Aviation Turbine Engine Diagnostics System (ATEDS) a Maintainance Tool Designed to Reduce Repair Times &Amp; Increase Aircraft Readiness Rates

As the Army increases digital capabilities and reduces its logistics footprint new maintenance systems are required to meet these changing needs. In Army aviation the turbine engine has become increasingly complex with electronic and computerized controls. New Army turbine engine maintenance personnel have training but lack experience of real world troubleshooting. Thus, troubleshooting often consists of trial and error techniques that can result in wasted maintenance time and unacceptable aircraft downtime. To correct these practices the Aviation Ground Support Equipment (AGSE) product management office (PMO) directed the Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD) to contract engine and airframe manufacturers to develop an interactive maintenance tool to aid inexperienced maintenance personnel in proper troubleshooting techniques. The tool called the Aviation Turbine Engine Diagnostics System (ATEDS) is a Windows based software system of fault logic procedures that interfaces with knowledge based maintenance software, existing Integrated Electronic Technical Manuals (IETMs), and automated inspection components. This paper will describe the system, assessments and testing done to date, and future fielding efforts as the first unit equipped (FUE) is scheduled for the second quarter of fiscal year 2007.