Změna postupu při povrchové úpravě F-35 nastala v roce 2017 po pěti letech vývoje. Zmizely tak ty "přelepy", snížil se podíl ruční práce a náklady na výrobu a opravy.
Citace z odkazu uvedeného nejníže:
New F-35 Coating System
Affordability through innovation is one of the F-35 program’s top priorities. I often highlight smaller innovations that drive BIG costs out of the program. I want to highlight work from the Aircraft Final Finishes (AFF) team driving out $49 million over the life of the program. If you’ve seen an F-35 flying, the saw tooth paneling is visible to the eye. Through a new coating system, the team was able to give the F-35 one uniform coat that saved a significant number of hours per unit in defects and rework. James Thistle was the first to suggest the new coatings, now referred to as the Z13 overcoat. It took five years and a lot of hard work to incorporate the new coatings. The team used AF104 as a trial run with no issues, and James said it was worth the wait. The Z13 overcoat significantly reduces the need for many of the labor-intensive tasks that drove rework and repair hours up. As you can see from this infographic, the new F-35 coating being utilized in the coming months is a significant affordability initiative saving time and money while helping build a better aircraft. Great work to the AFF team on their affordability through innovation.
https://theaviationist.com/2020/07/05/n ... g-ii-jets/
https://www.f-16.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=53014
https://a855196877272cb14560-2a4fa819a6 ... _13_17.pdf