US Marines’ Sea Knights to Get Titanium Nitride Coating

A Sea Knight’s Duty(click to view full) DID has covered the H-46 Sea Knight helicopters of the US Navy and Marines, and noted the efforts underway to keep them in the air. The ravages of age, the corrosive effects of sea spray on airframes and engines, and a high operational tempo due to the demands of the Global War on Terror and disaster-responses to Hurricane Katrina, the Asian Tsunami et. al. make that job a challenge. General Electric Aircraft Engine in Lynn, MA received a $5.5 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced contract (N00019-02-C-3021) for the procurement and application of Titanium Nitride (TiN) coating for 37 compressor airfoil blades on the T58 Engine Reliability Improvement Program (ERIP) module kits for Marine Corps H-46E. In addition, this modification provides for 57 TiN coated Retrofit kits for modification of previously delivered ERIP modules and 5 TiN miscellaneous piece parts kits. Work will be performed in Lynn, MA and is expected to be complete in January 2007. The Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD issued the contract. See all Sea Knight related DID articles.