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, Ohio, was severely damaged in March 2025 when severe storms pushed two private jets into it at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport, Texas. The collision damaged the left nose panel, door, and fuselage. Boeing could not find a vendor to produce tooling for a single replacement nose panel, leading to a projected two-year grounding. The Air Force Rapid Sustainment Office (RSO), working with the University of Dayton Research Institute, used incremental sheet forming (ISF) technology—a robot pressing metal into shape without molds—to fabricate the part. Production began in January 2026, and the panel was installed in July 2026. The aircraft flew again on July 30, 2026, after nearly 17 months. This marks the first incrementally formed part to fly on an Air Force aircraft. The RSO is also working on parts for KC-135 and F-15 aircraft.