NAVAIR Depot North Island completes CH-53 in record time to help Marines make deployment

Transcription

1 H-53 cuts H-53 Blades Edward Meeks, left, and Jimi Leslie work on CH-53E hydraulic line replacements. Photo by David Le H-53 (2) Brad McNamee, foreground, and Jun Jamito work a tail pylon casting. Photo by Michael Collins H-53 (3) John Lindsay repairs a sponson on the CH-53E. Photo by Michael Collins H-53 (4) Edward Medrano repairs wiring plugs inside the helicopter. Photo by Michael Collins Page 1 of 5

2 Edward Medrano repairs wiring plugs inside the helicopter. Photo by Michael Collins Multi-Line completes CH-53 in record time to help Marines make By Bill Bartkus NAVAIR Depot North Island CORONADO, Calif. Attention to detail and hard work paid off for the CH-53 Multi-Line crew when their second prototype helicopter sold on the first flight. According to Roel Ramos, NAVAIR Depot North Island Multi-Line Program manager here, this particular helicopter was on a must meet schedule because the helicopter had to deploy aboard the USS Boxer (LHD 4) in support of Operation Iraq: Freedom II. We performed an Integrated Maintenance Concept on the helicopter, stated Ron Cobb, Multi-Line deputy CH-53 production manager. We disassembled the helicopter, inspected and evaluated it, performed structural repairs on the airframe and on its components. We had to practically rebuild one of the sponsons. It took 210 days and 18 people on one shift to process the helicopter through all the work phases. We completed the Test Line phase in only 10 days, said Cobb, from start to finish, and then we painted the helicopter. This was different from the first CH-53E where the crew painted the helicopter before flight. We were evaluating which way worked best. One of the lessons learned was that painting the helicopter before the Test Line phase caused additional problems. Problems such as getting the helicopter into the paint bay with the blades installed. We had to fold the blades, and artisans had to paint around them completing the process, stated Cobb. So, the best solution now is to paint the helicopter before flying it. The Marine aviators from Heavy Marine Helicopter Squadron 466, the Wolfpack at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., test flew the helicopter. They declared the aircraft a flight sell after only one day, a rarity in the helicopter community made even more significant given the extensive level of Depot maintenance performed. Following the flight, the pilot said that this was the best functional check he had ever flown in a CH-53, and he told the Depot crew to paint his name on the side of the aircraft because he was ready to take it into combat in Iraq. There are several processes in performing a functional check flight on a CH-53E, according to Cobb. There are hover Page 2 of 5

3 vibration checks followed by adjustments and speed runs. It takes about three short tests if everything goes well to perform a full function check flight. The Marines completed these in one day, he said. The lead pilot mentioned that this was the fastest time that he had ever performed a functional check flight. Cobb said that the aviators completed the functional check flight early in the evening and the helicopter sold that same day. The helicopter was defueled and sent to Helicopter Aircraft Services to be painted. When we received the CH-53E back from paint, it was ready for delivery the next day. The Marines flew it back to Miramar the next day. Shortly afterwards, they flew it aboard Boxer, said Cobb. Cobb said that Depot personnel did not work any overtime during the hangar processes. Once the helicopter arrived at the Test Line, the flight line crew worked minimal overtime to produce the helicopter in time to deploy with the Boxer. Ramos said, Some of the key elements included producing the second prototype helicopter in 210 days and significantly less man-hours than the first prototype but the goal for the program is to complete the helicopter in 180 days. Ramos mentioned that the program is still in the prototype stage. We completed the second one and have three more to go, he stated. We had a significant reduction in man-hours on the second helicopter. We are taking advantage of the prototype cycle to try different methods to nail down the best possible way to produce the helicopter. As an example, Ramos cited that the first helicopter was painted before going to the Test Line. But this second helicopter was painted after going to the Test Line. Now we have decided that painting the helicopter before the Test Line phase is the best process. In the future, all helicopters will be painted before they go to the Test Line phase, Ramos said emphatically. This is what prototyping is all about. Working out all the bugs, so to speak. Ramos said that Marine Air Group 16 s request to have the helicopter in time to leave on the Boxer was the driving force behind finishing the aircraft in time. We had to meet the Boxer s schedule, and we did! The overtime we used happened during the last week the helicopter was at the Depot. Ramos said that originally this particular CH-53E was not a must meet aircraft. But the squadron wanted to take this helicopter to Iraq when they were scheduled to deploy. It then became a must meet process, he said. This helicopter was inducted under normal channels for an IMC event to help establish the H-53 IMC program on the West Coast, Ramos mentioned. Towards the middle of the cycle, world events changed and the Marines needed resources in Iraq, said Ramos. This made the helicopter a critical asset for their. Page 3 of 5

4 Retired Marine Master Gunnery Sgt. Jeff Davis, the IMC coordinator said, The squadron was delighted to get a helicopter in such good shape. The Depot expedited this particular aircraft over the holiday period so that the Wolfpack would meet its schedule on the ship. This was one of the best efforts put forward by the Depot. Davis said that this helicopter was delivered in shipshape condition and in record time. Cobb said that the entire CH-53 team did an exceptional job. John Reynolds (CH-53E helicopter systems inspector) and his Test Line crew were instrumental in the Test Line phase flowing so smoothly. Patricia Como and her production control team were instrumental in tracking and providing the material resources to produce the helicopter on time. NAVAIR provides cost-wise readiness and dominant maritime combat power to make a great Navy and Marine Corps team better Page 4 of 5

5 Page 5 of 5