Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio (AFLCMC) - In the early morning hours of March 4, 2025, strong winds, large hail, and severe thunderstorms whipped through the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas area. Tornado warnings rang out in the darkness as wind microbursts of up to 80 mph ravaged buildings and trees. When it was all over, storms had left considerable destruction throughout the area, including at the Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport.
A C-17 with the 445th Airlift Wing (445 AW) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (AFB) parked overnight on the airport tarmac received extensive damage to its left side door, fuselage and nose area after two private Bombardier Challenger jets were blown into the aircraft. Needing obvious repair, the C-17 was forced to fly home to the Dayton, Ohio, area with a temporary left nose panel repair, qualified by Boeing and approved by the Air Force, and its landing gear down.
Upon its return to Wright-Patterson AFB, the 445th Maintenance Group (445 MXG) was able to repair the damaged door and fuselage but determined the left nose panel would require replacement. However, Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer, ascertained that no vendors would be willing to create tooling to build an isolated part. After an unsuccessful repair attempt, the C-17 seemed doomed to sit in storage for at least a year, with repair work requiring an additional year to complete.
Such an extensive grounding of one of only nine mission-essential C-17s was deemed unacceptable, so the 445 MXG reached out to the Air Force Rapid Sustainment Office (RSO) to find a solution. RSO is part of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center and is a division within the Combat Readiness Directorate.
The Air Force Rapid Sustainment Office (RSO) Division’s Advanced Manufacturing Program Office Automation and Robotics (A&R) team quickly determined this part was an ideal candidate for its Incremental Sheet Forming (ISF) system, a robotic technology that progressively deforms metal sheets into functional parts.
Collaborating with engineers from the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI), the A&R team began production of the panel in January 2026.The panel moved rapidly through the production process, advancing from formation on the ISF, located at the RSO’s Integrated Technology Operations Center, to an initial fit check and panel testing to ensure the part was flightworthy. Following a final fit check in April, Boeing and the 445 MXG installed the completed panel on the C-17 in July.
“When the mission demanded immediate action, the RSO stepped up,” said Mary Schuler, RSO A&R lead program manager. “By leveraging the ISF, with critical support from UDRI, we didn’t just meet the need. We significantly decreased our timeline, reducing the repair process from years to only a few months.”
Final repair steps included a front landing gear test and some minor adjustments to the nose area. The C-17 returned to the skies July 30, resuming support of the 445 AW's essential mission.
“This is a tremendous win for our maintenance group," said Col. Karen Gharst, 445 MXG commander. "Using the ISF technology to rapidly produce an otherwise unobtainable part allowed us to avoid a prolonged work stoppage. The RSO was exceptionally responsive, delivering a part for fit check in just over a month. We are incredibly thankful for the partnership with the RSO that was instrumental in moving this critical project forward during a period of increased operational tempo."
This panel is the first part produced via ISF to be flown on an Air Force platform, but it won’t be the last. The RSO is also working to produce parts for a K-135 and an F-15.