1. Col Jon Eberlan 309 AMXG/CC DSN 777-3815 Email: jon.eberlan@us.af.mil
Low Observable Maintenance on 5th Generation Aircraft
Col Jon Eberlan
309 AMXG/CC
DSN

2. Overview Differences between Legacy and 5th Generation Aircraft
5th Gen Aircraft Low Observable (LO) System
LO System Maintenance Requirements
LO System Sustainability

3. Legacy vs 5th Generation Aircraft
Unprecedented situational awareness w/ 5th generation aircraft
Fleet health prognostics better w/ 5th generation aircraft
LO coatings and skin on 5th generation aircraft must be maintained as a system
Deployment considerations

4. Legacy vs F-22 vs F-35 Stack Up
2nd Primer
1st Primer
Aluminum or Composite Structure
Top Coat
Conductive Coating
Fairing Material
F-22 Basic Stack up

5. 5th Gen Aircraft Low Observable (LO) System
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
LO Materials: absorbs electromagnetic waves from the Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum. Reducing the signature enhances the ability to avoid detection and defeat the threat
LO Material is applied over the OML to maximize LO system capability and smooth over gaps, fasteners, and joints

6. LO System Maintenance Requirements
Temperature and Humidity – Variances from recommended limits hurts finished product
Clean conditions – air filtration, nitrile gloves, Tyvek suits, lint free cloths
Tools – plastic / nonmetallic scrapers / applicators
Material Handling – Careful handling of removed surfaces and storage of temperature controlled LO materials
Workmanship – Attention-to-detail, repeatable processes, extensive training / experience
OSHA / EPA – Ensure safety of workforce and compliance with Federal mandates

7. Depot LO System Sustainability
Aircraft intake strip, restoration, and reapplication
341 work hours to strip a single intake
3,853 work hours to restore
219 sq ft of restoration area
10 different coatings applied
Before
After

8. Depot LO System Sustainability
Intake restore requires confined space trained personnel and long hours
Requires sanding and re-coat after completion to ensure smoothness between sections
Armature spray robot performs same job with one application, all sections, no sanding or recoating

9. Moving Forward
Future LO systems require long term sustainability w/ focus on deployed operations
Continue to improve upon LO material and processes to enable consistent, repeatable results
Continue to improve upon ease of application and removal
OSHA and Environmental compliance needs to be engineered in from the beginning
Cost-effective LO Coating platform

10. QUESTIONS / DISCUSSION

11. The Defense MRO of Choice
Airworthy, Combat-Ready
The Defense MRO of Choice