US Air Force uses robot incremental sheet forming to fabricate unobtainable C-17 part, returns aircraft to service

Published Aug 6, 09:31 PM UTC

A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III (tail number 01-0194) from the 445th Airlift Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base was severely damaged in March 2025 when severe storms pushed two private jets into it at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport. The collision damaged the left nose panel, door, and fuselage. While the door and fuselage were repaired, Boeing could not find a vendor willing to build tooling for a single nose panel, leaving the aircraft facing two years out of service. The Air Force Rapid Sustainment Office (RSO) stepped in, using incremental sheet forming (ISF) technology with a robot to press a flat metal sheet into shape without molds. Working with the University of Dayton Research Institute, production began in January 2026. Boeing and wing maintainers installed the finished panel in July 2026, and the C-17 flew again on July 30, 2026, after 17 months. This marks the first incrementally formed part to fly on an Air Force aircraft. The RSO is now working on parts for KC-135 and F-15 aircraft.