Скачать или смотреть Langley's new paint booth a boon for Raptors, maintainers

Painting this giant Raptor (nat pop: b-roll of f22 takeoff) is no easy feat.

"A big part of theF-22 is low-observable coating and that's what the people down here do -- maintain the low-observable coating on the F-22. That, in and of itself, makes the F-22 what it is -- the newest generation of stealth fighter" --Lt. Col. Dominick Martin, 1st Maintenance Squadron commander

That's where Langley Air Force Base's new F-22 paint booth comes in. Designed for short-term repairs, the booth increases the maintainers' ability to conduct spray repairs, which means less down-time for the aircraft. Spraying is considered superior to brush or roll methods: the repairs last longer and are better quality.

The $5.6 million paint booth re-circulates air, boasts an advanced alarm-warning system, features a high-expansion foam system to suppress fires and illuminates the bay with 240 foot candlelight versus 140 in Langley's older booths.

Constructed in 14 months by Leebocor Services and overseen by the Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the booth was delivered on time and on budget. It's certified LEED Gold for its environmentally friendly features.

"The existing paint booths are 10-11 years old, and of course technology has changed during that time frame. But the paint booth we've installed from GFS is currently one of a handful in North America and the United States. It's very energy efficient: it takes one fifth energy consumption that the existing paint booths use." -- Donald Rhoades

The F-22 maintenance squadron already plans to use it as their "go-to" booth for repairs.

"We're really excited about the new facility and what it brings to the warfighter: increased capability, increased turn times for some of these repairs and additional space for our maintainers to do what we do best." -- Martin

...which is getting Raptors back in the air.

From Langley Air Force Base, Va, Kerry Solan