Transport Canada approved March Brothers' grease-free flap roller bearing for 200- and 300-series Beechcraft King Airs that reduces flap track wear and tear.
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Marsh Brothers Aviation's grease-free flap roller bearing for 200- and 300-series Beechcraft King Airs has received Transport Canada supplemental type certificate (STC) approval. An FAA STC is pending; in the meantime, U.S. operators of these turboprop twins can have the new-design flap rollers installed under field approvals.
This marks the first polymer bearing solution Marsh Brothers Aviation has developed for civil aircraft and solves a maintenance issue caused by abnormal wear. In fact, an airworthiness directive for these King Airs requires repetitive inspections every 3,000 flight hours for bearing wear and aluminum track damage.
“We can now provide a long-life roller/bearing solution that improves safety, reduces operating costs, and increases aircraft availability for the country’s King Air operators,” said Marsh Brothers Aviation business development director Nicholas Choo-Son. He noted that OEM greased needle flap rollers are prone to seizing up over time as the grease ages and stiffens. This then causes the flap rollers to slide in the track instead of rolling, leading to abnormal track wear and damage resulting in unscheduled downtime and costly repairs, Choo-Son added.
“The style of roller currently used is a traditional sealed grease packed needle roller that relies on supplemental lubrication,” he said. “Grease does not respond effectively to the lower outside air temperatures at flight altitudes, so the rollers can slide in the track rather than roll.”
According to Marsh Brothers Aviation, once operators convert to its self-lubricating polymer bearing, "inspections will reveal little to no bearing wear and zero metal-on-metal deterioration of the aluminum track." The company said that these rollers last considerably longer than the OEM parts and are also easier to install thanks to a single-piece design.
Polymer Flap Roller Bearing for King Airs Gets TC Nod
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Marsh Brothers Aviation's grease-free flap roller bearing for 200- and 300-series Beechcraft King Airs has received Transport Canada supplemental type certificate (STC) approval. An FAA STC is pending; in the meantime, U.S. operators of these turboprop twins can have the new-design flap rollers installed under field approvals.
This marks the first polymer bearing solution Marsh Brothers Aviation has developed for civil aircraft and solves a maintenance issue caused by abnormal wear. In fact, an airworthiness directive for these King Airs requires repetitive inspections every 3,000 flight hours for bearing wear and aluminum track damage.
“We can now provide a long-life roller/bearing solution that improves safety, reduces operating costs, and increases aircraft availability for the country’s King Air operators,” said Marsh Brothers Aviation business development director Nicholas Choo-Son. He noted that OEM greased needle flap rollers are prone to seizing up over time as the grease ages and stiffens. This then causes the flap rollers to slide in the track instead of rolling, leading to abnormal track wear and damage resulting in unscheduled downtime and costly repairs, Choo-Son added.
According to Marsh Brothers Aviation, once operators convert to its self-lubricating polymer bearing, "inspections will reveal little to no bearing wear and zero metal-on-metal deterioration of the aluminum track." The company said that these rollers last considerably longer than the OEM parts and are also easier to install thanks to a single-piece design.