V2500 inlet cowl

An innovative repair solution successfully eliminates problems with wire mesh disbonding on V2500 inlet cowls, significantly cutting costs as compared to replacement parts.

The issue

Wire mesh disbonding on inlet cowls is an increasing concern among aircraft operators, as the manufacturer does not offer a repair for delamination that exceeds a certain extent. Inlet cowl acoustic panels consist of a carbon composite sandwich structure covered by a steel wire mesh. Due to ageing which is accelerated by humidity, the adhesive between the wire mesh and the carbon fiber perforated skin covering the honeycomb core becomes brittle, resulting in significant damage to the affected structure.

Our solution

Lufthansa Technik Airframe Related Components ARC^® is providing V2500 operators with an innovative repair solution which offers a durable remedy for this problem. To save the costs for a replacement part, as required by the manufacturer if major damages occur, ARC developed a method to replace the installed wire mesh. This reduces costs to a fraction of the investment for a replacement part. The new structure is evaluated and proven in the Lufthansa fleet.