Aircraft Corrosion Inspection

This project will develop an inspection technology capable of accurately detecting and characterizing flaws and/or corrosion in multi-layered structures made of dissimilar metals. The inspection target of this project is the F-15 splice joint at wing station 155 where tapered surfaces of aluminum and titanium are joined with steel fasteners. This region is subject to corrosion and is particularly difficult to inspect with conventional UT or eddy current methods. This technology has broader applications to other areas of aircraft structures. Advanced ultrasonic imaging hardware (capable of providing high resolution B-scans using linear arrays), specialized probe designs and coupling systems will be developed to enable these F-15 structures to be quickly and easily inspected with little or no aircraft preparation. Fast, in-situ inspection of these types of interfaces (without requiring disassembly) provides substantial cost and time savings at the repair depot as well as extra safety margin for Air Force personnel. This technology produces a record of results for comparison to future inspections and allows more frequent inspections of critical structural components in the field or depot.