TURBINE ENGINE COMPRESSOR BLADE CHECKOUT.

The ingestion of foreign objects into jet engines causes damage in the compressor assembly which is a major safety-of-flight and maintenance problem. While the engine is installed, the checkout of jet engine compressor rotor blades is a difficult and time consuming operation. Foreign object damage is normally not found until it severely affects engine performance. Therefore, new checkout techniques need to be developed to detect foreign object damage during flight line checkout while the engine is operating. This program was initiated with an objective to demonstrate the feasibility of one or more techniques for a portable flight line checkout system that will determine foreign object damage to the compressor rotor blades of the installed jet engine. The compressor blades are to be inspected without requiring personnel to gain access to the engine front end and while the engine is motoring, idling, and running at 100 percent power or any setting in between.