Airframer builds integrated network of suppliers and partners to service 787 customers
Boeing plans to perfect its expertise in aircraft health management as it progresses through the GoldCare technical pilot programme.
Under GoldCare, Boeing plans to lead and integrate a worldwide network of suppliers to deliver 787 maintenance, engineering and materials management tasks on a predictable per-flight-hour cost basis.
Bob Avery, Boeing vice-president of 787 services and support, says the US manufacturer has now completed the first of four major programmes using a Boeing Business Jet and its own flight crews to test both air-to-ground contact and electronic log book message transmission.
He says the second phase of the pilot programme will start in November and focus on building more expertise on the 787’s aircraft health management system through a test-flight regime assisted by an existing Boeing customer.
“We are using a block point approach on the aircraft to enable us to prove GoldCare. This is an ambitious initiative as we are incorporating several new enabling technologies,” says Avery.
“While these technologies are already individually on Boeing aircraft, what GoldCare does is integrate them which means we have a lot of work to go through, getting the systems to talk to each other.”
Boeing information tools to be integrated include: Airplane Health Management, monitoring aircraft health in-flight and relaying the data to airline ground personnel; the Maintenance Performance Toolbox, which serves as a single software tool for operator maintenance and repair data; Electronic Flight Bag, which digitally stores all documentation; and Boeing’s Maintenance and Engineering Management system, allowing planning tasks to be optimised for maintenance efficiency.
Avery says the third and fourth phase of the pilot will be based on validating the GoldCare business model and building further knowledge ahead of the new twin jet’s entry into service in 2008.
Boeing recently announced that Rockwell Collins, which supplies more than a quarter of the 787 systems by value, has become the latest GoldCare partner. Avery says additional partners will be announced by the end of this week.
“We are continuing to work on the selection of a US MRO [maintenance, repair and overhaul] partner to be announced by year-end, and have started to work on an RFP [request for proposals] for an Asian partner to be announced in 2007. Selection will be based on capability and quality, competitiveness in terms of cost and its relationship with Boeing,” he says.
He adds that work on MRO integration with European provider SR Technics has now started.
Source: Flight International
