Replacing a landing gear is not something that can be improvised. And sometimes not even planned. Especially if the need arises during a mission.
This is a complex operation, made even more delicate by the fact that it has to be carried out on board a ship, but also possible away from the equipment of a hangar thanks to the projectability, in a very short time and long range, of Navy vehicles and capabilities. Military. It is the feat carried out by the men and women of the Helicopters section of the Navy embarked on board the ship San Giusto who, during the joint operation "Cedri Emergency" in Beirut, became protagonists - under the coordination of their commander, the frigate captain Leonardo Vivi - of an unusual activity.
In just over 6 hours, under a scorching sun, with humidity ranging between 50 and 70 percent, they replaced the landing gear of the EH 101 2 - 20 helicopter. "During the daily inspection - explained the maintenance team leader, 1st class Gianfranco Leone - we found a hydraulic fluid leak from the helicopter's nose gear. This made it necessary to replace it to make the aircraft operational again ". From pier 11 in Beirut, where the Navy ship was moored, the request to the Maristaeli Luni base for components and equipment for the operation was sent.
The procedure, in particular, involved the removal of the nose gear, lifting the nose of the helicopter initially with the aid of only two hydraulic jacks. "From here - explained the team leader - we proceeded to remove the wheels and disconnect the hydraulic part to help remove the damaged trolley. Then, with the help of a handling trolley, we installed the component, reconnecting the two bushings that fix the wheels, the hydraulic part and the feedback actuator that allows the trolley to re-enter once in flight ". The helicopter was then completely lifted from the flight deck with the aid of the test jacks. "This is where the most complex part began - Chief Leone confessed - due to wind and ship roll. We had to make several attempts to find the right compromise between the inclination of the bridge and the adjustment of the jacks ".
After connecting the external hydraulic bench to supply pressure to the entire helicopter system, it was finally possible to test the simultaneous operation of the three trolleys. "An extraordinary operation - Commander Vivi explained - previously dared aboard a ship only on two other occasions. The high professionalism and strong passion that characterize the personnel of the helicopter section of the Navy have allowed them to complete a truly complex activity, despite the difficulties due to both the high temperatures and the oscillations of the ship ".
