Bottom Line Up Front: If 3D scanning is your thing, the Air Force wants to talk to you.
The Air Force’s Spare Parts Problem
The problem is that aircraft like the B-52 are like ten billion years old, and each one has been patched and repaired so many times that no one has any idea what spare parts they need, where they are, or what to do about it.
What they’re doing about it
You 3D scan the part in question, then industrial CNC machines make new ones. The day is saved!
Except the scanners don’t yet exist, and they want to give you money to fix that.
Who is “They,” anyway?
The Air Force’s Rapid Sustainment Office. They’re in charge of speeding up repairs, maintenance, and supplies so it doesn’t take three centuries to fix a helicopter (like it currently does). They recently held the Advanced Manufacturing Olympics, and are the folks spearheading 3D printing in the military. Also VR, robots, and a ton of other stuff.
Your company should check them out.