Marsh Brothers Aviation, a Canadian parts designer and builder, has received a contract with Australia's CJ Aerospace to supply a newly developed King Air flap roller kit to Australian operators. Kits will be installed at two maintenance facilities to replace the original roller bearings on King Air 200/300 series aircraft, per the agreement.

King Air bearings often dry out or lose lubrication, which affects performance and reliability. Textron Aviation, the aircraft’s manufacturer, has increased the inspection interval for these components to every three years or 3,000 landings in response to these issues. The upgrade kit eliminates the need for roller greasing and can reduce overall costs associated with replacement and repairs.

The retrofit kit, which consists of 16 self-lubricating rollers, is designed to address maintenance challenges faced by operators of the popular turboprop. “The growth in demand for King Air aircraft in Australia has increased largely due to the aircraft’s all-weather flexibility and potential to perform a diverse range of roles,” said CJ Aerospace owner Craig Jones. “However, the original greased roller bearings in the wing flaps do not respond too well to changes in altitude and temperature, causing moisture ingress and corrosion.”

Following approval from Transport Canada, CJ Aerospace will install the King Air kits as part of a trial run to collect data on the product’s performance in the field. The Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority has agreed to accept the new technology under its bilateral agreement with Transport Canada. CJ Aerospace previously worked with Marsh Brothers on Aerostar brake master cylinder re-seal kits.