Load Factor definition

It is from time to time required to apply a load factor to specific components other than the airframe usage for hours, cycles and landings. This is for example applicable to a hoist where the cycles must be calculated separately from the aircraft cycles. The first step is to define these factors in the Maintenance | Configuration window by selecting the usage window.

In this example to the left the fourth user defined usage factor has been allocated to the hoist. Schedule items can then be linked to the "hoist" usage factor. Linking of the "Hoist" factor is done from the schedule definition window W1500.In this example the schedule item component is linked to the special factor hoist. The base or default type of the schedule item was defined as cycles. There is one other option that must be selected. The load factor can be linked to the "Base" value or cycles or "No base" as in this example.

If "Base" is selected the load usage will be added to the airframe cycles. This is often found on the power section of the turbine where a additional cycle load factor must be applied. Our Hoist example is not linked to the "Base" cycles as it is only dependent on the hoist usage. The factor 1.00 is this case is the default. but could be adjusted for more complicated situations.

The "Installed cycles" for a component, must be matched to the airframe cycles at the time of installation.  The special load factor will then be taken into account on usage for this special item after the installation cycles. In the sample below, taken from W1100, a hoist related scheduled item was installed at airframe cycles 7230, the current cycles on this item will be 4 cycles and not 157 cycles, which is the airframe cycles since installation. This will be the case if the "No base" option was selected and the schedule factor was 1 as in this example. Note the hoist usage was entered as 4 in the second usage recording.

If an "Add base" option was selected and the schedule factor was 2 for example, the component cycles will be calculated as 157 + 2x4 = 165 cycles, since installation.