The Naval Air Systems Command has developed a device that is doing for aircraft inspections what colonoscopies have done for cancer detection.
Used to inspect interior engine components and airframes for cracks, corrosion and other debris that can harm Navy and Marine Corps aircraft, the Common Video Borescope Set (CVBS) will not only bring commonality to the fleet and revolutionize the way the Department of the Navy inspects aircraft and engines, but it will also provide real-time digital images and video for examination.
The CVBS is a naval modified version of a commercial-off-the-shelf product and will support all aircraft platforms requiring video borescope inspections of their airframes and engines. It offers many advantages over its varied predecessors.
While previous borescopes in the naval inventory detected engine debris with a rigid probe and generated low-quality, black-and-white pictures, the CVBS has a 2-meter-long, flexible, insertion tube that captures photos and video images on a 3.7-inch color screen. Technicians will use a joystick to maneuver the device's insertion tube, giving them a 360-degree view of hard-to-see places.
All CVBS handsets are capable of defect measurement and offer two hours of battery operation. The CVBS Type V variant comes with a working channel and tools that can retrieve debris.
At 3.74 pounds, the CVBS is also less expensive and lighter than its 30-pound predecessors. Many of the 27 varieties of legacy borescope systems could cost as much as $30,000 per unit. The Navy plans to buy 960 CVBS units at an approximate cost of $15,000 each.
