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Aging Aircraft
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Aging aircraft
As soon as the aircraft sets for its first flight, the elements of aging start appearing. However, this term is specifically applied to the issues that aircraft faces with the passing time due to structural and functional impairments. The time factor carries immense significance here because aircrafts with greater age suffer more from structural and functional impairments as compared to the newer ones (FAA, 2019).
The effects of aging are undertaken considerable contemplation at the time when aircrafts are being manufactured. The procedures of aircraft design and subsequent enactment of percepts for approvable maintenance program aims at taking full account of the effects of sustained utilization of aircraft. Safe Life Design and Damage Tolerance philosophies are activated along with the development of inspection intervals and inspection methods for identifying the effects of fatigue-based, accidental or environmental damage (TCGC, 2018). For that matter, fatigue and corrosion related sampling and prevention programs are being established readily now.
The most prominent element of aging aircraft is metallic corrosion. It occurs as a result of chemical reaction that causes deterioration of the metallic surface. Most of the corrosion is electrolyte and galvanic in nature—the presence of two dissimilar metals in the identical electrolyte; typically contaminated water (TCGC, 2018). The most interesting yet challenging effects that corrosion offers are its microscopic pellet edges within metal alloy.
Due to their microscopic nature, these edges go undetected and threaten the integrity of metal at molecular level (Hobbs, 2008). The only solution to this aging challenge is the selection of appropriate metals that possess strong immunity against oxidation reduction reactions and mainly encapsulate non- metallic composites. Moreover, need of the hour is to gain a profound understanding about the detailed impacts of corrosion on the structural integrity of metals (Hobbs, 2008).
It can be concluded that corrosion is an important factor that contributes to the aging of aircrafts. In addition to the selection of appropriate metals, the other measures that mitigate the onset of corrosion include provision of safe and moisture- free environment to the aircrafts for parking (Hobbs, 2008).
References
The FAA Aircraft Certification Service on-line training course (2019). Lessons Learned From Transport Airplane Accidents. Retrieved from https://www.faa.gov/news/testimony/news_story.cfm?newsId=23514&omniRss=testimonyAoc&cid=105_Testimony
Aircraft Corrosion - Transport Canada Poster illustrating airframe corrosion processes (2018). Retrieved from https://www.tc.gc.ca/media/documents/ca-standards/tp11055e.pdf
Hobbs, A. (2008). ATSB Transport Safety Report - AR-2008-055: An Overview of Human Factors in Aviation Maintenance. Retrieved from https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/27818/hf_ar-2008-055.pdf
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