UH-1H MAIN ROTOR BLADE FATIGUE

by

Patrick Conor, Alan James, Michael Hollis

Defence Technology Agency

New Zealand Defence Force
Auckland
PRESENTATION OUTLINE

• BACKGROUND
• BLADE CRACKING
• GRIP PAD DISBONDING
• BLADE INSPECTION
• NDI RESULTS
• CAUSAL FACTORS
• IN-SERVICE MANAGEMENT
 UH-1H MAIN ROTOR BLADE (MRB) FATIGUE

BACKGROUND

• RNZAF AIRFRAME AVERAGE TSN APPROX 10,000 HRS

• US ARMY HOLD TYPE CERTIFICATE

• MAIN ROTOR BLADE SAFE LIFE 2,500 HRS (US ARMY SPECTRUM)

• RNZAF MAINTENANCE iaw US ARMY MANUALS

• RNZAF FREE OF SERIOUS MRB PROBLEMS SINCE 1965

 "# " $

MEDIUM UTILITY HELICOPTER ROLE

Location of flight operations in 2000 - 2001:

• NEW ZEALAND
•
• EAST TIMOR

• BOUGAINVILLE

• ANTARCTICA

!
DEFECT INDICATION – NZ3816, EAST TIMOR 2001
 BLADE CONSTRUCTION
ADHESIVELY BONDED METAL LAMINATE STRUCTURE

D-spar

Grip Plate
(Aluminium)
Toughened
epoxy adhesive Grip Pad
(Steel)

Bushing

%
 $ ' '(

FRACTURE SURFACE

Fatigue crack limits

CHORDWISE C/S

&
 GRIP PAD DISBONDING

UNDER-SURFACE
OF CRACKED
BLADE

SAW CUT

GRIP PAD REMOVED

AND BLADE CUT UP
FOR FRACTURE
SURFACE ANALYSIS

FATIGUE CRACK TIP

L.E.

)
 $ +

RESULTS OF DESTRUCTIVE TESTS

TWO MRB CLASSES

Early-Model Blades

- MODERATE DISBONDS AT 2,500 HRS

Recent Blades

- SIGNIFICANT DISBONDS AT 1,000 HRS

- MANY BLADES IN SERVICE

*
DAMAGE ASSESSMENT

GRIP PLATE CRACK GROWTH RATE WAS RAPID

CRACKS CONCEALED BY GRIP PAD

CRACKING PRECEDED BY GRIP PAD DISBONDING

SAFETY PREDICATED BY DISBONDING

SO,

MANAGE SAFETY BY MONITORING DISBOND ONSET

(SAFETY BY INSPECTION)

PRESCRIBED INSPECTION – CAREFUL VISUAL CHECK

 , $ '

DISBONDING FOUND IN A
BLADE REJECTED FOR
OTHER REASONS AFTER
1100 HRS IN SERVICE - Grip Pad
(Steel)
- LARGE DEFECT WAS NOT
DETECTED BY EITHER:

• BONDLINE VISUAL
INSPECTION (IN A LAB
ENVIRONMENT) Grip Plate
(Aluminum)
OR,

• COIN TAP-TESTING
PERFORMANCE OF AVAILABLE INSPECTION METHODS
FOR MEASURING GRIP PAD DISBONDING

METHOD RESULT
VISUAL - UNRELIABLE
DYE PENETRANT - UNRELIABLE
COIN TAP TEST - FAILED
ULTRASONIC TEST - DIFFICULT TO
INTERPRET

EXISTING INSPECTION METHODS DID NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE

MEASUREMENT CAPABILITY
NEW INSPECTION TECHNIQUE

- BONDLINE COMPLIANCE -
 ' $ '
STRAIN GAUGE MECHANICAL DISPLACEMENT

BONDLINE

LOAD

BONDLINE COMPLIANCE

700

600
500

Microstrain
400

RESULT WITH 300

MULTIPLE 200

STRAIN 100

GAUGES 0

8 9 10
6 7
95.975

Bending 4 5
3
54.45

Mom ent 1 2 Strain Gauge Number

0

(metre.kg)

!
 $ '

BLADE GRIP PAD EDGE STRAIN vs TIME SINCE NEW

1600

1400

1200
Max. Strain (uS)

1000

800

600

400

200

0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
TIME SINCE NEW (Flying Hours)
OPTIONS TO KEEP FLYING
1. BUY MANY NEW BLADES AND REPLACE VERY EARLY
- VERY EXPENSIVE
- IMPOSSIBLE SUPPLY PROBLEM

2. ADOPT SAFETY BY INSPECTION

- DEFINE SAFE DISBOND SIZE

- DETECT AND MONITOR SUB-CRITICAL DEFECTS

- USING THE STRAIN NDI METHOD

%
 - " $

1400

DISBOND
1200
RUNAWAY
1000
LIMIT
Max TE Strain (uS)

800

600
BLADE
400 QUARANTINE
LIMIT
200

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140

Delaminated Area (cm 2)

&
CAUSAL FACTORS

)
 Blade TSN (hours)

0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500

A-FS11396
A-FS11421
A-FS11423
A-FS12014
A-11392
'

A-FS11365
A-FS11068
A-FS11416
A-FS11413
A-7619
A-6715
# . / 0 11 /2 .

A-FS11343
A-6712
A-FS11347
A-FS12062
3

A-FS11415
A-11376
A-FS11271
$

A-FS11243
A-FS11449
A-FS11385
A-FS11419
A-11928
A-FS12026
A-FS12061
A-FS12584
A-9144

Blade
A-FS11349
A-FS12008
A-FS12768
A-FS12767
A-FS12007
A-FS12708
A-FS12874
A-FS12060
A-11389
A-FS12769
A-FS12051
A-FS12869
AMR01288
A-FS12797
,

A-FS12890
A-FS12921
RNZAF DATA
4 25 26 2 4

A-5031
A-FS12866
A-FS12770
A-FS12828
A-FS12923
0
200
400
600
800
7.1

1000
1200
1400
1600

Strain ->
5

*
Hrs
Wet

Analysis by S/Ldr M Going

Hot &
Ice Hrs

Hrs NZ

Strain 1
 MAIN ROTOR BLADE ATTACHMENT FITTING
- LOAD TRANSFER

Resultant Horizontal Shear

Up
Outboard
MB

Aluminium Grip Plate

Adhesive
Steel Grip Pad Bond Line
ADHESIVE
PEEL Resultant Horizontal Shear
 FATIGUE?

• HIGH PEEL STRESS IN

THE ADHESIVE

• DEMANDING LOADS
SPECTRUM?

FEA: ADHESIVE STRAIN IN Z-AXIS

Analysis by S K Campbell (DTA)

 # , '

SAFETY BY INSPECTION

• STRAIN NDI FOR DISBOND MONITORING

• CONTINUOUS ANALYSIS OF RESULTS

• REDUCED BLADE LIFE CONFIRMED

• INSPECTION METHOD IMPOSES AN

UNAVOIDABLE MAINTENANCE PENALTY
 SUMMARY

THE BLADE WAS AFFECTED BY AN EXCEPTIONALLY LARGE

FATIGUE CRACK

- THE HELICOPTER WAS SAVED BY CONSERVATIVE DESIGN

- MULTIPLE LOAD PATHS
- REDUNDANT STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS

- FLIGHT SAFETY IS NOW MAINTAINED BY BONDLINE STRAIN

INSPECTION

- THE INSPECTION IS BASED ON EXHAUSTIVE ANALYSIS OF

IN-SERVICE DEFECTS
 Acknowledgements

RNZAF
Wing Commander D C Howard
No. 3 Squadron Maintenance Flight
RNZAF Base Auckland Technical Support Unit (ATSU)
RNZAF Base Ohakea Technical Support Unit (OTSU)

DTA
Mr S K Campbell
Mr I P Gatehouse

Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated