Symptoms and Causes You Need To Know
by Steffan Kasula
In 2015, there were
24,142,000 aircraft flight hours logged in total.
With so much time
spent flying, it’s important to take an active role in maintaining your
aircraft to ensure it operates as it should.
One of the most
common issues pilots have to deal with is aircraft vibration.
Vibration can cause a
great deal of damage if unaddressed — and depending on the severity of the
vibration, performing vibration analysis and correcting the issue should be one
of your highest priorities.
Symptoms of Vibration
A couple of ways to
tell if your aircraft is experiencing vibrations can include:
o Failure of
instruments in random intervals
o Inaccurate compass
readings
o Fatigue cracking that
keeps growing
o Numbness in the
pilot’s arms and legs
o Shaking or vibrating
panels
Causes of Vibrations
An imbalanced
propeller is one of the most common causes of vibration.
Aviation equipment
designed for propeller balancing can help you monitor the vibration and
pinpoint the exact issue.
This balance
equipment is one of the most important tools in and aircraft mechanics arsenal
and is one of the best ways to learn how to fix a standard vibration issue.
An imbalanced
propeller can be fixed with the addition of weight distributed in the form of
screws, nuts, and washers.
Aircraft maintenance
professionals will be able to discern exactly what is needed via the readout
from the balancing aviation equipment.
However, if it’s
found that the propeller isn’t the cause of the vibration, finding the true
cause is imperative before you begin flying again.
Additional Causes For
Aircraft Vibration
Complete vibration
analysis will be helpful for pinpointing exactly where the vibration is
stemming from and allowing you to monitor vibrations as you go.
While propeller
imbalance is one of the most common causes, a couple of others can include:
o A cracked intake hose
o A faulty alternator
o A failing cylinder
o Gearbox issues
o Belt resonance
o A wrinkled or
buckling spinner
These are only a
couple of several additional issues that can cause vibrations.
Depending on the craft
you have, causes can be numerous and pinpointing the exact issue can be a
process of trial and error.
This is what makes
aviation equipment that specializes in vibration analysis invaluable to both
pilots and maintenance teams invaluable.
If you are experiencing
issues with vibration, don’t wait and let it get worse.
Speak with a service
technician before the vibrations go on to cause serious, and potentially
grounding issues to your aircraft
About ACES Systems
The Technology for Energy Corp. Headquarters
in Knoxville, Tenn. houses ACES Systems, Powermetrix, TEC Materials Testing and
Nuclear Products divisions.
The parent company of ACES Systems,
Technology for Energy Corporation (TEC-USA), provides simple solutions to
complex problems for several critical industries: nuclear power, materials
testing, electric power, and aviation.
ACES Systems, a small aviation business
purchased in 1990, has become a standard in the aviation industry for providing
vibration analysis, balancing, engine performance analysis, and inlet guide
vane adjustment systems to customers worldwide.
https://www.acessystems.com/aircraft-vibration-symptoms-and-causes-you-need-to-know/
