The U.S. Air Force has returned a storm-damaged C-17 Globemaster III to flight after repairing its nose-panel component with a robotic incremental sheet forming process, in a first for an Air Force aircraft. The aircraft took off again from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, after the repair effort brought it back into service following damage sustained in Texas while parked at Fort Worth Alliance Airport.
The work involved the 445th Airlift Wing, the 445th Maintenance Group, the Air Force Rapid Sustainment Office, Air Force Materiel Command, Boeing and the University of Dayton Research Institute. Boeing and normal suppliers were unable to provide the replacement part, prompting the Air Force to use its own sustainment and advanced-manufacturing capability instead.
The aircraft had been grounded since March 2025, with the repair process beginning in January 2026. A fit check followed in April, the final installation took place in July, and the C-17 flew again on 30 July 2026. The Air Force has also begun applying the same method to parts for other aircraft, including a KC-135 and an F-15.