The King Air Flap Roller Upgrade Kit has been developed to replace the traditional greased flap rollers supplied by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) with an alternative self-lubricating, lightweight polymer material to prevent seizure and reduce metal-to-metal contact.
Flaps are a primary flight control surface on the aircraft with the rollers playing an essential part in their operation. Without these rollers, pilots don't have that ability to extend and retract the flaps and operate the aircraft safely. The easy-to-install upgrade features a self-lubricating flanged polymer roller bearing with an integral thrust washer.
The King Air Flap Roller kit is expected to receive Transport Canada and U.S. Federal Aviation Authority certification and approval later in 2022.
Nicholas Choo-Son, director of new business development at Marsh Brothers Aviation, explained the advantages of the upgrade for King Air operators: “The problem with the OEM flap roller is two-fold. First, they are a traditional sealed grease-packed needle roller bearing that relies on supplemental grease for lubrication. Once the grease begins to dry and degrade, the performance of the roller begins to deteriorate. Secondly, installation is relatively complicated involving the rollers, either a metal or a phenolic washer and Teflon washers.
“Diminished roller performance or incorrectly installed components can lead to very expensive repairs if not caught in time. In some cases, failure can lead to an unscheduled maintenance event. To overcome this, our rollers were designed as a single rolling element bearing that contains AeroTough, our self-lubricating polymer that does not rely on supplemental lubrication to maintain its function. As a result, an AeroTough King Air flap roller bearing will never seize.”
