Why Are Planes Painted White? The Science, Safety, and Cost-Saving Secrets
Commercial aircraft are mostly painted white. It is estimated approximately 90% of planes are white-painted or have a light-colored exterior. This is not because white looks good, but there is logic, science, safety and saving behind selecting the white color.
The white paint reflects the sunlight, reducing heat absorption and keeping the aircraft cooler, which can reduce internal temperatures by approximately 10°C compared to darker colors in direct sunlight, reducing the thermal stress on the fuselage and protecting the sensitive components.
Lufthansa Technik conducted an experiment on different colors and came up with the result that darker paint schemes could get 10–15°C (18–27°F) hotter under sunlight than white ones.
In this article let’s discuss other benefits of white painting aircraft, like cost-effectiveness, maintenance, resale value, etc.
Table of Contents
White has some significant thermal advantages over color
Flying above 30000 ft to 35000 ft from the earth’s surface gets more sun exposure. When the sunlight hits the white-painted aircraft body it reflects all wavelengths of light, cause there’s no heat generation. Meanwhile, painted colored fuselage has aboard wavelengths convert into heat and raise the fuselage temperature.
A white object reflects all wavelengths of light, so the light is not converted into heat, while a colored object absorbs more wavelengths of light and converts them into heat, so the object gets warm.
However, paint used in high-supersonic aircraft are highly reflected white paint to maintain the cabin temperature and reflect the heat produced by the friction.
Once, Pepsi came with an idea to paint concords with the company color, which is the darkest blue. The pilot was not able to reach mach 2, which is the operating speed of concords, due to increasing temperature.
Colorful paint is expensive
More color means more fuel consumption. It increases weight, resulting in high operational costs.
Painting a full plane required nearly 250 kg of paint, but the aerodynamic paint weight is 25 kg. however, by using the thinner paint, the industry can save 2% in operational costs, which means a savings of $22.4 million USD annually.
Meanwhile, the airlines go for decoration. It requires 2 to 3 weeks , loss of revenue generation for that period, also required costs between $100,000 and $300,000.
Both FedEx and DHL paint their cargo aircraft primarily white with minimal branding in order to cut down on the repainting and inspection costs.
No high resale value
In the aviation industry, airlines take planes on lease and want to paint their logo, but if the aircraft is decorated, they go for complete paint replacement, which requires a larger budget. That creates a negative effect on the buyer.
The color white can reflect heat and light, thus reducing the thermal stress on the aircraft’s fuselage.
White doesn’t fade quickly.
The plane flies above 30000ft from the ground. It meets with high sun exposure (high UV radiation), which makes the aircraft paint fade quickly and the plane look dull. Nevertheless, the white paint does not become dull easily. If the plane gets older, the white color still makes the aircraft look good.
Once, Qantas painted a 747 black for a special livery. The aircraft becomes hotter and requires extra cooling after someday it fades and airlines make the decision to turn it back to white.
White colors also help with maintenance.
Aircraft always undergo inspection after flight. The maintenance department has to spot any dents, cracks and fuel leaks. The white color makes it easy to do this. Additionally, the white color also easily visualizes the corrosion part over the surface.
However, if any accident or mishap happens, the white body is easily detectable in forest or underwater.
Key Points
EleanoWhite is inexpensive, compared to other colors.
White shows less dirt, and thus requires less washing to keep it nice looking.
White color reflects more light than other colors, therefore it’s easier to see, especially at night.
Under sun white is more cooler than other colors.
White doesn’t fade or oxidize as quickly as other colors.
Painting flaws don’t show as easily with white paint.
White provides good contrast with other markings and colors.r Harris (American, 1901-1942)
The white paint is most suitable for aircraft and scientists are working toward getting a coating which is ultra-lightweight, eco-friendly to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
The aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus are planning to find nano-coatings and thin-film technologies to save thousands of dollars in fuel annually.
On the other hand, inspired by nature, advancements in self-cleaning and anti-static paint, like lotus leaves. Meanwhile, smart paints embedded with microscopic sensors that can detect structural issues such as cracks and dents save maintenance time and cost.
Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.
Join us on Telegram Group , Instagram for the Latest Aviation Updates.