British scientists have developed a thermal metal coating to protect the flight decks of Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers from the heat that results from the immense thrust of the engines of the new F-35B Lightning II fighter jets.

Specialist teams from across the Aircraft Carrier Alliance—a UK government/industry partnership—have developed a thermal coating from aluminum and titanium that can withstand temperatures of up to 1,500°C. The coating, developed in partnership with Monitor Coatings, is expected to provide protection throughout the life of the carriers and forms an important part of the work under way to prepare the HMS Queen Elizabeth for sea trials in 2017 and flight trials in 2018.

Approximately 2,000 square meters of the HMS Queen Elizabeth's flight deck will be coated. Image credit: ©2016 Aircraft Carrier Alliance.The coating is being applied to sections of the vast flight deck of the HMS Queen Elizabeth using a specially developed robotic spray that fires powdered metal through a jet of plasma at temperatures of almost 10,000°C. The molten droplets then flatten and quickly solidify, creating a tough but rough coating 2-2.5 mm thick that is bonded to the steel beneath. Approximately 2,000 square meters of the 19,000-square-meter flight deck will be coated, with the work due to be completed prior to sea trials in early 2017.

"Working with experts in the UK, we have developed a unique coating to provide the necessary protection to the flight deck of the aircraft carriers, and this will ensure they can deliver the UK’s carrier strike capability for the next 50 years,” says Ian Booth, managing director of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance.