Vacuum Attachment Mechanism

Not Available Naval and Marine Corps aircraft systems, subsystems, and components are typically designed to minimize failure due to severe lightning strikes. To minimize the effects of lightning strikes, the aircraft's exterior surface incorporates a copper mesh that is covered with an anti-static paint. This technology suffers from the high cost and difficulty of depainting and repairing damaged regions due to wear, tear, or corrosion. The depainting process is especially costly because it routinely damages the underlying copper mesh. A cost saving solution to the above problem is provided through the use of an environmentally stable, anti-corrosive polymeric/conducting metal composite appliques that can be readily applied via a peel and stick method. This proposal will demonstrate a composite applique that will consist of 1) a thin film of conducting polymer bonded to 2) an underlying low dielectric fluoropolymeric material bonded to 3) a thin film of copper metal that is 4) undercoated with an adhesive for application to metallic surfaces. This composite film is an excellent, cost savings candidate for paint replacement due to its inherent excellent thermal stability from -50 deg. C to +150 deg. C, resistance to chemical or physical corrosion, and low surface energy for reduced drag.