Corrosion of an aircraft radar antenna waveguide

✍ Scribed by S.G Russo; M.J Henderson; B.R.W Hinton

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2002
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 628 KB
• Volume: 9
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1350-6307
• DOI: 10.1016/s1350-6307(01)00028-0

✦ Synopsis

Condensed moisture from ingressed humid air was responsible for inducing corrosion within the aft radar antenna from an RAAF P-3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft. Porosity in the silver-plating of a flexible brass waveguide allowed moisture to penetrate to the brass substrate and cause dezincification. The moisture also induced corrosion of some of the AA-6061 aluminium alloy waveguides. An investigation determined that moisture ingress occurred at a waveguide flange, possibly from the failure of a seal.