Download - Royal Australian Navy

FIGURE 1: REPLICA S-70B-2 AIRFRAME SECTION (EXTERNAL VIEW)
FIGURE 3: DAMAGED S-70B-2 (EXTERNAL VIEW)
Trials with the SMR simulators on
Flights at sea consistently
demonstrated:
(i) a professional and
enthusiastic approach to the
exercises;
(ii) an eagerness on the part of
both ATA and ATV sailors to
use previously acquired but
under utilised skills;
(iii) a keenness to improve
current capability and
practices, and to become
involved in the ‘bigger
picture’; and
(iv) a willingness to learn.
Use of the simulators has
continued beyond the initial
evaluation process in order to
determine the capabilities of
Flights as they work-up. Flights
have also developed an
appreciation of their own
strengths and weaknesses and
confidence in their abilities.
Subsequently, the Aviation FEG
had a better understanding of
each Flight's proficiency and
warfighting capability and
confidence that those Flights
deployed to OP FALCONER could
reliably carry out ABDR if
required.
As a result of the evaluation
process and the identification of
tooling shortcomings, FAEU is
currently involved in designing
special SMR toolboxes that are
compact but robust and contain
all necessary structural repair
tooling and consumables,
including some pre-fabricated or
heat-treated sheetmetal pieces.
NAVY ENGINEERING BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 2003
FIGURE 2: REPLICA SK-50 AIRFRAME SECTION (INTERNAL VIEW)
FIGURE 4: DAMAGED SK-50 TEST PIECE (EXTERNAL VIEW)
The toolboxes should enable
Flights to carry out repairs
detailed in the appropriate
aircraft's SRM and, if called on,
undertake ABDR.
TA-AVN is also developing a range
of training packages to improve
ABDR awareness, including
Technician, Assessor and
Instructor courses that should
supplement skills already held
and to enhance the RAN’s ABDR
capability. The Fleet Aviation
Engineering Instruction (FAEI) 3-1
has also been promulgated to
provide RAN policy guidance to
Squadron’s to enable them to
develop their own continuation
training packages for SMR and
ABDR processes peculiar to their
specific aircraft. NASPO has also
been directed to review the
process for allocating airframe
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