The Role of D Sight in Military Aircraft Inspection

Document Number: 972623

Date Published: August 1997

Author(s):
David J Willie - Diffracto Ltd

Abstract:
Life extension programs generally include various upgrade kits and improved replacement parts. New avionics, new engines and oft times replacement wings fill out the order along with a raft of maintenance/inspection procedural changes. The original airframe is usually left intact ~ without major modifications or replacements. In order to maintain the aging fuselage, a new series of inspection routines are necessary. The call for advanced and novel inspection technologies has brought together many technologies: each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

This paper addresses the introduction of the D Sight Aircraft Inspection System to the fuselage inspection protocol of the Royal Air Force (RAF) aging aircraft fleet. The RAF is developing a Three Tier system of lap seam and butt joint inspection, which exploits the strengths of distinct technologies. The implementation of this three-step program begins with the speed and organization capabilities of the optical system D Sight Aircraft Inspection System (DAIS). Using a fuselage mapping system, DAIS preplans lap joint inspections and subsequently track data acquisition and analysis through color coding. D Sight corrosion signatures appear as bright-to-dark grayscale contrasts in a halo effect around lap sea heads.

The instantaneous nature of the digital images and the ability of DAIS to capture substantial volumes of data in a short period of time provides RAF inspection personnel with corrosion indications of where to apply the second-tier methods, either MAUS or AndScan. Should the need arise, the application of any other method of detection, possibly Mark 1 eyeball or even radiography, would fill out the third tier.

File Size: 1021K
Product Status: In Stock

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