As a worldwide leader in helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), Vector Aerospace provides comprehensive worldwide support for Airbus Helicopters, Sikorsky, Leonardo-Finmeccanica, Boeing Chinook and Bell Helicopter and holds designations from four original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for turboshaft helicopter engines.
When asked to describe Vector’s strengths in helicopter MRO services, Craig Pluim, vice president of sales, rotary-wing, is a little modest. “They are pretty extensive actually,” he said. “Our biggest strength is customer service. We have 21 locations worldwide with varying capabilities and capacities. We have a wide range of MRO capabilities: engines, components, airframes, structural, avionics, accessories, STCs [supplemental type certificates] and parts fabrication.”
Along with holding major OEM licenses, including Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, Airbus Helicopters, Sikorsky, General Electric and Safran Helicopter Engines, and in-house test cells, it’s literally nose-to-tail support for helicopter operators anywhere. Vector also has numerous avionics approvals from more than 17 manufacturers including Bose and Garmin.
Vector commits this support to more than 3,000 military, commercial and private operators in more than 85 nations. That commitment to offering the highest standards of quality, reliability and customer service is backed by an extensive spares inventory and in-house engineering capabilities that are second-to-none.
Many are unique in the world. For example, the Airbus H130/EC130 tail rotor gearbox service. “We received that license late last year,” said Pluim.
Another is what’s called ‘D-level’ repair, a deep structures repair capability specific to the AS350. “It involves deep structures work that requires a repair jig, which we have,” explained Pluim.
The jigs are certified by Airbus, and some are portable so they can be used to execute field service repairs.
There’s more: In 2015, Airbus certified Vector to upgrade the AS350 model B to a model B2. It provides enhanced performance, while allowing a higher gross weight. The conversion includes replacing the model B’s Arriel 1B engine with an Arriel 1D1, as well as undertaking the necessary structural upgrades to accommodate the increased performance.
Vector offers a broad menu of engine support programs. “One is the conventional PBH [pay by the hour] program, where operators pay a fixed hourly cost and that streamlines operators’ direct maintenance costs,” explained Pluim.
Operators like its predictability — costs are all based on the hours they fly in a given month. PBH can also be term-based.
Others prefer fixed costs. A favorite for them is the PBE (pay by event) where the customer is charged at the time the event (the overhaul) occurs. “Fleet operators fly different hours and cycle ratios,” said Pluim. “So they know what their event cost will be at any given event and that is attractive to customers who want fixed costs.” And, there’s a standard time and materials option where basically the engine comes in and Vector sets a predetermined labor and material rate for the repair or overhaul work.
A favorite for many operators seeking flexibility is what Vector calls MRA — maintenance reserve account. “Basically we allow the operator to set an hourly rate that is comfortable for their cash flow situation,” said Pluim.
The customer places that money on reserve account with Vector, which applies the funds to the next repair or overhaul event. It works well for operators who want to set aside funds for a future repair or overhaul event without the premium associated with conventional PBH.
Customized engine exchanges are also offered. “Engine exchange is a little more complicated,” said Pluim. Engines have varying life cycles but so do their integral parts.
For example, an engine that has a really high-time wheel that will require replacement, “we do what we call a betterment detriment analysis. Basically we do an evaluation based on the life-limited parts and condition of our engine and then do the same on the customers’ asset. The customer is then invoiced for the difference in value.”
Vector constantly explores and addresses needs in the marketplace to provide cutting edge service for operators, maintaining an advanced engineering and STC development team with more than 35 STCs for Airbus, Bell and Sikorsky helicopters.
An example is a crash-resistant fuel system retrofit for the AS350 series and some EC130 models. Developed in collaboration with Robertson Fuel Systems, it comprises a new lightweight, low cost composite technology, essentially enhancing the operational safety and ease of maintenance and installation.
“It is a great development for the industry,” said Pluim.
Other engineering developments include glass cockpit installations for the Sikorsky S-61 and S-76; the Bell 206 and UH-1; and the Airbus H120/EC120. Pluim lists more: cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders, flight director system upgrades, ADS-B, flight data management systems, SATCOMS, night vision goggles, FLIR, integrated electronic warfare self-detection suites, and weapons systems.
“There is a lot to look forward to,” said Pluim. “Technology is changing quickly; there are a lot of modernization programs in place. As aircraft sales are a bit flat or stagnant at the moment, a lot of customers are refurbishing their existing fleets and that provides a lot of opportunity for aftermarket solutions.”
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