As it prepares to open an engine overhaul facility next year in Lincoln, Nebraska, Duncan Aviation technicians have completed factory authorization training on the Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) PW500 and started the first overhaul. PW500 and PW300 engines will be maintained and overhauled in the new facility, which will be a P&WC-designated overhaul facility.
Technicians from Duncan Aviation’s Lincoln and Battle Creek, Michigan locations, along with its rapid response team members, participated in the four-week, hands-on training with two P&WC instructors. During the class, the technicians disassembled and reassembled a PW545A and learned turbine wheel and assembly balancing, how to use appropriate tools, and how to clean, inspect, and repair parts.
The PW500 undergoing overhaul will be tested in Duncan’s engine test cell, then added to the company’s rental pool. Aircraft that are powered by the PW500 include several Cessna Citation models and the Embraer Phenom 300.
“It is always nice to put what we know through the maintenance manual into practice,” said Duncan Aviation engine team leader Brian Harms. “Performing the training hands-on is a great way to learn.”
The PW500-series engine, he added, “is well built, the tolerances are tight, and it performs well. It has a good reputation in the industry and is reliable.”