GE Aerospace is testing the next generation Rotor Analysis Diagnostic System (RADS) for civil and military operators. The RADS-NG (next generation) will reduce pilot time and save fuel by enabling operators to complete rotor track and balance operations and diagnostics in fewer flights. Testing on major OEM rotorcraft begins in Q2 with procurement to start in Q4.

“The upgraded Rotor Analysis Diagnostic System allows operators the ability to complete their rotor track and balance operations and diagnostics in fewer flights while significantly reducing flight and pilot time and saving fuel,” explains Steve Schoonveld, product director of connected aircraft at GE Aerospace.

The RADS-NG will replace the RADS-AT (Advanced Technology) and the RADS-AVA (Aviation Vibration Analyser) as GE's portable vibration diagnostics solution for vehicles where permanent installation is not practical or to supplement existing systems.

The RADS-NG builds on more than 30 years of reliability as the original rotor track and balance (RT&B) solution with the flexibility to service all major helicopter models with a faster, easier-to-use interface.

As the industry standard for RT&B and standard equipment for the U.S. Army and the UK Navy, one unit can support an entire fleet. Approximately 5,000 RADS units have been supplied supporting civil and military rotorcraft like the Airbus H125 (Eurocopter AS350), the Bell 412, the Boeing CH-47, the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, Leonardo AW139 and more than 200 other vehicle types and variants. The system's versatility also offers fixed-wing vibration diagnostics for aircraft such as the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.

Demonstrations of the new system are currently taking place with deliveries anticipated in Q4 2023.

GE Aerospace has also granted aircraft engine and components manufacturer ITP Aero a service contract extension to conduct maintenance, repair and overhaul services for CT7 engines at its facility in Albacete, Spain.

ITP Aero is the ninth largest aircraft engine and components manufacturing company in the world. The company's scope of work includes research and development, manufacturing, assembly and testing of aircraft engines, as well as MRO services for a wide ranGE Aerospace customers.

“We are pleased to continue our service arrangement with ITP Aero, which has been a proven customer service leader for our CT7 customers for over a decade,” says Elissa Lee, director of GE Aerospace's commercial turboshaft engines.

“We are delighted to continue our long-standing partnership as part of GE Aerospace's in-service engine community for CT7 engines. This is an important milestone for us as we include CT7-9B engines into our in-service support portfolio. We share strong synergies with GE Aerospace, and as we look at future programmes, we believe there is great potential to further build on our partnership and shared capabilities,” adds Pablo Fuentes, head of in service support in ITP Aero.