A Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) for the Repeatable Release Holdback Bar (RRHB)

The Repeatable Release Holdback Bar (RRHB) is critical to the safe and effective launch of carrier-based aircraft. The current RRHB is a purely mechanical device with no health-monitoring capabilities, and all RRHB usage records must be maintained manually to guide normal maintenance and calibration. RRHB maintenance is therefore schedule based, where verification, calibration, and end of life are determined based on a manual record of the number of launches. Schedule-based maintenance increases cost due to premature inspection and disposal and in some cases does not recognize when critical repairs are needed. Creare’s objective is to transition to the fleet a durable Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) initially developed under prior R&D programs. Creare’s HUMS can be retrofit to existing RRHBs to monitor and report key health and usage performance metrics such as number of launches, release load accuracy, and reset status, thereby providing shipboard personnel with an indication that condition-based service might be required. In prior programs, we developed a HUMS prototype and conducted three spirals of testing and refinement including demonstrating excellent accuracy and tolerance to environmental conditions. During this project, we will integrate our HUMS with representative RRHBs and conduct further qualification testing to enable fleet transition.