Mainblades

Mainblades is a Dutch company that automates the inspection of aircraft. It builds inspection drones and a data analysis platform for maintenance and repair organisations. The company is registered as Mainblades Inspections B.V. and has its office in The Hague, in the Netherlands.

The drones fly an aircraft automatically. The site says a narrow body aircraft takes about 45 minutes and a wide body aircraft about 3 hours, which it describes as ten times faster than the manual method. The drones work on any aircraft, indoors and outdoors, and around moving obstacles in the maintenance area.

The analysis platform checks the inspection images. It uses AI to help find damage. It also gives cloud storage and review software and reports that can be changed to fit the customer. The company says this lowers human error in a repetitive task. In a general visual inspection the drone takes the photos and the inspector reviews them.

The site lists three inspection types. General visual inspections are done by drone with an inspector review. Lightning strike inspections are said to take 75 percent less time. Paint peeling inspections are said to give estimates of paint damage and high speed tape on the wings that are five times more accurate, which helps plan repairs.

Mainblades says it wants to help every aircraft maintenance site use data driven inspection. It lists three values, which are flexibility, accuracy and transparency. The company says it guides customers through setup and talks openly with customers and regulators. The website has a contact form, a careers site, and links to LinkedIn and YouTube.