High-tech Fighters Not Safe From Rust


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HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah (AP) -- One of the military's most high-tech aircrafts shares something in common with the old clunker in the driveway. Even the F-22 Raptors can rust.

Maintenance crews at Hill Air Force Base are working to remove corrosion that was found recently in a fleet of F-22s. Corrosion can cause aluminum parts to fail if it isn't stopped early. Officials compare it to a dental cavity.

Hill has been home to F-22s since spring of 2006. The fighters are almost invisible to radar, but they still include some metal, and metal can corrode.

Crews are sanding away the corrosion. Several aircraft panels will be changed from aluminum to titanium, which has a much better resistance to corrosion.

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Information from: Standard-Examiner

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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