Top Uses for Borescopes in the Aviation Industry
Posted: 2014-7-30
By:
Meaghan Jameson
Source:
www.rfsystemlab.us
If you are an IA or AP technician in the aviation industry,
a good-performing, high-quality borescope is essential to
your job. Whether your specialty is turbines, recips,
airframes or avionics, you need a quality borescope in your
toolkit that you can rely on.
Borescopes are used in all facets of the aviation industry,
from helicopters to military fighter jets. There’s a reason
for that: borescopes are able to inspect confined areas
where you cannot easily see to ensure safe and reliable
operation of aircraft parts including turbines, airframes,
winglets, landing gear, and other confined space areas.
One of the essential uses of articulating borescopes is for
turbine engine inspection. Turbine engines have many
internal rotating sections, as well as combustion chambers,
that can be inspected with an articulating video borescope.
Borescopes, which can enter directly through an injector
nozzle or access port and require no engine disassembly, are
able to internally inspect these blades for corrosion, wear,
or imperfections such as cracks, which can occur if the
compressor section gets too hot. Utilizing a borescope to
inspect and maintain any type of engine helps to ensure that
the aircraft is airworthy.
Turbine engines in helicopters, or rotorcrafts, are located
near the main rotor blades, so in order to perform any sort
of maintenance on them, professionals usually have to climb
up scaffolding or a ladder; this is where the features of
articulating borescopes, such as RF System Lab’s VJ-Advance
(VJ-ADV) video borescope, are extremely beneficial. The VJ-
ADV’s compact, portable design and on demand power (the VJ-
ADV video borescope simply requires AA batteries – no need
to wait for it to charge or make sure there is an electrical
outlet nearby), helicopter turbine inspections are completed
with ease. In addition, the super-slim 2.8mm VJ-ADV video
borescope is a great fit for Main Rotor Gearbox (MRGB)
inspections. The thin diameter insertion tube easily allows
technicians to check for cracks developed in the welding
area between the shaft and bevel gear, ensuring that the
MRGB is in working order and no leaks will occur.
In addition to turbine inspections, borescopes have many
other aviation-related uses. As quoted by RF System Lab’s
General Manager, Sean O’Connor: "Applications include
inspecting airframes, flap tracks, wiring harnesses, and
landing gear." Additionally, borescopes are used in
corrosion inspections." In fact, a borescope can be used on
just about any piece of aviation equipment. Borescopes range
in size, for instance: the VJ-ADV comes in 2.8mm, 3.9mm and
6.9mm diameters, so finding a size to fit an access port is
easily managed.
However, just because a borescope is able to inspect many
different parts of an aircraft does not mean that some areas
should not be approached with caution. "Special care should
be taken when using a borescope to inspect fuel tanks, with
proper grounding being very important," notes O’Connor.
"Aside from fuel tanks, as long as the scope is liquid proof
and resistant to the common fluids found in various aircraft
systems, a borescope can safely be used anywhere."
Borescope technicians that are approved to sign off on
annual inspections certifying airworthiness will have the
proper Inspector Authorization (IA) Certification; but
making sure to be properly educated on safety precautions
when doing any kind of inspection is extremely important.
Another important reason borescopes are crucial to aircraft
inspections: they allow maintenance professionals to
complete 100-hour FAA inspections, necessary for a majority
of aircrafts, with confidence. 100-hour inspections require
photographic evidence of internal aircraft structures, which
are easily captured by an articulating video borescope such
as the VJ-ADV. Without a high-quality borescope to provide
documentation, Maintenance professionals could put their
license and reputation on the line.
Remote Visual Inspection (RVI) anywhere within an aircraft
maintenance facility, or on a flight line, is not a problem
with the VJ-Advance video borescope because it is battery
powered, completely portable, and lightweight. For more
information on the impressive VJ-Advance line of joystick
controlled, fully articulating video borescopes, or to find
out how you can demo the VJ-Advance video borescope for free
at your own facility, visit the RF System Lab website or
call (888) 747-6526 to speak to a borescope expert regarding
your exact inspection needs.
a good-performing, high-quality borescope is essential to
your job. Whether your specialty is turbines, recips,
airframes or avionics, you need a quality borescope in your
toolkit that you can rely on.
Borescopes are used in all facets of the aviation industry,
from helicopters to military fighter jets. There’s a reason
for that: borescopes are able to inspect confined areas
where you cannot easily see to ensure safe and reliable
operation of aircraft parts including turbines, airframes,
winglets, landing gear, and other confined space areas.
One of the essential uses of articulating borescopes is for
turbine engine inspection. Turbine engines have many
internal rotating sections, as well as combustion chambers,
that can be inspected with an articulating video borescope.
Borescopes, which can enter directly through an injector
nozzle or access port and require no engine disassembly, are
able to internally inspect these blades for corrosion, wear,
or imperfections such as cracks, which can occur if the
compressor section gets too hot. Utilizing a borescope to
inspect and maintain any type of engine helps to ensure that
the aircraft is airworthy.
Turbine engines in helicopters, or rotorcrafts, are located
near the main rotor blades, so in order to perform any sort
of maintenance on them, professionals usually have to climb
up scaffolding or a ladder; this is where the features of
articulating borescopes, such as RF System Lab’s VJ-Advance
(VJ-ADV) video borescope, are extremely beneficial. The VJ-
ADV’s compact, portable design and on demand power (the VJ-
ADV video borescope simply requires AA batteries – no need
to wait for it to charge or make sure there is an electrical
outlet nearby), helicopter turbine inspections are completed
with ease. In addition, the super-slim 2.8mm VJ-ADV video
borescope is a great fit for Main Rotor Gearbox (MRGB)
inspections. The thin diameter insertion tube easily allows
technicians to check for cracks developed in the welding
area between the shaft and bevel gear, ensuring that the
MRGB is in working order and no leaks will occur.
In addition to turbine inspections, borescopes have many
other aviation-related uses. As quoted by RF System Lab’s
General Manager, Sean O’Connor: "Applications include
inspecting airframes, flap tracks, wiring harnesses, and
landing gear." Additionally, borescopes are used in
corrosion inspections." In fact, a borescope can be used on
just about any piece of aviation equipment. Borescopes range
in size, for instance: the VJ-ADV comes in 2.8mm, 3.9mm and
6.9mm diameters, so finding a size to fit an access port is
easily managed.
However, just because a borescope is able to inspect many
different parts of an aircraft does not mean that some areas
should not be approached with caution. "Special care should
be taken when using a borescope to inspect fuel tanks, with
proper grounding being very important," notes O’Connor.
"Aside from fuel tanks, as long as the scope is liquid proof
and resistant to the common fluids found in various aircraft
systems, a borescope can safely be used anywhere."
Borescope technicians that are approved to sign off on
annual inspections certifying airworthiness will have the
proper Inspector Authorization (IA) Certification; but
making sure to be properly educated on safety precautions
when doing any kind of inspection is extremely important.
Another important reason borescopes are crucial to aircraft
inspections: they allow maintenance professionals to
complete 100-hour FAA inspections, necessary for a majority
of aircrafts, with confidence. 100-hour inspections require
photographic evidence of internal aircraft structures, which
are easily captured by an articulating video borescope such
as the VJ-ADV. Without a high-quality borescope to provide
documentation, Maintenance professionals could put their
license and reputation on the line.
Remote Visual Inspection (RVI) anywhere within an aircraft
maintenance facility, or on a flight line, is not a problem
with the VJ-Advance video borescope because it is battery
powered, completely portable, and lightweight. For more
information on the impressive VJ-Advance line of joystick
controlled, fully articulating video borescopes, or to find
out how you can demo the VJ-Advance video borescope for free
at your own facility, visit the RF System Lab website or
call (888) 747-6526 to speak to a borescope expert regarding
your exact inspection needs.
