Personnel seal panel lines, rivets and any other ‘openings’ to prevent the stripping material from entering the aircraft. U.S Air Force photo by Todd Cromar, 04DEC2019.
In December 2019, a robot paint stripper at Hill Air Force Base (AFB), Utah, was used to strip an A-10 Thunderbolt-2 for the first time. Normally, it’s used on F-16s.
Corrosion control technicians seal up the seams and holes in the skin to prevent the blast media from entering the aircraft. USAF photo by Todd Cromar, 04DEC2019.
“There are going to be across-the-board improvements including a dramatic reduction in exposure to a Hexavalent Chromium dust environment. This is perhaps the greatest benefit to the robotic system. Savings will also be seen with reduced operating time and less power consumption, as well as reduced costs in material. We really haven’t found a downside to this system.”-Tim Randolph, 576th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
USAF photo by Todd Cromar.
Two robots, with four hose attachments each, move independently along both sides of the aircraft. The time to strip an A-10 is decreased from three days to 9-12 hours!
Sorry, they didn’t release any pics of the naked A-10.
This Davis-Monthan ‘Paint Barn’ video, released in January 2020, shows you how many humans are needed in order to paint an A-10:
Robot Wars:
Photo via Aerobotix.
A-I PAINTERS TO SAVE THE F-22 RAPTOR?
TEXAS TURNS TO ROBOTS TO WASH F-16
A-10 Thunderbolt-2: ANOTHER A-10C WITH INVASION STRIPES
THE OWL HAD A BLUE UMBRELLA!: HOW LANTIRN KILLED THE N/AW-10, AND, WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE TRUMPETER/HOBBY BOSS KITS?
U.S. and Colombian militaries joined with silly-vilian organizations to conduct the Exercise Vita humanitarian response training.
Unboxing the monster kit.
Who wouldn’t be happy about a kit this big?
You’ll need some jacks and jigs.
A bunch of people about to get bombed at the 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing HQ at Creech Air Force Base (AFB), Nevada, 06JUN2019.
On 03MAR2018, the MQ-1 took its official last flight in Nevada, being replaced by the MQ-9 Reaper.
30NOV2017, removing the ‘brains’, the Primary Control Module, Creech AFB.
Removing the antenna. This was done prior to the MQ-1 being sent to United Kingdom to become a ‘gate guard’.
Final combat mission (undisclosed location) of 361st Expeditionary Attack Squadron’s MQ-1B, 01JUL2017.
MQ-1B Predator remote piloted aircraft with the 147th Air Reconnaissance Wing, Texas Air National Guard, on display at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Expedition, Malaysia, 21MAR2017.
MQ-1 final flight at Holloman AFB, New Mexico, 27FEB2017.
At Camp Pendleton, California, U.S. Marine Corps held a Installations West meeting to discuss scenarios for CoViD-19 response.
Marines onboard Camp Pendleton also built a quarantine site for anybody who test positive for the virus.
In the New Rochelle area of New York state, the Army National Guard began preparations for Operation CoViD-19.
U.S. Air Force 51st Aerospace Medicine Squadron updates its CoViD-19 map, 04MAR2020, Osan Air Base. (CoViD-19=CoronaVirus Disease 2019)
