ISSUE:
The US Army was experiencing issues with their hydraulic systems on their CH-47 (cargo) helicopters.
Issues included:
- Uncommanded flight-control actuations
- Large hydraulic fluid waste stream
- High cost of asset ownership
MEASUREMENT ANALYSIS SOLUTION:
Sampling of hydraulic fluid from multiple in-field helicopters indicated that the root cause was that air and other contaminants were building up within the hydraulic systems. A training video was produced to allow for all CH-47 operators to implement the solution worldwide. The solution implemented provided the following benefits:
- Eliminated uncommanded flight-control actuations
- Improved operational performance for the CH-47 aircraft
- Reduced hydraulic fluid waste stream
- Reduced hydraulic fluid inventory required (footprint)
- Reduced maintenance man hours
- Increased readiness, reliability, and sustainability