance by the equalized plan, comprising transit checks, terminal checks, fault-rectification/repairs, component overhaul and modifications. The progressive plan, if required, can be produced directly from the Maintenance Schedule with Check 1 at 150hr, Check 2 at 450, Check 3 at 1,500 and Check 4 at 3,000hr. Whether an airline prefers to leave components in service until their approved overhaul period is reached, or to adopt a programme of premature removal in order to stagger workshop loading, the mer, together with a factual delivery forecast for each item. The existing de Havilland 24hr service, which has been running for many years, will of course be available to Trident operators. This service utilizes the full DH organization to provide emergency support, including vendor equipment. The Training School at Hatfield for Trident flight and ground crews is organized along the lines which have proved best for the Comet. It covers pilot familiarization, flight-engineer familiariza tion, airframe maintenance training, engine maintenance training, electrical specialist training, instrument specialist training and cabin crew familiarization, with examinations and certificates describing the course taken. The ground-crew training does not include overhaul, but courses can be arranged at suppliers' establishments. •
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