CORPUS CHRISTI ARMY DEPOT, Texas (Nov. 28, 2011) -- Corpus Christi Army Depot turns around ten UH-60 Black Hawk gearboxes in a record ten days.
The U.S. Army had an immediate need for intermediate gearboxes for the Black Hawk fleet after several aircraft were grounded due to a required inspection from the original equipment manufacturer, or OEM.
Those gearboxes were sent to Corpus Christi Army Depot for processing.
Aerospace engineers with Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center, in collaboration with Corpus Christi Army Depot artisans and production engineering designed a repair process for the gearboxes to meet inspection requirements.
"We developed a process based on the differences in gearbox configuration to make sure that we didn't affect any safety of flight issues or critical characteristics," said Prasant Chhotu, Aerospace Engineer.
After the process was developed and Corpus Christi Army Depot inducted the first gearbox, engineers worked alongside mechanics disassembling the gearbox and adjusting the process.
"Their expertise and hands-on experience and our expertise with design and engineering paired very well together," said Chhotu. "Time was of the essence."
The gearbox shop completed the inspection process in two days. The remaining gearboxes were received at Corpus Christi Army Depot where they were repaired, tested, inspected and put back on the shelf. The ten gearboxes were finally returned to the Army in ten days, start to finish.
"It was a team effort. Every CCAD (Corpus Christi Army Depot) directorate supported the quick turn of the gearboxes," said James Kaylor, director of Aircraft Systems Production.
Ray Viramontez, acting supervisor for the UH-60 gearboxes echoed Kaylor's sentiment, "The reason we turned these gearboxes around so quickly was due to teamwork at all levels."
"It's a marvelous capability and exemplary team work, when all of the aviation enterprise can team together to resolve a problem that is effecting fleet readiness," said Bill Braddy, deputy commander for production. "We're proud to be a part of the Army enterprise."
"It makes us feel proud that once again our country and our Army can count on Corpus Christi Army Depot to support the war fighter in any crisis," said Viramontez.
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