position.--Stephen V Cole
Lockheed Martin is testing an F-16D50 fighter covered with 1,300 square feet of appliqu stickers instead of the normal paint. The stickers cover virtually all of the external surfaces. The aircraft has flown over 40 hours at speeds up to Mach-1.8 without serious problems. While the stickers weigh a bit more than the original coat of paint, the aircraft does not gain weight (as others do) as it is repainted periodically over its service life. When stickers need to be replaced, they are peeled off and replaced. The company plans to use this technology on their Joint Strike