CH-46 Fiberglass Rotor Blade Repair Program

This paper will discuss the importance of field repair capability of fiberglass rotor blades at the lowest maintenance level. It will present an overview of validated repairs in a controlled environment including fatigue testing as well as actual repairs - out of the laboratory and in the field by Navy and Marine Corps mechanics. Substantial cost improvement between fiberglass and metal blades was realized because of improved reliability of fiberglass blades requiring less maintenance actions.