Breakers/fuses

[widgeon]

A question for any one flying the EC135 . Pre merger products from MBB ( Bo 105/Bk117) had circuit breaker panels ( Accesible to the pilot ) . Pre and post meger products from Aerospat have fuses.( light helicopters )

Do post merger EC germany products have Breakers or fuses ?. Not to stir up a hornets nest this is in response to a rumour going around about the Etihad Airbus Ground test incident and the response from several Airbus pilots that the only breakers in the cabin of newer airbuses are for the pilot co pilot seat adjustment .

[Gary Watson]

Widgeon,

Having flown up front in all Airbus products except the 380, there are still CBs available to the flight crew other than for seat control. Having been arounf Airbus for a number of years I have never heard about removing them from the cockpit. Certification when the flight crew cannot reset or turn off a system could be interesting

Possibly the comment you heard was regarding the use of remote CBs to control larger current components. These are simply small amperage CBs taking up less space and requiring smaller sized wiring. The L1011 had them back in the 70s.

Don't forget if someone can screw up a procedure it will be done, CBs or not. Don't forget CAIs "shed slayer" in YVR a number of years ago or the great number of pilots who forgot to push in the hydraulic pump CB on the DHC6 and chewed up various object when they released the brakes.

 

Fuses seem to be more common on both European rotary and FW aircraft probably because a fuse is far more accurate than a CB which will trip "somewhere" near it's rated capacity. The European design engineers know that wiring specs require ** amount of protection and a fuse is the most accurate solution.

 

The use of fuses vs CBs is also likely to be a means to reduce the aircraft weight and put more circuits in a smaller area, not to annoy those working on the aircraft