QEC / EBU inventory: why a missing bracket costs more than you think
The quick-engine-change kit is hundreds of parts nobody notices until one is gone. How we count it, and how voice-matched part numbers made it faster.
What the QEC actually is
The engine manufacturer ships a bare engine. The airframer's installation needs a specific build-up: hydraulic pumps, generators, starter, ducts, fuel and oil lines, fire detection, wiring harnesses, mounts and hundreds of brackets and clamps. That configuration is aircraft-type specific, so a CFM56-7B QEC for a 737NG is not interchangeable with another installation, and parts within it carry dash numbers that matter.
Why the inventory matters at a trade or return
- A missing or wrong-dash-number part can hold up an installation for weeks; many QEC parts have long lead times.
- Lease agreements define the delivery configuration; the return has to match it or substitutes have to be agreed.
- Serialized accessories carry their own records; an inventory without serials is not an inventory.
- Engine trades between lessors and airlines are priced with the QEC — or without it. Both sides need the same list.
How we do it
A physical count by zone and ATA chapter, part number and serial captured for every item, condition noted, photographs taken. The output is an Excel in the layout you already use, with the photo evidence attached. With InspectView the inspector reads part numbers aloud; the app matches them against the expected list and flags what is missing or different, so the count takes hours instead of a day.
How long does a QEC inventory take?
Typically a few hours for a complete narrowbody QEC when the engine is accessible; longer if cowlings or stands restrict access.
Can you compare against our delivery inventory?
Yes. Send the delivery list and we return a matched inventory: present, missing, different dash number, different serial.
Do you inventory engines in storage?
Yes, including engines on stands and preserved engines, anywhere we can get an inspector to.
JTech Turbines performs borescope, GVI, QEC, pre-purchase and lease return inspections on site in 30+ countries. Reports are drafted in InspectView and signed by the inspector.