Portable maintenance aid instrument pack (PIP)

Flight line component false removals are costly and add to the logistics tail of every weapon system. VXI offers opportunity to consolidate test needs into a user-friendly application that can significantly reduce flight line false removal rates. VXI has grown substantially in applications from testing in the lab to field support of weapon systems. Early criticism of VXI came that it was only intended for lab or depot environments. Recently, developers have been taking on the challenge of extending VXI use into field environments. This paper addresses false removals, describes a VXI test system approach, and describes the challenges of creating an enclosure for COTS VXI instruments that protect them from very harsh flight-line environmental extremes. This effort was accomplished for the RAH-66 Comanche Helicopter program, and has created two working prototypes.