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Regulatory Article 5107

RA5107 Aircraft Repair Schemes

This RA completely revised at Issue 2: no amendments marked within the
text.
Rationale

During the design and development of materiel, consideration must be given to the
probable need for repairs. At entry into Service of an aircraft, the Topic 6 of the
Service Air Publication (AP), contains details of standard repairs, sometimes referred
to as repair instructions, and identifies those parts of the aircraft where reference to
the Design Organization (DO) is necessary before repair is undertaken. Subsequent
additions may be made to the Topic 6 as a result of experience and changes in
design. Schemes may also be required for the repair of damage to aircraft where the
use of a standard repair would be inappropriate.

Contents

5107(1): Service Design Organization (SDO) Approval

5107(2): SDO Repair Schemes
5107(3): Design Organization (DO) Repair Schemes

Regulation
5107(1)

Service Design Organization (SDO) Approval

5107(1) The Aircraft Project Team Leader (APTL) shall ensure that
the SDO holds an extant approval from MAA under the
Design Approved Organizations Scheme (DAOS) covering
the relevant scope of activities.

Acceptable 1. The PTL should:

Means of
a.
Seek assurance of the SDOs extant DAOS approval.
Compliance
b.
Enable a direct interface between the SDO and the DO for the
5107(1)
availability of appropriate design data and the timely provision of
design advice when requested by the SDO.
2. SDO repair schemes should be individually identified to distinguish them
from DO repair schemes.
3. The SDO should have the appropriate design data and staff to design and
conduct airworthy repair schemes.
4. The SDO should inform the PTL in the event of any lapse in its DAOS
approval.

Guidance
Material
5107(1)

5. For the purpose of this RA, Repair is defined as action taken to restore the
static strength, stiffness, fatigue life and airworthiness of a faulty item to the
levels of the original design without replacing the faulty item. The term 'repair
scheme' will be taken to include 'repair instructions', but excludes instructions
for minor repairs within the scope of the AP Topic 6 authorized at a Service
Operating Unit.
6. The Service Departments have established design organizations, under
Service authority, which may design repair schemes.

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Regulatory Article 5107

Guidance
Material
5107(1)1

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7. An up-to-date list of approved organisations may be obtained from the

DAOS website at: http://www.daos.dii.r.mil.uk/. The SDO may request that extant
approval is recorded routinely at platform Structural Integrity Working Groups
in order to comply with this RA.
8. The DO may be requested, by the SDO, to supply design data or advice.
The arrangements for the supply of such data will be negotiated, by the PTL,
for each project/contract to take account of the data required and the
contractual arrangements under which the design data was originally
produced.
9. Airframe Record Card sanctions are recorded by the aircraft custodian in
accordance with task clearance certificates.
10. The recognition of a SDOs design capability reinforces the requirement to
maintain airworthiness and emphasises the responsibility of the SDO to
ensure the airworthiness of any repair scheme it designs.

Regulation
5107(2)

SDO Repair Schemes

5107(2) The SDO shall advise the APTL where, following the
incorporation of a repair scheme, either the static strength,
stiffness, fatigue life and airworthiness would not be restored
to the levels of the original design.

Acceptable
Means of
Compliance
5107(2)

11.
Any repair scheme designed by a SDO should restore the original
structural designers intent.

12. The SDO should respect any extant design limits and comply with the
following requirements:
a. The SDO should notify the PTL where an Aircraft Release to
Service (RTS) limitation may be necessary following the incorporation
of a Service approved repair scheme.
b. Where the aircraft structure is affected, or where there is repair of
equipment or systems in an aircraft, any limitations prescribed by the
Aircraft DO or PT for structure, aerodynamics, weight, centre of
gravity, and systems (including software) should be respected.
Designs should not transgress such limitations without the written
technical agreement of the Aircraft DO for the aircraft concerned.
c. Arrangements should exist for all SDO repair schemes, where
technical advice is required or as defined by part (b) above, to be
passed to the DO. The DO should provide advice as to whether or not
the proposed repair transgresses the prescribed design limitations.
d. The SDO should seek the written approval of the PTL to conduct
any repair where the Aircraft DO advises that prescribed design
limitations will be transgressed.
13. In designing aircraft repairs the SDO should comply with the following
requirements:
a. The DO should be consulted if the repair scope extends to any
restricted structure (such as primary VITAL/SSI) or components for
which no valid precedent or DO Repair Instruction exists.

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RA5107 Issue 2

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Regulatory Article 5107

Acceptable
Means of
Compliance
5107(2)

b. A complete list of all repair schemes, and consequently changes to

the aircraft build standard, should be forwarded to the Aircraft PT for
the aircraft affected, for configuration management purposes and
maintenance of any DO design records.
c. Consideration should be made as to whether the Service approved
repair scheme has a sufficiently wide application to be included in the
Air Publications (AP) Topic 6.
14. The repair should be justified by the SDOs relevant task documentation
and any design stress note.

Guidance
Material
5107(2)

15. SDO repair schemes which restore the original structural designers intent
inherently meet the full load spectrum of the aircrafts design, as defined by
regulation such as Def-Stan 00-970. A repair scheme is not an aircraft
modification and therefore a full safety case, iaw Def-Stan 00-56, is not
required in order to substantiate the repairs structural integrity and
airworthiness.
16. Any change in Mass or Centre of Gravity due to the installation of a repair
scheme is delegated to the Aircraft Custodian for action within the Aircrafts
Log Book.
17. The Service DOs for Aircraft Structural Repair do not undertake repairs to
Systems or Software.
18. Not transgressing prescribed design limitations is taken to mean, unless
the Aircraft PT explicitly details a separate definition:
a. That the SDO has not worked on restricted components (such as
primary VITAL/SSI) without any non-divergent application of the
original designers repair instructions.
b. That the repair provides effective restoration of structural integrity (ie
static ultimate load), without under or over stiffening, and therefore the
aircraft release is unaffected.
c. That the repair is durable for the remaining life of the airframe, or for
an explicitly specified duration where operationally necessary.
d. That the SDO holds sufficient design information to scheme an
airworthy repair scheme.
e. That the SDO has not exceeded its authority under its DAOS
certification.
19. The precedence of any repair is valid if an identical repair may be applied,
without divergence, to identical structure.
20. The Request for Categorisation signal, raised by the aircraft custodian in
accordance with RA4405, authorises the SDO to scheme and conduct any
repair. Business Agreements between the SDOs parent TLB and DE&S/FLCs
may additionally contain explicit approval for SDOs to undertake aircraft work.
21. The DO has no responsibility for the accuracy or effectiveness of Service
approved repair schemes.

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Regulatory Article 5107

Regulation
5107(3)

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Design Organization Schemes

5107(3) The DO shall advise the APTL where, following the
incorporation of a repair scheme, either the static strength,
stiffness, fatigue life and airworthiness would not be restored
to the levels of the original design.

Acceptable
Means of
Compliance
5107(3)

22. The Aircraft PTL should consider the implications on the use of aircraft
with a repair scheme embodied that does not restore static strength, stiffness,
fatigue life and airworthiness to the original design levels, in order that
consideration can be given to the need for an amendment to the Aircraft RTS.
23. When the Service operating a particular aircraft type requires a repair
scheme which is not catered for in the AP Topic 6, and the repair scheme
should not to be prepared by a SDO; a request for a repair scheme should
be passed to the DO. Consideration should be given to the need for the
inclusion of the repair scheme in the AP Topic 6.

Guidance
Material
5107(3)

24. A list of DO approved repair schemes which have not been included in AP
Topic 6 will be retained in a master list forming part of the design records.

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RA5107 Issue 2