Lockheed Martin has completed flight tests on the benefits of using appliqué film as an alternative to paint on aircraft. The US company coated the upper fuselage and wing surfaces of a US Air Force F-16 with the pressure-sensitive, adhesive applique. The aircraft exceeded 5g and a speed of Mach 0.85 during the test. The coating has significant environmental advantages and promises savings in production cost and weight on aircraft such as the Joint Strike Fighter. Lockheed Martin has been investigating paintless-aircraft technologies for the past two years.
Source: Flight International
