I feel like a proud parent whose child has just been dropped off for their first day of school.  Very happy that the time has finally arrived but at the same time apprehensive about the changes to come. There is no doubt that I will miss my 500 over the next 4 or 5 months just as you miss your child that first year of school, but just as your child comes home a little smarter each day, so my 500 will grow more beautiful each day as Phoenix Heliparts works their magic.

Having gone through military boot camp courtesy of the U.S. Marines, I am no stranger to the concept of tearing something down so it can be rebuilt from scratch. The Marines have an amazing capability of striping you to nothing but then building you back into a person that you would never have believed would look at you from the mirror. PHI basically has the same task while restoring N52550 back to as close to new as possible. First they have to tear her completely down to nothing and then carefully and lovingly build her back up again. I say lovingly because doing so is not merely a job to the folks at PHI, but a passion and a way of life for them. They put their hearts and souls into these ships knowing that their work will continue to safely carry human cargo long after the rest of us have forgotten who did the work.

I received my first batch of pictures from Ryan Howe, the Director of Maintenance at PHI. As expected, there are a few things they have already run again in the first few days of taking 550 down to bare metal.

Initial Tear Down

Initial Tear Down

In this first picture, we can see where they have started to take everything apart. Doors are gone, interior removed, fairings taken off the ship, main rotor head removed, instrument panel taken out..basically a really good start on the tear down process.

Main Rotor Head

Main Rotor Head

This is the main rotor head. Quite simply, it holds the 5 main rotor blades which provide lift for the helicopter during flight. The main rotor is connected to the transmission which is then connected to the engine via a drive shaft. This is a very important and very sensitive part of the helicopter and great care is taken in its inspection and restoration. And just in case anyone thought it didn’t look that complicated, take a look at the illustration below:

Main Rotor

Main Rotor


Tailboom removed

Tailboom removed

The tailboom has been removed and the engine is in the process of being removed as well.

Engine Removed

Engine Removed

Now the engine has been removed and will be sent to a different part of the shop where a brand new wiring harness will be completed and fitted on to the engine. Once completed, it will be stored safely with the rest of the parts until it gets reinstalled back into the ship.

Transmission Removed

Transmission Removed

As me move further along, the transmission has now been removed from the helicopter along with the auxiliary fuel tank, the scroll fan, the associated ducting, bleed air heating system and most of the wiring.

Swirl Tubes

Swirl Tubes

These are the swirl tubes whose job it to keep particles out of my engine. This entire section will be removed and replaced with an AFS Barrier Filter Kit manufactured by Donaldson.

AFS Barrer Filter Kit

AFS Barrer Filter Kit - Click for larger view

The AFS Barrier Kit is much more efficient at filtration. This is in addition to actually filtering out far more dust and small dirt particles that can, over time, damage your engine. Adding this kit might be good for the helicopter, but once you see the $20,000 price tag for the kit alone, it might not be too good for your heart or your wallet! But as someone once said, to make a small fortune in the aviation business you need only start with a large fortune! By the way, I have a slightly use particle separator system for cheap if anyone is interested!

As PHI continue on the task of disassemble, they ran into the first real problem. Of course, this was no problem for them, but it did take a little extra time and work to accomplish what should have been routine.

Removing the WInglet

Removing the Winglet

When they went to remove the winglets they discovered that the wingless screws had been bonded into the winglet inserts making their removal most difficult. Upon grinding the screw heads off they discovered that the winglet inserts were bonded to the winglet weights. Needless to say, the winglets are now in need of further repair!

Inserts

Inserts

So ends the first few days of work on the 500. As you can see, Phoenix Heliparts is making great progress already on the project. Keep checking back in here on a regular basis as the project continues!


Richard J. Sears

Hi – I am the author – Richard Sears. I have been a pilot and flight instructor for over 20 years!

If you live in the San Diego area and would like to arrange a free airplane or helicopter flight for your child (age 8 to 18) through the EAA Young Eagles program please email me at richard@sears.net

If you are a Scout Master, I can work with your troop on the Aviation Merit Badge and provide all ground training and flights necessary to meet the latest requirements of the Aviation Merit Badge. I am a registered Merit Badge Counselor with the BSA San Diego – Imperial Council.

All my flight time is donated, there is no cost to the parents or the troop.

Parents are always welcome to ride along and get hooked!