Why Planes Are Painted White ?
Until just after second world war, most aircraft exteriors were left unpainted or decorated with only the aircraft emblem for economical reasons. While this saves money, it leaves the aircraft exposed
and unprotected, especially in harsh weather conditions. Paint is more than aesthetic ,affects the weight of aircraft and protects the integrity of the Air frame.
There are exceptions. Air New Zealand once turned a Boeing 777 into a giant Ad for Lord of the Rings, Mango, based in Johannesburg utilises a bright orange hue, while Siberian Carrier S7 colors its planes with Lime green. But the vast majority of passenger aircraft are painted white. why?
Paint adds between 600-1200 Lbs. (273 to 544 Kg.) of weight to an aircraft. Extra weight means more fuel is burned and 544 Kg. equates to around eight passengers. Airlines take the view of
weight very seriously. In 1980, American Airlines claimed annual savings of $ 40,000 by removing just one Olive from every salad served on Board in its flight.
The main reason why aircraft are painted white or light colors is to reflect sunlight and minimize
both the heating and any potential damage from solar radiation. Plane features made of plastic and composite materials such as Carbon Fiber and Fiber glass need the most protection from the heat
of the sun. Therefore, parts e.g. Nose cone of the plane, where the Aircraft radar lives, and the
control surfaces, made of composite materials are usually painted white or light grey. Concorde
had to be painted with a special highly reflective white paint into the Jet pipe so it could withstand
the heat generated from supersonic travel. The power gained using an engine reheat, where fuel is pumped into the Jet pipe and set alight to give extra thrust. Concorde reach 127 degree centigrade at the nose and trailing edge, but special white paint help reflect and radiate heat. Its reflectivity was 80 out of 100, compared to the rating of normal white paint at 45-50 of 100.
The paint cost money too and repainting an Aircraft uses a lot of it. Approx. 120 Gallons (454 Liters)
of paint are used in a typical 747, 90 Gallons (341 liters) on 767 and 110 Gallons (416 liters) on a
777 while a typical 787 Dreamliner paint scheme involves 800-1000 Gallons ( 362-453 Liters) of
paint. All inclusive, repainting a plane costs between $ 50000 to $ 200000.
Further, Airlines often end up selling their Aircraft to other carriers. They find it difficult to do so
if color scheme is other than white.
Damage control, search and rescue operations, reducing bird strikes may be easier to spot more from the Air - another good reason for adopting white color.
---------------------------
and unprotected, especially in harsh weather conditions. Paint is more than aesthetic ,affects the weight of aircraft and protects the integrity of the Air frame.
There are exceptions. Air New Zealand once turned a Boeing 777 into a giant Ad for Lord of the Rings, Mango, based in Johannesburg utilises a bright orange hue, while Siberian Carrier S7 colors its planes with Lime green. But the vast majority of passenger aircraft are painted white. why?
Paint adds between 600-1200 Lbs. (273 to 544 Kg.) of weight to an aircraft. Extra weight means more fuel is burned and 544 Kg. equates to around eight passengers. Airlines take the view of
weight very seriously. In 1980, American Airlines claimed annual savings of $ 40,000 by removing just one Olive from every salad served on Board in its flight.
The main reason why aircraft are painted white or light colors is to reflect sunlight and minimize
both the heating and any potential damage from solar radiation. Plane features made of plastic and composite materials such as Carbon Fiber and Fiber glass need the most protection from the heat
of the sun. Therefore, parts e.g. Nose cone of the plane, where the Aircraft radar lives, and the
control surfaces, made of composite materials are usually painted white or light grey. Concorde
had to be painted with a special highly reflective white paint into the Jet pipe so it could withstand
the heat generated from supersonic travel. The power gained using an engine reheat, where fuel is pumped into the Jet pipe and set alight to give extra thrust. Concorde reach 127 degree centigrade at the nose and trailing edge, but special white paint help reflect and radiate heat. Its reflectivity was 80 out of 100, compared to the rating of normal white paint at 45-50 of 100.
The paint cost money too and repainting an Aircraft uses a lot of it. Approx. 120 Gallons (454 Liters)
of paint are used in a typical 747, 90 Gallons (341 liters) on 767 and 110 Gallons (416 liters) on a
777 while a typical 787 Dreamliner paint scheme involves 800-1000 Gallons ( 362-453 Liters) of
paint. All inclusive, repainting a plane costs between $ 50000 to $ 200000.
Further, Airlines often end up selling their Aircraft to other carriers. They find it difficult to do so
if color scheme is other than white.
Damage control, search and rescue operations, reducing bird strikes may be easier to spot more from the Air - another good reason for adopting white color.
---------------------------
Comments