Once every six to eight years, a plane undergoes a very very detailed checkup. This is known as a D-check. The D-check involves more or less completely disassembling the plane — down to the paint — testing every component, and putting it back together again.  D-checks are slow and costly. They take about 50,000 man hours, which puts the plane out of action for around two months. They can only be carried out in a specialised maintenance space — a huge hangar, basically. The D-check is the most invasive form of plane maintenance. But there are A, B, and C…

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