HOW DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IS
ROT ORCRAFT MAINTENANCE By James Careless
T
he Digital Revolution is impacting rotorcraft maintenance. In addition to
their wrenches and screwdrivers, rotorcraft
maintainers are now using digital tools such as artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) to get the job done. “We’re embracing disruptive innovation in our processes, technology and tools to drive speed, agility and data-driven insights for our customers,” said Steve Schmidt, Sikorsky’s VP of Engineering & Technology.
New Digital Toolbox
No matter which rotorcraft manufacturer you talk to, they’re all developing digital tools to help maintainers do their jobs more accurately and efficiently. For instance, Robinson Helicopter is developing immersive AR overlays for the R66 and R88, allowing technicians to practice in a virtual environment without the risk of damaging an aircraft.
“This hardware-agnostic approach enables Robinson Helicopter maintenance instructors and technical support teams to guide mechanics globally through repair procedures, reducing errors and improving safety,” said David Smith, president and CEO of Robinson Helicopter Company. “Additionally, the new R88 platform will feature an advanced health and usage monitoring system (HUMS) with early detection capabilities. This system will relay real-time information to Robinson Helicopter and its engine partners during flight. By using AI to analyze this data, we can identify patterns, optimize operations, and take a proactive approach to maintenance.”
Sikorsky also is using AI to improve the maintenance and performance of its rotorcraft. “For example, we’re using AI- powered predictive maintenance software to analyze data from our virtual sensors and estimate the remaining useful life of a drive shaft,” Schmidt said. “This allows us to plan maintenance more effectively.”
And Sikorsky is employing natural language processing (NLP) to extract actionable knowledge from human-written maintenance activities. This makes it possible to process and utilize large amounts of existing data that previously was difficult to interpret.
“As well, in addition to digital twins (virtual models of physical aircraft systems that are constantly updated by sensor data)
76 Sept/Oct 2025
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