French-based turboshaft manufacturer Turbomeca has completed a European Commission-funded research program that opens the door to a massive collection of usage and maintenance data on helicopter engines. The idea is to have engines sending an exhaustive set of data, after each flight, to a centralized server. The U25.7 million ($33 million) system for mobile maintenance accessible in real time (Smmart) program, led by Turbomeca, ended last fall after three years. Entry
into service of an operational system is scheduled for 2011.
Program coordinator Jean-Louis Boucon explained how the system worked. “Each time the engine is shut down, a small transmitter sends data such as engine configuration [with part numbers], flight hours, number of flight cycles, temperatures and incident reports that include background information,” he told AIN during the April to July demonstration program last year. The transmitter weighs nearly half a pound.