This Is What A U.S. Air Force $1,210 Coffee Cup Looks Like

What a $1,210 coffee cup looks like. U.S. Air Force photo.

Popular Mechanics: The Air Force is 3D Printing Coffee Cup Handles to Save Money

The alternative is buying new coffee mugs at $1,210 a pop.

The U.S. Air Force is 3D printing replacement handles for broken coffee cups. Why? Not for fun. it’s printing the handles to avoid buying new cups at a cost of $1,210 each.

The cups in question are metal cups designed to work with larger Air Force aircraft where crews work in pressurized areas—think cargo planes and aerial refueling aircraft. Air crews, such as the KC-10 Extender refueling boom operators above, routinely fly in bad weather and turbulence and might have to stay at their stations for hours on end. These airmen can’t use just any coffee cup. As a result, the Air Force uses steel cups with a hinged lid, plastic handle, and a heating element built right into the cup. The cup is plugged into a charging station where it keeps a hot beverage hot.

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WNU editor: Maybe they can use the same methods and technology to cut into these expensive purchases .... Only the Pentagon Could Spend $640 on a Toilet Seat (The Nation).

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