Canadian Cormorant Grounded
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Canadian Cormorant Grounded
Globe and Mail
CFB Greenwood, N.S. — All but essential flights of Canada's new military helicopters have been grounded because of the discovery of dangerous cracks on a tail rotor, Global News reported Tuesday.
The fleet of 15 Cormorants fly out of CFB Trenton in Ontario, CFB Gander in Newfoundland and CFB Greenwood in Nova Scotia.
The first sign of cracks in the section that holds the tail rotor in place in the six-year-old helicopters was found on an aircraft in Newfoundland, Global reported.
If the crack spreads enough, the blade will come off, forcing the helicopter to make an emergency landing.
The crash of a similar helicopter operated by the British Royal Navy has been traced to cracks in the tail rotor, Global reported.
As a result of the British crash, the Canadian military cancelled all training flights on the Cormorants for two months, the report said.
Air Force headquarters in Winnipeg told Global it's confident the helicopters will continue to perform search-and-rescue missions without placing additional danger on air crews.
Documents released earlier this month revealed the Cormorants require much more maintenance than originally believed, and the extra work is costing the air force millions of dollars.
The helicopters were supposed to require about seven hours of maintenance for every hour of flight, based on information provided by the manufacturer, EH Industries.
But the complex machines have become a technical challenge, taking up to 22 hours in the shop for each hour in the air.
EH Industries has since revised its maintenance estimates upward, saying the aircraft initially needs about 12 hours for each hour of flight, but the number will fall to about 8.35 hours as experience levels increase.
CFB Greenwood, N.S. — All but essential flights of Canada's new military helicopters have been grounded because of the discovery of dangerous cracks on a tail rotor, Global News reported Tuesday.
The fleet of 15 Cormorants fly out of CFB Trenton in Ontario, CFB Gander in Newfoundland and CFB Greenwood in Nova Scotia.
The first sign of cracks in the section that holds the tail rotor in place in the six-year-old helicopters was found on an aircraft in Newfoundland, Global reported.
If the crack spreads enough, the blade will come off, forcing the helicopter to make an emergency landing.
The crash of a similar helicopter operated by the British Royal Navy has been traced to cracks in the tail rotor, Global reported.
As a result of the British crash, the Canadian military cancelled all training flights on the Cormorants for two months, the report said.
Air Force headquarters in Winnipeg told Global it's confident the helicopters will continue to perform search-and-rescue missions without placing additional danger on air crews.
Documents released earlier this month revealed the Cormorants require much more maintenance than originally believed, and the extra work is costing the air force millions of dollars.
The helicopters were supposed to require about seven hours of maintenance for every hour of flight, based on information provided by the manufacturer, EH Industries.
But the complex machines have become a technical challenge, taking up to 22 hours in the shop for each hour in the air.
EH Industries has since revised its maintenance estimates upward, saying the aircraft initially needs about 12 hours for each hour of flight, but the number will fall to about 8.35 hours as experience levels increase.
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quote:
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the blade will come off, forcing the helicopter to make an emergency landing.
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Hmmmm...
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the blade will come off, forcing the helicopter to make an emergency landing.
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Hmmmm...
Iconoclast
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What's in a number?
EH Industries has since revised its maintenance estimates upward, saying the aircraft initially needs about 12 hours for each hour of flight, but the number will fall to about 8.35 hours as experience levels increase.
The name of the game is MMH/FH. The helicopter can be in the hangar for two hours after the flight and if there are twenty men working on it the helicopter has consumed forty Maintenance Man Hours. 8.35 MMH/FH is near impossible for a helicopter of this complexity.
The biggest white elephant since the WG30
This helo is going to bleed operators dry! Too sophisticated for its primary role of (anti sub/troop carrying/SAR).
God knows why the Japs bought one for their Tokyo police force
I bet the helos in the film 'The day after Tomorrow' were EH101's and they all suffered TR failure
I daren't put this on the mil forum!!!
This helo is going to bleed operators dry! Too sophisticated for its primary role of (anti sub/troop carrying/SAR).
God knows why the Japs bought one for their Tokyo police force
I bet the helos in the film 'The day after Tomorrow' were EH101's and they all suffered TR failure
I daren't put this on the mil forum!!!
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nah the primary cause was the freezing of the fuel in the tanks . the tail rotors seized followed by the main rotor strangely enough the helicopters glided to a nice run on landing after the main rotors seized . I guess they didn;t have the optional observer OAT gauge as the idiot opened the door and let all that cold air in. At least they didn't sound like hueys
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"If the crack spreads enough, the blade will come off, forcing the helicopter to make an emergency landing."
Come now, I thought those Canucks were tough. Thats a "Land as soon as Practicable" up North........
Come now, I thought those Canucks were tough. Thats a "Land as soon as Practicable" up North........
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Cost of servicing new helicopters soars
By DEAN BEEBY
Canadian Press
Monday, October 11, 2004, Page A7 Globe & Mail
OTTAWA -- Canada's newest helicopters needed up to 22 hours of maintenance for each hour of flight -- far more than originally forecast -- and the extra work has pushed costs up by almost 50 per cent, newly released documents show.
By DEAN BEEBY
Canadian Press
Monday, October 11, 2004, Page A7 Globe & Mail
OTTAWA -- Canada's newest helicopters needed up to 22 hours of maintenance for each hour of flight -- far more than originally forecast -- and the extra work has pushed costs up by almost 50 per cent, newly released documents show.
