An F-22 Raptor is masked-off for new paint, on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. Hawaii Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman John Linzmeier, 21AUG2020.
The F-22 Raptor is a hi-tech aircraft that has not resulted in making things easier for the U.S. Air Force (USAF). I’ve already written how the sensitive ‘skin’ of the aircraft is a nightmare for sheet metal shop personnel. Now the USAF admits that painting the aircraft is a pain-in-the-butt as well.
An F-22 gets its air intakes painstakingly ‘gap filled’ at Hill AFB, Utah. USAF photo by Alex R. Lloyd, 19NOV2020.
As of February 2020, the USAF has a new hi-tech tool that will supposedly solve one of the hi-tech aircraft’s skin problems; a robot designed specifically to paint the inside of the air intakes.
Hawaii Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman John Linzmeier, 21AUG2020.
The company, Aerobotix, that makes the robot painter claims it’ll save U.S. taxpayers $28-million in labor costs to paint the F-22, and apparently it can be used on other aircraft.
Video report:
Photo via Aerobotix.
Update, 31AUG2022: Aerobotix Marks 40th Restoration of Air Inlet Ducts on F-22 Raptor Aircraft
VEHICLE I-D:
F-22 RAPTOR
Robot Wars: 
A-I Strips an A-10 naked!
TEXAS TURNS TO ROBOTS TO WASH F-16