World's most expensive fighter jet fitted with 3D-printed part 

Maintenance personnel at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, recently installed, for the first time, a metal 3D-printed bracket on an operational F-22 Raptor, according to a report published in Stars and Stripes.

If the titanium piece holds up, parts like it will be installed on all F-22 aircraft during maintenance, and the use of 3D parts in the aircraft could be expanded, said officials. The eventual goal is to reduce depot time for the maintenance-prone, $150 million jets.

"We're looking to go a little bit further as this part proves itself out," said Robert Blind, modifications manager for the manufacturer of the jet, Lockheed Martin.

The noncorroding titanium bracket, made with the powder bed fusion process, replaces a corrosion-prone aluminum component in the kick panel assembly of the cockpit that must be replaced 80 percent of the time an F-22 is maintained.

The part will be monitored while in service and inspected when the aircraft returns to Hill Air Force Base for maintenance. If validated, the part will be installed on all F-22 aircraft undergoing maintenance.

The Air Force said it has at least five more metallic 3D-printed parts it plans to test on the F-22.

"Once we get to the more complicated parts, the result could be a 60- to 70-day reduction in flow time for aircraft to be here for maintenance," said Robert Lewin, 574th Aircraft Maintenance director at Hill.

Though a first for the stealthy F-22, harnessing 3D printing technology for use in combat isn't new among the services, which have used additive manufacturing for everything from Humvee door handles and rifle grips to gas mask modifications.

Click here to read the entire article.