Most passengers probably don’t know why or has not even occurred to them why plane are mostly painted white. This article talks about why airplane are in white paint.
There are many reasons why airplanes/aircrafts/aeroplanes/planes are painted white and not limited to these 4 below reasons.
1. It doesn’t easily fade.
When flying at high altitudes, airplanes are utterly exposed to numerous atmospheric conditions. coloured aircraft tend to fade over time, and therefore need repainting to take care of their aesthetic charm. except for the actual fact that paint adds significant weight to an aircraft –meaning a lot of fuel is burned – the paint itself costs money, too.
On the other hand, an airplane that’s painted white or a light color doesn’t seem considerably completely different even after spending a major quantity of time in the air.
2. It reduces bird strikes.
A bird strike is defined as a collision between a bird and an aircraft which is in flight or one that is taking off, landing, or in low altitude flight. Bird strikes are common and can be a significant threat to aircraft safety.
White exteriors can enhance aircraft visibility and potentially increase its detection and avoidance by birds. Darker aircraft colour schemes, on the other hand, could possibly reduce the contrast between aircraft and the visual background. In turn, this may reduce the ability of birds to detect aircraft in sufficient time to avoid collision.
3. It allows signs of damage to be detected more easily.
For safety reasons, commercial aircraft are regularly checked for forms of surface damage such as cracks and dents, etc.
When white paint is used to on airplanes, these dents, oil spills and other faults are almost always darker than white, allowing them to be identified and repaired swiftly.
4. It reflects sunlight.
The main reason why aircraft are painted white or light colours is to reflect sunlight. Other colours as we all know absorb most of the light. And when this happen, it is crucial and in turn, heats up the body (Fuselage) of the airplane.
Painting a passenger plane white minimises both the heating and potential damage from solar radiation not only when the airplane is in flight, but also when it’s parked on the apron, ramp or the runway.
