Spare parts harder to find for aging Iroquois fleet

The Air Force is getting only half the flying time it expected out of its Iroquois helicopter blades.

After cracks were found in a blade before a flight in East Timor in July, 2001, the Air Force has been using a more intensive inspection process to evaluate their flight worthiness.

Each blade is worth $100,000. They had been expected to last for 2500 hours but are now being replaced after 1200 hours of flying.

The crack discovered in Timor could have been disastrous if the helicopter had taken off and the blade had failed in mid-flight.

Commentators at the time believed the helicopter could have crashed and killed everyone on board had it flown with the damaged blade.

It was being used to ferry New Zealand soldiers around Timor and support peacekeeping efforts.

In response to Official Information Act request, outgoing Defence Minister Mark Burton said the crack had created "a high level of concern" but that had been lowered with the introduction of electronic testing methods.

"Inspections have revealed that the main rotor blades have approximately 50 per cent shorter useful life than expected and therefore require more frequent replacement," he said.

Iroquois are being phased out by military operators around the world and this has made some parts, including rotor blades, hard to buy.

This blade shortage meant that as a helicopter entered scheduled maintenance its blades were removed and put on a helicopter leaving its scheduled service.

Mr Burton said the parts shortage was not affecting the New Zealand fleet and some parts were being obtained from alternative sources.

No Iroquois were grounded waiting for spares and between five and nine were available for flying every day.

He said the operational status of the fleet had not changed for many years.

New Zealand has 14 Iroquois helicopters, most of them nearly 40 years old.

They can carry seven troops and will be replaced from 2009 by European NH90 helicopters that have the ability to carry 16 fully-equipped troops.

- NZPA