- AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings' Aerofleet platform (launched 2023) now includes the Iris CMX drone, developed in partnership with Donecle.
- Iris CMX uses a three-in-one contact sensor to measure dry film thickness, color and gloss, complementing the Iris GVI visual drone that captures up to 600 HD photos.
- Dual-drone inspections can run simultaneously and complete a narrowbody aircraft scan in about 30 minutes, aimed at fleets of 100+ to cut repainting and maintenance costs.
System update
Aerofleet Coatings Management, introduced in 2023, now includes the Iris CMX contact-sensor drone developed with Donecle alongside the existing Iris GVI visual drone; the two-drone setup enables simultaneous inspections and coordinated data capture.
Data and measurement
Iris CMX uses a three-in-one contact sensor to record dry film thickness, color and gloss, while Iris GVI flies a set grid to capture up to 600 HD photos for full-surface visual analysis; the platform combines these measurements with flight and environmental data (route profiles, UV exposure, humidity) to feed predictive models and image-analysis software that flag coating issues.
Operational benefits
A trained two-person team can complete a narrowbody inspection in about 30 minutes with one drone per side; the condition-based approach aims to time repaints by measured coating performance rather than schedule or flight hours, targeting fleets of 100+ to reduce unnecessary repainting, lower maintenance costs, increase aircraft availability and cut environmental impact.
