The Advanced C-17A Engine Maintenance Platform
This advanced maintenance platform is precisely engineered for the efficient and safe servicing of both the inboard and outboard engines on the Boeing C-17A Globemaster III aircraft. This purpose-built work stand is an innovative solution that replaces slow, outdated, and labor-intensive manual systems. It dramatically enhances operational productivity and ensures first-class safety for maintenance personnel.
Optimized Design for Single-Operator Efficiency
Designed through collaboration with defense and aircraft maintenance experts, this spacious work platform allows a single operator to perform complex engine servicing tasks quickly and accurately. Innovative features include the push-button electronic actuation system, which provides seamless and precise height adjustment across a 0.5-meter range.
This critical adjustability ensures the platform can be perfectly aligned with the varied maintenance access points for both the inboard and outboard engine cowlings and components. The elimination of manual jacking significantly reduces setup time, minimizes personnel requirements, and alleviates operator fatigue, contributing to a more streamlined and efficient maintenance flow.
Expansive, Secure Working Area
The C-17A Engine Maintenance Platform features substantial dimensions—8.3 meters in length and 5.6 meters in width—providing an expansive, stable, and secure area for technicians and tools directly adjacent to the C-17A’s engines. This large deck features a highly durable treadplate with a protective graphite coating, ensuring slip resistance and longevity in rigorous operational environments.
Safety is paramount, and the platform incorporates several key features to protect both the personnel and the aircraft. These include a telescopic guardrail system and removable guardrail frames along the rear edge, allowing for flexible configuration depending on the engine access required. Protective foam is applied to all leading edges to prevent any accidental damage to the aircraft skin during positioning.
Effortless Mobility and Expeditionary Deployment
Mobility and deployment flexibility are integrated into the design. The unit collapses for easy storage and transport and tows smoothly across the ramp using 400mm towable swivel castors, which include a directional lock for precise maneuvering. Furthermore, the entire structure is configured to allow for deployment directly within the cargo bay of a C-17A aircraft, making it deployable for use in remote or expeditionary maintenance environments.
Powering the height adjustment mechanism is a reliable 12V battery system, utilizing sturdy electronic actuators to lift and lower the platform effortlessly. This battery operation ensures self-sufficiency, allowing the stand to function effectively even when external power sources are limited.
Enhanced Features for Maintenance Personnel
Additional features enhance the platform’s functionality and safety profile. Adjustable stair risers with Griptread nosings ensure secure access to the platform. A retractable bonding reel is included for foundational electrical earthing of the aircraft during maintenance procedures. For added stability during use, bolt-on outriggers equipped with heavy-duty wind-down jacks secure the C-17A Engine Maintenance Platform firmly in place.
Maintenance personnel benefit from practical amenities such as a dedicated 800x400x100mm tool tray and a removable deck hatch for cable management, with the hatch stowing neatly on the guardrails when not in use. Crane lifting lugs are also integrated into the structure, facilitating movement and positioning in depot maintenance settings. This sturdy and intelligently designed stand is a critical asset for maintaining the mission readiness of the C-17A Globemaster III fleet.
Critical Asset for C-17A Maintenance Readiness
This sturdy and intelligently designed C-17A Engine Maintenance Platform is a critical asset for maintaining the mission readiness of the C-17A Globemaster III fleet.
