Rotorcraft
EASA Certifies Redesigned Airbus Helicopters EC225 Shaft
Certification of the redesigned vertical bevel gear shaft for the EC225 clears the way for fleet retrofit, especially for offshore operators.

EASA has certified a redesigned vertical bevel gear shaft for the Airbus Helicopters EC225, which was grounded for nine months in 2012 and 2013 after a series of in-flight failures. Manufacture of the redesigned gear shaft is under way for production aircraft and retrofits, with first installations (for both applications) planned for this year’s second half.

The new design provides corrosion resistance, compensates for residual stress and eliminates stress hot spots, eliminating all three factors that, combined, caused two unexpected vertical shaft failures.

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