Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Proposal for no
fixed engine time
between overhaul
AIRCRAFT ENGINE CERTIFICATION REQUIREments for continuing airworthiness require
the publication of engine time between overhaul periods (TBO) in order to maintain the
appropriate standard of performance. For
Australian registered aircraft powered by piston engines, those requirements are currently published in Civil Aviation Order, Part 106,
AD/ENG/4 Amendment 5. CASA powerplant
specialists in Canberra recently compared
AD/ENG/4 with the piston engine TBO
requirements of selected overseas regulatory
authorities.
The selected regulatory authorities were;
CAA(UK), the FAA, Transport Canada and
CAA(NZ). The review established two significant issues. Firstly, all of the selected regulatory authorities have requirements that control
TBO periods based on operational categories.
Secondly, the selected regulatory authorities
provide for no fixed TBO for piston engines
operated in certain operational categories.
In response, CASA is proposing to revise
AD/ENG/4 to reflect TBO requirements based
on operational categories and to introduce
"No fixed TBO". A discussion paper for public comment will be released.
Determining
take-off power
WHEN CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITY OF AN
engine failure during take-off, very few general aviation pilots enjoy the luxury of being able
to plan landing back on the runway. In the real
world, most pilots just appreciate having some
confidence in the engine's ability to provide
the horsepower required to clear the fence.
However, very few pilots appear to know
there is information and procedures available
to permit a pilot to determine if an engine is
capable of providing take-off power.
American Federal Aviation Regulation FAR
23.51 addresses take-off performance requirements for most light aircraft. FAR 23.51
details; the distance required to take-off and
climb over a 50 foot obstacle must be determined with the engine operating within
approved operating limitations. Engine operating limitations are detailed in the Approved
Flight Manual (AFM) or Pilot's Operating
Handbook (POH). For most large aircraft,
engine operating limitations are detailed in
the Operations Manual.
Those limitations provide pilots with information to determine the engine's ability to
produce the required horsepower, and obtain
an appreciation of the engine's condition
using engine health parameters such as oil
ton engine cylinders. To minimise this, graduated power adjustments are essential. The
"throttle jockey" pays for acts of bravado with
cylinder cracks and possible counterweight
de-tuning.
Flight planning can influence cylinder life.
Long and slow descent profiles should be carried out where possible. Once on the ground,
a two to three minute 1,000-1,200 RPM engine
cool down period will not only permit the
engine oil temperature to stabilise, especially
in a turbocharged engine, but will also permit the cylinder temperatures to stabilise.
Maintenance. Machines have a limited life.
Piston engine cylinders are no exception.
There is a limit to the number of times an
aluminium cylinder head can be heated to
around 250C during climb, then rapidly
cooled to around 75C during descent. As a
rule of thumb, an average cylinder has a life of
around two to three engine service (overhaul)
lives before thermal fatigue becomes a problem.
Aircraft owners or operators fitting cylinders with more than three service lives or fitting repaired cylinders with an unknown service history should not complain when beset
by cracking cylinders defects.
New cylinders at every second or third
engine overhaul will minimise cylinder maintenance, as well as make sound economic
sense. Alternatively, replacement cylinders
repaired by a reputable company that deals
with cylinder fatigue, and provides a realistic
warranty, are a reasonable alternative.