Air Force Sustainment Center Low Observable Maintenance on
Air Force Sustainment Center Low Observable Maintenance on 5 th Generation Aircraft Col Jon Eberlan 309 AMXG/CC DSN 777 -3815 Email: jon. eberlan@us. af. mil 1
Overview n Differences between Legacy and 5 th Generation Aircraft n 5 th Gen Aircraft Low Observable (LO) System n LO System Maintenance Requirements n LO System Sustainability Breaking Barriers … Since 1947 2
Legacy vs 5 th Generation Aircraft n Unprecedented situational awareness w/ 5 th generation aircraft n Fleet health prognostics better w/ 5 th generation aircraft n LO coatings and skin on 5 th generation aircraft must be maintained as a system n Deployment considerations Breaking Barriers … Since 1947 3
Legacy vs F-22 vs F-35 Stack Up Top Coat 2 nd Primer 1 st Conductive Coating Primer Aluminum or Composite Structure Fairing Material F-22 Basic Stack up Breaking Barriers … Since 1947
5 th Gen Aircraft Low Observable (LO) System n Aircraft Outer Mold Line (OML): made up of skins, covers, doors, fairings, etc. , designed to reflect energy. Deflecting radar energy away from the radar receiver avoids detection and tracking n LO Materials: absorbs electromagnetic waves from the Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum. Reducing the signature enhances the ability to avoid detection and defeat the threat n LO Material is applied over the OML to maximize LO system capability and smooth over gaps, fasteners, and joints Breaking Barriers … Since 1947
LO System Maintenance Requirements n Temperature and Humidity – Variances from recommended limits hurts finished product n Clean conditions – air filtration, nitrile gloves, Tyvek suits, lint free cloths n Tools – plastic / nonmetallic scrapers / applicators n Material Handling – Careful handling of removed surfaces and storage of temperature controlled LO materials n Workmanship – Attention-todetail, repeatable processes, extensive training / experience n OSHA / EPA – Ensure safety of workforce and compliance with Federal mandates Breaking Barriers … Since 1947
Depot LO System Sustainability n Aircraft intake strip, restoration, and reapplication § 341 work hours to strip a single intake § 219 sq ft of restoration area § 10 different coatings applied § 3, 853 work hours to restore After Before Breaking Barriers … Since 1947
Depot LO System Sustainability Intake restore requires confined space trained personnel and long hours n Requires sanding and re-coat after completion to ensure smoothness between sections n Armature spray robot performs same job with one application, all sections, no sanding or recoating n Breaking Barriers … Since 1947
Moving Forward n Future LO systems require long term sustainability w/ focus on deployed operations n Continue to improve upon LO material and processes to enable consistent, repeatable results n Continue to improve upon ease of application and removal n OSHA and Environmental compliance needs to be engineered in from the beginning n Cost-effective LO Coating platform Breaking Barriers … Since 1947 9
QUESTIONS / DISCUSSION Breaking Barriers … Since 1947
Airworthy, Combat-Ready The Defense MRO of Choice Breaking Barriers … Since 1947
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