Systems and Powerplant Analysis

This chapter discusses how to record the results of an aircraft systems and powerplant analysis based on the ATA Operator / Manufacturer Schedule Maintenance Development (MSG-3) guidelines. This type of analysis uses the System Hierarchy tab on System panel, which can be displayed on the left side or the top side of the Project window. To change the location of the panel, choose View > Workspace Layout > Change Orientation.

The following topics describe the steps for the aircraft systems and powerplant analysis, which include:

Building the relevant hierarchy (systems, subsystems, sub-subsystems and parts) in the System Hierarchy tab.
Using the MSI selection questions to identify the maintenance significant items (MSIs).
Defining the F-F-E-C (functions, failures, effects and causes) for each MSI.
Applying the MSG-3 logic to set the failure effect categorization (FEC) and select/define the recommended maintenance tasks.
Generating a report of the analysis results.

You may also wish to review information about setting the configurable options for system and powerplant analysis, managing ATA chapters (i.e., systems and subsystems) and managing working group stamps (for display in report output).

For information about aircraft structural analysis (the Structural Hierarchy tab), see Structural Analysis. For zonal analysis and lightning/high intensity radiated field (L/HIRF) analysis (the Zonal-L/HIRF Hierarchy tab), see Zonal and L/HIRF Analysis.

Tip: Although the system hierarchy and F-F-E-C that you create in MPC for an aircraft systems and powerplant analysis has many similarities with the FMEA and RCM analyses that can perform in Xfmea, RCM++ or RBI, the analysis in MPC is designed specifically for the needs of the aircraft industry and is subject to certain logic constraints and restrictions imposed by the MSG-3 guidelines.

Therefore, each application must store and manage the analysis data independently. However, it is easy to copy any system from the MPC systems and powerplant analysis into the more flexible Xfmea/RCM++/RBI system hierarchy in the same project. (See Importing MPC Systems Into Xfmea, RCM++ or RBI.)