<![CDATA[Aircraft structural maintenance is a crucial aspect in ensuring operational safety and reliability. One major challenge is material degradation due to corrosion, especially on skin components made of Aluminum 2024-T3, such as those used in Airbus 330 Series aircraft. Although this material has high mechanical strength, it is highly susceptible to corrosion that can reduce its structural integrity. The blend-out or material removal process used to repair corrosion can further weaken the affected area. This study aims to quantitatively analyze the effect of flap-peening treatment as a restoration method for mechanical properties after blend-out. The research employed a quantitative experimental method with three Aluminum 2024-T3 specimen conditions: original (untreated), post-blend-out without flap-peening, and post-blend-out with flap-peening. Mechanical properties were evaluated using the Rockwell Hardness Test (HRB) according to ASTM E18-16 and tensile testing to determine Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) following ASTM E8/E8M-09 standards. Results showed that blend-out reduced hardness from 76.30 HRB to 69.80 HRB and UTS from 436.29 MPa to 396.37 MPa. However, after applying flap-peening, hardness increased to 74.87 HRB and UTS to 428.73 MPa. These findings demonstrate that flap-peening can restore the mechanical properties of the material close to its original condition by recovering compressive residual stress. This study provides a strong technical justification for the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) industry to adopt flap-peening as a standard structural repair procedure to enhance aviation safety and operational efficiency.]]>
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