Flex Joint
No failure report names the flex joint. 7 FAA approvals let 5 companies make a replacement flex joint, Grimes Aerospace CO holding the most (3).
Approved replacement parts 7 parts manufacturer approvals
A parts manufacturer approval (PMA) lets a company other than the aircraft's maker make a flex joint and sell it as an approved part for the models named. These are the companies holding such approvals for a flex joint:
For these models most: Atr-Gie Avions De Trnsp Region ATR42 (2), Airbus A340 (2), Airbus A330 (2), Aerospatiale ATR 72 (2), Cessna 421 Golden Eagle (1), Boeing 737 (1).
| Maker | Part | Replaces | Fits | Granted | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unison Industries LLC - Dayton | Flex Joint ER1333 | ER1333 | Boeing 737-600 Series, 737-700 Series,... | 2015-06-25 | current |
| Eaton Aeroquip LLC | Flex Joint 73E61-1 | EADS / Alenia 73E61-1 | Aerospatiale ATR 42-500, ATR 72-101, ATR 72-102 | 2001-06-06 | current |
| Arrowhead Products | Flex Joint, Pneu 10225-168-101 | LMAS 741411-101 | Lockheed L-1011-385-1, -385-1-14, -385-1-15 | 1999-07-15 | current |
| Grimes Aerospace CO | Flex Joint 73E61-1 | Aerospatiale 73E61-1 | Aerospatiale ATR42-500, ATR72-101, ATR72-102 | 1996-02-01 | current |
| Grimes Aerospace CO | Flex Joint(s) 50E35-1, 52E51-1 | Airbus Industries 50E35-1, 52E51-1 | Airbus A330-301, A340-211, A340-212 | 1996-02-01 | current |
| Grimes Aerospace CO | Flex Joint 55E40-1 | Airbus Industrie 55E40-1 | Airbus A330-301, A340-212 A340-311 A340-312 | 1996-02-01 | current |
| Heliarc Welding Service | Flex Joint HWS-42121-299 | Cessna 5155157-1 | Cessna 421A, B | 1991-09-02 | current |
Sources: the FAA's service difficulty reports since 1995 (a report is a part that failed and was fixed, as filed by an airline, repair station or owner; the count shows reporting as much as reliability) and the parts manufacturer approvals in the FAA's Dynamic Regulatory System. The part name is the reporters' and the approval holders' own words, reduced to the first plain words so that spellings meet.