The Air Force Research Lab, in conjunction with Boeing’s Phantom Works and Aeronautical Systems Center’s Aging Aircraft Systems Squadron, has developed a new environment-friendly, corrosion resistant aircraft coating. AFRL scientists have been searching for a new coating because the existing chromate-based coating—which has excellent corrosion inhibiting properties—is known to be hazardous. The result is AC-131BB, a zirconium alkoxide-based coating. Researchers have completed 1,000 hours of salt-spray testing, adhesion experiments, and corrosion tests—all showing that the new coating works—on aluminum test panels of an F-15 and a KC-135.
The U.S., South Korea, and Japan flew an unusual trilateral flight with two U.S. B-52H Stratofortress bombers escorted by two Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2s, and two ROK Air Force KF-16 fighters—both countries’ respective variants of the F-16—July 11. That same weekend, the top military officers of the three nations…