Flying dentCHECK -- Press Coverage by the French Ministry of Defense

Automate non-destructive testing in aircraft maintenance

Aircraft maintenance requires regular inspection of the aircraft surfaces. We are speaking about non-destructive testing (NDT). These tasks are time-consuming and potentially dangerous for operators working at height. The Defense Innovation Agency (DIA) and other stakeholders called for projects to “automate non-destructive testing“. The project aims to develop solutions to reduce the duration and improve the quality of such maintenance operations.
8tree’s collaboration with Donecle and Dassault to develop a flying dentCHECK is part of this initiative. The French Ministry of Defense recently announced an article and a video about our drone project with Donecle and 8tree.

The article was published in French. Read below a segment about our project and have a look at the video, where you can see the drone flying around a Rafale aircraft.

DONECLE, in partnership with 8tree and Dassault provides an automatic 3D inspection of aircraft skin, thanks to a 100% automated drone. This technique allows to detect and measure surface defects such as dents, impacts, or perforations. Tested on metallic and composite surfaces, the solution also allows comparisons with the aircraft’s digital mapping and digital monitoring of the evolution of defects.
– Source