Dauphin News Third Quarter 2015

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Airbus Helicopter News

2 Dauphins for IndonesiaDuring the Paris Airshow in Le Bourget, PT Dirgantara Indonesia ordered two AS365N3+ Dauphins. Equipped for SAR missions including hoists, flotation systems and an electronic optical system, the two Dauphins are scheduled for delivery in the summer of 2016. In addition to five other civilian Dauphins flying in Indonesia, the Navy is due to take delivery of the first of eleven Panthers shortly for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) flights. Border and island issues in the region have recently led to many countries re-equipping with modern aircraft to defend what they consider to be their sovereign land and oceanic territories.

Welcome to a rather later edition of our third quarter Newsletter. I know you’re all glued to your screens awaiting this invaluable source of Dauphin parts as usual!

There have been several Dauphin airframes that have been dismantled in the past year or so, and many legacy parts are now available on the open market. Unfortunately, dismantling a flying helicopter isn’t a quick way of making a profit as many other companies have regrettably found out. Once a theoretically serviceable and airworthy component is removed from a previously flying helicopter, the part may be deemed to be scrap. Nowhere do we see this more often than with regards to the undercarriage legs and actuation struts. Corrosion and leaking piece parts require replacement and they are more often than not simply no longer economically viable to repair as the replacement parts almost add up to the price of a factory new leg. Airbus Helicopters have themselves acknowledged that the Dauphin’s undercarriage is a headache and recently issued Information Notice 2913-I-32 which asks Dauphin operators to contact Marignane regarding hydraulic leaks on main landing gear legs. Not that the nose gear leg is any better from our experience.

The whole undercarriage availability issue is not an isolated case, but it does highlight the legacy issues that are now facing many Dauphin operators. Certain parts simply don’t have the level of MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) support that gives any a choice where to take their repair business. The prime OEMs are still dictating pricing levels, turn-around times and most worryingly, when they feel it prudent to manufacture new replacement parts. It’s not internet folklore that many piece parts and end components often require up to two years to be made. This simply because demand is low and ebbing and the current Dauphin production line is drawing to an inevitable close within the next 5 years or so. We’re proud to feature our vendor focus with our colleagues at Hydrep who are tackling the Dauphin undercarriage situation head on. We thank them for listening and doing their very best in bringing us real solutions.

At Alpine, we’ve been pro-active in harboring the key parts we need to keep our own rotables in service as best we can. It’s an open game with no knowledge of where the future is headed. Replacement parts aren’t about to dry up, but the delivery periods will make repair shop visits much longer and we’re stocking up our exchange pools and consignment inventories to higher levels to cover for unexpected longer deliveries.

Hope you have a great fall, it’s a beautiful time of year to be outside enjoying nature and the cooler days.

Peter Lewis

Breaking bad?

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Autopilot AFCS Issue Information Notice 2912-I-22Airbus Helicopters issued the above notice August 18, 2015 to address a situation where the ALT. A instruction (ALT. A mode not engaged) did not flash in blue when the difference between the reference altitude and the selected altitude by the pilot was less than 300 feet. This is specific to AFCS software version N9-72 (MOD 0722B67) installed in P/N 416-00297-163 APM2000 AP Computers on the EC155 helicopter. Flight manual wording revisions will soon be updated accordingly.

Main Rotor Drive Information Notice 2921-I-63Dauphin operators should check their installed parts and stocked pressure switch units p/n 704A37-7210-86 (S1130-019-086), 704A37-7210-87 and 704A37-7210-91 due to untimely lighting of the MGB lubrication system. New pressure switches with serial #s higher than 40000 should be installed and lower serialed units scrapped.

Useful tips: #48 3Q-2015

Be gentle with those fuel boost pumps. Probably not an item that many would consider to be “fragile” as such, but we’ve recently had to scrap several P94C16-606 pumps as the main housing has taken a knock or two and is no longer considered to be technically sealed. The OEM will scrap these every time if there are any dents or minor irregularities in the housing or along the sealed base. This will set you back an extra Euros 1’700 or so if the core has to be scrapped.

Vendor Focus: Hydrep

Recently fully integrated into Messier Bugatti Dowty (part of the Safran group), Hydrep in Dinard, France are a primary repair station servicing undercarriage

equipment. With over 100 employees, technicians and experts, 4’500 square meters of dedicated facilities and coverage of European and African markets, Hydrep is a leader in the maintenance of landing gear, hydraulic systems, wheels and brakes on helicopters, regional and business aircraft and airliners.

Working with Alpine since 1999, Hydrep is proud to service Alpine’s extensive stocks of Dauphin helicopter undercarriage legs and extensions struts as well as wheels and brakes. Sales Manager Laurent Le Gall adds, “Alpine trusts Hydrep to co-ordinate their repair and overhaul business on an ongoing basis as they rotate their exchange and consignment components around the world. We see that Alpine understands the market and they plan in advance as we often face long lead times for replacement piece parts. It’s always been a pleasure working with our Swiss friends and we look forward to a continuing mutually beneficial relationship.”

Legend: L- R Laurent Le Gall, Peter Lewis, Jean-Louis Haas, Kevin Amey

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History Lesson - Part Three

And up to present time

With sales on the civilian N and later N1 versions proving slower than anticipated, the next model, the N2, was the airframe that made the Dauphin series successful. Key was the new Arriel 1C2 549kW (737 shp) turboshaft, a new gearbox assembly and maximum take off weight increased to 4250 Kgs (9370 lbs). The N2 was certified in October 1988 and the first model is still flying in Italy currently. Parallel to N2 production, Marignane sold a total of 35 Panthers to the Brasilian Army which are presently being upgraded by Helibras.

Less than 8 years after the N2’s certification, the N3 introduced Turboméca’s 2C engine which gave the Dauphin 635kW (851 shp) of power and single channel DECU (Digital Engine Control Units). The main gearbox was again modified to allow better single engine handling performance. At the rear of the helicopter, a redesigned 10 blade fenestron reduced the Dauphin’s noise footprint and deliveries commenced in December 1998.

The last Dauphin N reincarnation is the N3+. With a new solid state 4-axis autopilot suite and uprated Arriel 2C engines, the N3+ has a maximum take off weight of 9480 lbs (4300 Kgs) and a 180 cubic feet cabin volume. Sales have not been too impressive as it was obvious by the launch date of the N3+ that the Dauphin product line was falling behind AgustaWestland’s 139 model and Eurocopter themselves were busying hyping the X4 which became the H160 during the HAI event in early 2015.

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Telephone : +41 52 345 3605Fax : +41 52 345 3606US-Phone : +1 207-513-1921E-mail : mail@alpine.aeroWeb : www.alpine.aero

Sagem (previously Sfim Industries and Avian) have their complete AP-155 autopilot system installed in all of the N model and EC155 helicopters. Now based in Massy in the south of Paris, their electro-mechanical division handles repairs in Mantes-la-Ville which is northwest of Paris and where Aviac used to be based.

The 418-00863-000 Yaw Trim Actuator is a 28VDC powered unit with a single connector and a splined output shaft which has an output of three degrees per second. Used on the N2 and N3 Dauphins, this unit has proven to be extremely reliable and is backed up well by the factory. The later dash number, the 418-00863-100, is a fully interchangeable unit, it has different internal components, essentially the geared motor, spring and clutch.

As always with Sagem units, Alpine has plenty of stock available and we can support any exchange requirement immediately and efficiently from our warehouse.

Dauphin Parts Spotlight418-00863-000 Yaw Trim Actuator

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Technical Specifications: NSN: 6615-14-550-7900 Eurocopter: 704A47-1320-55 Shelf-Life: N/A

FSCM: F6158 CMM: 67-22-99 TBO: N/A

Interesting reading

Reproduced with permission from our friends over at Helicopter Maintenance Magazine and author Jon Robbins from the Aviation Management unit of the Cal Fire unit is a good article titled “They’ve Got to be Kidding …”.

This is all about the price of airplane and helicopter parts and well worth spending a few minutes checking out at http://alpine.aero/PDF-ALPINE/Got-to-be-Kidding.pdf