CorrDefense - DoD News about Preserving Military Assets

Untitled Document

Featured Projects

New Corrosion Control Hanger Keeps C-17s Clean and Corrosion-Free

By Ben Craig

Corroded pipes and missing insulation before a manhole has been upgraded.

An Air Force C-17 flies past the Diamond Head volcanic crater in Hawaii. Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force.

The C-17 is one of the Air Force’s highly versatile cargo aircraft that is serving the transportation and supply delivery needs of the U.S. military all over the world. When the situation or mission dictates, pilots of these military aircraft must rely on precision landing capabilities to deliver mission critical cargo and supplies to areas of the globe that do not provide the standard landing facilities.

Commercial airports typically offer runways that extend more than 10,000 feet. While landing on runways of this length is preferable, pilots of the Air Forceís C-17 Globemaster III have the ability to land their aircraft on surfaces that are only a third of that length.

Since its reach must extend beyond conventional flight paths and landing strips, the C-17 was designed to land on the shortest of runways. In fact, this strategic airlift aircraft needs only 3,500 feet of runway—a two thirds-of-a-mile stretch—even if it is packing 160,000 pounds of cargo.

A C-17 sits inside the new wash facility at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force.

Two years ago Hickam Air Force Base (AFB) in Hawaii became the first military installation outside the continental United States to be a permanent home for a fleet of C-17s. On February 8, 2006, the 15th Airlift Wing at Hickam received its first of eight C-17s. The new fleet of aircraft enables Hickam to provide global airlift capabilities, as well as expedited mission capabilities to the Pacific region.

To accommodate and protect the new fleet of aircraft, the base constructed a new corrosion control hangar and maintenance facility. Hickam’s maintenance squadrons will be maintaining their fleet of C-17s in the new hanger—the first new hanger to be built at the base in several decades.

Even though it is a state-of-the-art facility, Hickam’s corrosion control hanger is not the first of its kind. Several years ago, a 46,500 square-foot corrosion control hanger was built at McChord AFB to accommodate its fleet of C-17s.

Construction of Hickam’s 64,000-square-foot facility began in March 2006. While the hanger is not large enough to store the base’s fleet of eight C-17s, it will enable the washing of the aircraft indoors, which can be very effective in reducing the occurrence of corrosion. The facility will also give maintenance crews the ability to paint the aircraft indoors.

A new thermal barrier pipe coating developed by the Army Corps of Engineers improves safety for people who work near manholes by reducing the external temperature.

A rainbow rises above a pair of C-17s. Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force.

A 25,000-square-foot maintenance facility was also built at Hickam to go along with the corrosion control hanger. This facility will house several shops, including a nondestructive inspection area, which is invaluable for evaluating the condition and integrity of various components and systems. An additional 1,000-square-foot facility will provide fire suppression capability to the hanger in case the need ever arises.

The C-17 fleet at Hickam AFB adds a key airlift dimension in the Pacific. The new corrosion control hanger will help prevent corrosion from damaging the fleet of aircraft and will allow Hickam to provide global airlift capabilities for years to come.

And if the pilot of a C-17 Globemaster III carrying 160,000 pounds of cargo is ever faced with a relatively short 3,500 feet of runway, he or she can be confident of bringing the massive aircraft to a safe halt, short of the last segments of pavement.