What are rotable parts?
A rotable part is a repairable aircraft part that can be restored to a fully serviceable condition over a specific period of time. Also commonly referred to as “rotables,” “serviceable parts,” or “replaceable units,” rotable parts are commonly found in the aerospace industry.
While rotables are not unique to the aviation industry, they are most commonly used in safety-critical fields like aerospace.
How are rotables different from other spare parts?
Not all parts of an aircraft are rotables. They are different from non-rotable parts or one-time-use parts in that they are not “throw-away” and are the opposite of expendable. Unlike other aircraft parts, rotables can be overhauled, rebuilt, and put to use again safely.
There are two primary qualities of rotables that make them distinct from other aircraft parts:
- They can be repeatedly returned to a fully serviceable condition
- They are assigned a unique serial number and data plate for identification. This ensures that the correct hours or operation cycles are traceable and documented.
What are examples of rotable parts?
Some examples of rotables in aviation include:
- Avionics units
- Landing gear (e.g. actuators)
- Airframe
- Valves
- Air filters
- Fuel pumps
An original equipment manufacturer (OEM) will recommend when a rotable part should be removed from service after a specific amount of flight time. Afterwards, the part is overhauled and recertified, which means it can be reused for a specific time period before the overhaul process is repeated again.
Finding rotable parts
Many airlines have their own inventory of rotable parts and systems of spare parts management, however, keeping the right amount of rotables on hand is no easy feat. Often, airlines might not always have the necessary serviceable part in their inventory when it is needed.
So when it comes to procuring a hard-to-source rotable, working with an experienced procurement team like NSL Aerospace can mean securing a part more quickly and getting aircraft safe and airworthy sooner.
NSL Aerospace has extensive experience procuring rotables for many types of aircraft. Reach out to our team and let us help you procure the aircraft part you’re looking for!