Which nondestructive inspection method would be used to examine the internal structure for corrosion in a wing?

• A. X-Ray Inspection.
• B. Dye Penetrant.
• C. Ultrasonic Inspection.
• D. Visual Inspection.

Answer: (A)

When you need to see what’s happening inside hidden wing structures, you choose a method that can visualize beneath the skin. X-ray inspection, or radiography, uses penetrating radiation to produce images of the internal features, so you can detect corrosion, voids, or delamination between layers that aren’t visible from the outside. This is especially important in wings with skin, stringers, ribs, and sometimes honeycomb panels where corrosion can hide between components.

Visual inspection can only reveal what’s on the surface, and dye penetrant works only if there’s a pathway to a surface opening and shows surface-breaking defects rather than internal damage. Ultrasonic inspection can detect some internal issues, but it can be difficult to apply effectively in complex wing geometries and may miss hidden corrosion between layers. X-ray inspection provides a direct view of the internal conditions, making it the most effective nondestructive method for identifying corrosion inside wing structures.