Apaches get new 'mega-nuts'
The US Army has completed nearly 20% of work to retrofit strap pack 'mega-nuts' that connect Apache helicopter rotor heads to their air frame and keep the blades from spinning off during flight.
The retrofit of all Apaches is expected to be complete by the third quarter of 2019; in the meantime, 'fail-safe collars' are being installed on remaining Apaches.
In February, the US Army AMCOM issued guidance that required rigorous pre- and post-flight inspections of the strap pack nuts on all Apache helicopters. Technicians were instructed to use borescopes for the inspections, and the army temporarily halted the delivery of new AH-64E Apache helicopters.
Eight strap pack nuts connect the rotor blades on an Apache to the air frame. As the helicopter flies in severe weather and salty regions in coastal areas, its original nuts might get corroded to the point where they may crack under stress. The strap pack mega-nuts are the materiel solution for this safety concern.
Maj Gen Douglas Gabram, Commander, US Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM), said: ‘We're doing major surgery on every one of our main rotor heads … Why: to reduce the burden on the soldier, because we don't want to borescope this thing for the rest of our life, every day. Two: to restore confidence and trust …with this aircraft, between aviator and ground.’
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