This paper presents a study of ultrasonic NDE models for a cylindrical hole containing an elastic layer and a fluid‐filled hole. For the elastic layer case, both dispersion relations and analytical solutions were solved to assess the sensitivity of leaky Rayleigh waves to annulus properties. A BEM model was formulated for the scattering of shear waves by a fluid‐filled hole with a notch. Through simulated studies, a viable inspection technique was derived and validated experimentally. © 2003 American Institute of Physics