Rotor Blade Management

Traditional blade management has always focused on the Dynamic RTB to get a flying
set of blades. Maintenance manuals have identified for many years the limitation of this
process. They have clearly stated that if the RTB results in the move line passing
tangentially to the zero axis this is the best you can reasonably expect leaving you with
one of two options:

a. You must accept this result and the resultant vibration level, or
b. change a blade.

the blades will not fly together.

This phenomena is often typified by charts as similar to those below.

Laterals

Verticals

0.4 IPS
0.5 IPS
The first question which should have been answered many years ago is WHY wont
these blades fly together?

WHY?: These blades will not fly together primarily because of a mismatched
Span Moment Arm.

A new approach to Blade Management needs be adopted based on the control and
correction of Span Moment Arm migration of operational blades at operator level if
improvements to RTB efficiency are to be obtained.

Blade Management Current/Traditional

The traditional approach never looks at the entire balance solution. It only ever uses the
Dynamic RTB to balance a rotor. The solution must incorporate BOTH Static &
Dynamic balance to achieve an efficient result.

Traditionally blades were attempted to be matched by a number of administrative

methodologies such as matching hours flown on each blade, matching serial numbers
or a combination of both. Whatever method, more often than not, it boiled down to a time
consuming trial and error process to find a matched set of blades tat would fly together.

On multi-bladed systems, static balance is only ever done when new or when the blade is
sent for a major overhaul at an approved blade repair center which has a master blade.

On teetering heads such as the UH1, operators perform simple see-saw or pivot
balance. The limitations of this procedure are listed elsewhere on this site. The result of
this method however is that it only promotes the use of sets of blades it does not
provide a means of making all blades interchangeable. This method of static balancing
also is limited by using the Dynamic adjustment weights/stations to correct for a static
problem thus reducing the amount of dynamic adjustment available to solve dynamic
problems.
 Static/Moment
Balance Correction
Weights

Dynamic RTB Lateral

Correction Weights

The traditional blade management process allows the Span Moment Arm of individual
blades to migrate UNDETECTED. This results in mismatched blades.

Typical Span Moment Arm Migration

Lets follow the path of this migration and how it reduces the dynamic weight adjustment
progressively to the point where blades become unflyable with other blades.

Teetering Head
See-Saw Balance of Hub PLUS blades,

Static Span Correction using DYNAMIC Adjustment,

Results in LESS Dynamic Lateral adjustment available for RTB,

Blades may or may not fly together,

If Blades fly successfully together, in-service migration of Span Moment Arm

 Successive RTB exercises tries to compensate through life of blades using ONLY
Dynamic Adjustments.

Ultimately will not fly together as Span Moment migrates to a point which is
greater in magnitude than the Dynamic Adjustment by itself is capable of
compensating for.

ARTICULATED/Semi/RIGID

Initial Static Balance against Master

Initial RTB when new blade fitted to an existing head (providing the Span Moment
Arm of the other blades on the head have a similar Span Moment or else the
New blade will show up immediately as a Rogue blade).

Undetected in-service Span Moment migration

RTB tries to compensate on successive RTB exercises through the life of any set of
blades using Dynamic Lateral adjustment (Hub Weight) see polar chart

Ultimately will not fly together as Span Moment migrates to a point which is
greater in magnitude than the Dynamic Adjustment by itself is capable of
compensating for now a decision must be made to accept the existing vibration
level or change a blade BUT which one?

Do any of the above scenarios sound familiar to your own experiences? If so, you may
want to consider adopting a New Blade Management system and routine Static
Balancing on the hangar floor.

Why Does Span Moment Arm Migrate? See Span Moment Arm Migration

How can we adjust Span Moment arm? See Static/OEM Blade Adjustments in
Blade Balancing
Traditional Static Balance Procedure

Overhaul venue statically balances to a Master Blade

Blades go to Overhaul venue
Costly in both Money & Man Hours
Time out of Service Spares & increased inventory holdings
Damage risk during removal/installation and transport &
Handling
Provides Mass only of the blade - Current weighing procedures do
not provide the customer with value of individual Span or Chord
Moment arms or CofG check out your blade paperwork next
time you get a new or overhauled blade check your current blade
paperwork.

Master Blade Must Be Maintained

Costly requires calibration every 2 years for some blades
Deviation from Design Specifications or the Golden Master
Blade a likelihood. (see Avion/AMCOM Report download)

Blade Management New

With the identification of the cause of Rogue Blades, it is now clear that a new approach
to blade balancing or more precisely Blade Management needs to be adopted.

The traditional inefficiencies and cost can no longer be afforded by an industry where
capital costs and the Direct Operating Costs are very high with a disproportionate
pressure to keep charge-out rates very low forcing thin profit margins. Defence and
Government air wings are not immune from the drive for more bang for the buck.
Shrinking budgets worldwide coupled with the accompanying political pressure
necessitates that these organizations think more commercially and seek more flying hours
per maintenance dollar.
NEW Blade Management Procedure

We have always treated Static & Dynamic balancing as two totally different, unrelated
exercises - they should not be.

A successful Dynamic balance is very dependant upon a good Static balance - most
importantly - the Span Moment being maintained within a reasonable tolerance of the
ideal Spec figure if blade interchangeability is to be assured and if the full benefit of
the dynamic adjustments are to be provided to counter any dynamic problems.

The New Blade Management procedure can be summarized by:

Develop a static balance capability for the field or operators use which can
measure, quantify and provide easy adjustment solutions at operator level a
virtual master blade. Such a tool has been developed by Avion Inc and proven
in service use by a number of defence Forces in the form of the Universal Static
Balance Fixture.

Incorporate Static Balance in existing routine maintenance. It does not require a

static balance every RTB exercise. Simply by incorporating a periodic check
during scheduled major routine servicing while the blades are already off the
aircraft for other reasons, results in negligible if any additional maintenance
man hours being expended. If a blade is removed in between these routine events
for either painting or repair, it should be passed over a static balancer to determine
if there has been any significant change in Span Moment arm and adjust
accordingly.

Blades will become totally interchangeable again with minimal correction by the
dynamic RTB.

This New Management procedure does not advocate that a static balance needs to be
done every time an RTB is done.

It is based on a periodic static balance to particularly check Span Moment Arm,

whenever scheduled routine maintenance is carried out in the existing servicing schedule
no additional maintenance is called for. It is recommended at routine maintenance on or
about every 500-600flt hrs (or after blade repair/painting). This will ensure Span Moment
Arm Control within tight limits and enable trouble free RTB and remove rogue Blades
from your fleet and inventory blade stock ensuring total blade interchangeability across
your fleet.
Potential Cost Savings
(See Cost Savings Free download)

Returns unusable blades to service

Significant reduction in needless depot servicing

Reduces blade inventory requirements

Significantly improves RTB efficiency

Less Maintenance Man hours

Less Aircrew Man hours

Less Flying Hours

Translates into Lower direct Operating cost

Example: A helicopter cannot be flown smooth using traditional Dynamic RTB

equipment. The vibration level never comes within a serviceable limit and the move line
runs tangentially past the zero axis but at an unacceptable level. This could indicate
either:
A blade Problem (change a blade is what most maintenance
manuals would suggest But which one?
A hardware problem in the head, hub, blade or pitch control
mechanisms.

Most maintenance people will elect t choose a blade to swap out and set every thing back
to zero and start the RTB exercise again. This will take typically at least a day or two.
After all this, the wrong blade may have been chosen or it could still be a hardware
problem. This exercise is not uncommon to last for several days.

With a USBF digital static balancer, the one bid variable can immediately be either
proven or disproved on the hanger floor in ten minutes. By Statically balancing the blade,
it will confirm if it is close to OEM specifications or not. If not, it will provide a
correction to reset the blade.

If the blade is good, then it is immediately known that it must be a hardware problem and
a search can begin to track down the worn or broken part in the head/hub/pitch change
area which is the cause of the erratic RTB results.

This diagnostic capability saves man days of maintenance effort.

The US Army is projecting savings of more than U$1.0M per year at Corpus Christi
Army Depot alone by using this technology. (See Redstone US Army USBF Cost
Savings Free download)

Converting to a New Blade Management System/Introduction of USBF

Converting from a Traditional Blade Management plan to a New Blade Management

Plan is simple, easy and straight forward. Cost is minimal and in capital outlay this cost
is easily recovered with the reclaiming of even one rotor blade. There is effectively no
man hour cost since in the mature Blade Management Plan, static balancing is done
during scheduled maintenance when blades are already off the aircraft. The Static
Balance itself takes no more than 10 minutes per blade.

Tooling:

1 x USBF located at each operating base for use by all helicopter types located
at that facility.
1 x USBF located the blade overhaul and repair facility (if not co-located at an
operating base).

This strategic positioning of tools ensures that blades can easily be passed over a
static balance during routine service, overhaul and is available at operator level to
troubleshoot any heads which may cause problems during RTB. It will assist greatly
in identifying quickly a blade or a head problem.

Periodicity:

It is suggested that after the initial introduction and resetting of a fleet of blades back
to OEM specifications, this be maintained by:

every 500-600hr servicing (or scheduled routine service close to this period
where the blades will be off the helicopter and most likely painted or touched
up).
If any blade is subsequently repaired or painted in between these servicing
intervals.
If any difficulty arises through periodic RTB. The USBF can be used very
effectively as a troubleshooting tool to identify if it is a blade or head problem
If a new blade outside of the existing fleet of blades is bought into the
inventory, it should be passed across the USBF to ensure it meets OEM specs
or adjust accordingly.
 Blade Admin/Paperwork:

Significant simplification of blade paperwork and administration is achieved.

Individual tracking of blade histories to achieve a flyable set is eliminated. Any
blade out of the box should fly with existing in-service blades. Paperwork is
summarized by computer generated printouts detailing the date, initial blade results,
subsequent adjustments performed and the final blade mass, Span & Chord Moment
arms and CofG. Potentially large numbers of administrative man hours savings are
achievable.

The USBF provides a printout and records individual blade specifications. These
figures may be recorded on the blades history or paperwork for ease of tracking.
Alternatively, if there are USBFs strategically located so that blades can easily be
passed over a USBF, this level of administration need not apply simply date when it
was last statically balanced to ensure outside blades do not enter the inventory
without being balanced and to track when a blade should be balanced next.

New Blade Management Summary

Develop an efficient, easy Static Balance capability for the operator a virtual
Master Blade.

Incorporate Static Balance in routine maintenance

Blades become interchangeable again

RTB made more efficient, Reduced Maintenance costs.

Removes guess work from RTB and the time consuming trial & error approach
to matching blades which as been traditionally adopted.

Advantages of Operator Static Balancing

Typically Halves RTB time

Reduces aircraft downtime due RTB Increased aircraft operational
availability/revenue hours
Reduces Man hours spent on RTB
Removes the guess work out of RTB and the time consuming Trial and error
approach to matching sets of blades.
Simplifies blade administration - records Mass, Span and Chord CofG &
Moment Arms.
Significantly reduces the number of blades which have to go back to overhaul or
OEM because they cant fly with other blades.
Potentially capable of significant reductions in numbers of blades held as spares if
less blades are being sent back needlessly to OEM/overhaul.
Can balance all helicopter types which an operator may use - not limited to only
one helicopter type.
Allows all blades to be interchangeable again
Used as an onsite diagnostic tool should aircraft become difficult to dynamically
balance identifies quickly if it is a blade or a head/aircraft problem