OH-58D Pylon Side Beam Life Using Usage Loads Monitoring vs Traditional Lifing Methodology

This paper discusses the cooperative effort to evaluate usage load monitoring on the right pylon side beam of four OH-58D aircraft. This paper will discuss the Army's current methodology for retirement time calculation of the OH-58D pylon side beams, findings from actual loads data analysis and potential adjustments to overhaul and retirement schedules. This effort supports the transition of Army aircraft from time based maintenance to condition based maintenance and is applicable to current and future fleet aircraft.