News

Cessna 441 Conquest Airframe
Life Extension

Tuesday 24 August, 2010

TAE has developed a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) to extend the life of the Cessna 441 Conquest

The venerable twin engine Cessna 441 Conquest - one of the workhorse of the Australian aviation scene - has a new lease of life thanks to an airframe modification package designed in Australia.

Until now the Conquest's airframe, which first flew in 1975, was limited to 22,500 flight hours. Today, Australian aerospace company TAE, in association with Aeronautical Engineers Australia, has announced a world first life extension modification that allows operators to fly their Conquests up to 40,000 flight hours or 40,000 cycles. TAE's solution, which modifies or replaces critical components, is approved by a CASA STC, or supplemental type certificate, making Australia the first market to approve a life extension program for the Conquest.

TAE has also developed a new maintenance schedule to manage the aircraft through to the end of its life, which also promises significant cost savings for operators.

TAE general manager Andrew Sanderson says 32 Conquests are registered in Australia, with some already past the 22,500 hour limit. "Finding a way past that limit provided a great opportunity for some ingenuity but it was only available to aerospace companies with the experience and expertise to overcome the design limitations and satisfy the proofs required by CASA," says Andrew. "It's an example of genuine Aussie innovation and we are proud of the team in Adelaide that carried this project through the STC process over the past two years. We now look forward to modifying many Conquests for our customers from our base at Adelaide Airport and the first modified aircraft is due to return to the skies this month”.

Importantly, TAE’s Maintenance Schedule is also available to all Conquest operators, including those with aircraft below the 22,500 flight hour life limit. This schedule will significantly reduce costs by:

• aligning maintenance requirements for the aircraft and its major components to the most appropriate maintenance driver, either cycles or hours, through damage tolerance analysis
• increasing the time between scheduled phase inspections to 150 hours
• replacing the requirements contained in the Supplemental Inspection Documents (SIDs) with a system based on a mixture of cycles, hours and calendar time
• basing corrosion inspections on calendar time

Conquest operators can also take advantage of aircraft down time by planning an avionics upgrade during the structural STC modification program. TAE is able to install the Avidyne and S-TEC Alliant Integrated Flight Deck System into the Conquest during the modification program under STC. TAE can also design alternative installation options with leading brands such as Garmin, Avidyne, Sandel, Honeywell and Rockwell Collins products. An avionics update will not only modernise the Conquest’s cockpit, it will also improve situational awareness, enhancing safety and the flying experience.

TAE is an Australian aerospace company. TAE offers the broadest range of services in the Australian aviation industry, covering maintenance, engineering, logistics and parts sales, with a strong emphasis on responsive service, on-time delivery, product reliability and outstanding value. Visit TAE at tae.com.au.