The damaged-aircraft repair team (Dart) of Cleveland, Ohio-based Constant Aviation completed its third EMB-135 (Legacy 600/650) wing replacement. Dart consists of maintenance, structural, engineering and avionics technicians poised to deploy to any location within 24 hours. To date it has completed three Legacy 600 wing replacements, four EMB-135 nose replacements and numerous structural jobs in the field.

"While the EMB-135 and Legacy 600/650 are the same base airframe, there is an evaluation process on the model type and serial number when replacing large items such as the wing. Each situation is different and requires extensive research and engineering. As an Embraer authorized service center, we work directly with the Embraer engineering team to verify all aspects of the removal and replacement," Stephen Maiden, president of Constant Aviation, told AIN.

"In our experience, we have learned that each heavy structural repair project is unique. When sourcing the new wing for this project we presented the owner with two options: buy new from the factory or source a used wing. We were able to source a used wing, which saved the customer more than a million dollars," said Maiden.

The team completed the project, which included the removal and transport of the replacement wing, in three weeks.