1999 q1-painting versus polishing of airplane exterior surfaces

8/13/2019 1999 Q1-Painting Versus Polishing of Airplane Exterior Surfaces

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Painting versus Polishing of Airplane Exterior Surfaces

The decision to paint or polish the metal surfaces of airplanes is basedon marketing, economic, and environmental considerations. Althoughthe net operating cost of polished airplanes is slightly more than that ofpainted airplanes, no compelling reason generally exists to choose onetype of livery over the other. The result is a world fleet made up ofairplanes with surfaces that are mostly painted, mostly polished, or bothpainted and polished.Operators of commercial airplanes base their decisions to paint or polish exteriorairplane surfaces on several considerations. Short- and long-term businessreuirements, as well as the availability of financial, labor, and materialresources, must be evaluated when considering the following factors!

". #arketing.$. %ost.&. 'nvironmental impact.

Marketing(ecause the colors, patterns, and symbols on the exterior of airplanes convey an

image to the public, marketing considerations hold substantial weight in thedecision to paint or polish. )hile some operators believe that their image is bestpresented with a decorative paint scheme, others believe that a polished surfaceworks best. Once established, the markings become the most visible identifier ofan operator at any airport, and they are often retained for many years.

CostOperators must consider all the factors that contribute to total cost when decidingbetween painting or polishing their airplanes!

Airplane purchase price. #aintenance. %orrosion protection.

A*+A' /+%0AS' +*%'

1ecorative painting is included in the base price of an airplane. 0owever, full-fuselage painting, unusual markings, and late revisions may cost more.


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olished and painted airplanes both need to be washed regularly to preservetheir exterior surfaces. 0owever, for the sake of appearance and image, it is notuncommon for polished airplanes to be washed twice as often as fully paintedairplanes. +egular washing protects against corrosion by removingcontaminants. *t also gives maintenance personnel the opportunity to assess thesurface condition of an airplane, which permits operators to predict the date andextent of future maintenance reuired for corrosion and erosion. A mild alkalinedetergent and pure warm water should be used. *t is particularly important towash new airplanes, because the protective oxide film that naturally forms andgrows on aluminum with age is relatively thin and provides little protection. (othpainted and polished surfaces can be adeuately protected from corrosion.3uselage skins are made from Alclad aluminum that consists of a high-strengthcore alloy bonded to a thin layer of pure aluminum or aluminum alloy. )ing skinsare made of bare aluminum and are protected by an impact-resistant paintsystem. olished surfaces are protected from corrosion by regular buffing afterwashing. ainting protects against oxidation, salts, and ;et fuel spills. 0owever,unrepaired chips and cracks in paint collect dirt and moisture and so maybecome corrosion sites. ainted surfaces are also susceptible to filiformcorrosion, or worm corrosion, which begins between metallic surfaces and paintand erodes both. *t creates hydrogen and lifts up the paint layer as it travelsacross the surface.

Environmental ImpactThe choice between painting and polishing must be made after considering anylaws that regulate toxic emissions. ainting has the potential to release volatileorganic compounds 7


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availability of safe solvents and facilities that comply with environmental laws canalso play a role in the choice between painting and polishing.

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Table 1 !ecorative Paint Scheme "eights# $b %&g'

="=-$99

#1->9?-@9

#1-""=&=-=99

=5=-$99

=:=-&99

===-$99

=4=-499

/pper andlower half offuselage andtail paintedpluscustomer

markings

""@754.98

"557=9.&8

4$=7"@&.=8

"=@7>".$8

$&@7"9>.48

$@@7"&5.:8

4=57$"5.58

5557$5".=8

/pper half offuselage andtail paintedpluscustomermarkings

@474$.:8

"$9754.48

&"$7"4".58

"&[email protected]

"5=7=".$8

$9$7@".:8

&&97"4@.=8

&:>7"::.@8

olished skinand customermarkings

$&7"9.48

$57"".&8

457$9.48

$57"".&8

&97"&.:8

497@".:8

597$$.=8

557$4.@8

ess paint reduces takeoff weight and fuel consumption considerably. The weightof paint for a typical decorative paint scheme varies among (oeing airplanes.ote that the paint weights given are representative of a typical paint schemewith a 4-mil 79."9":-mm8 paint thickness. aint thickness varies between &.5 to5.5 mil 79.9>>@ to 9."&@= mm8.milB9.99" in

--------------------------------------------------Table ( Annual )perating Cost !ifferences *elate+ To Paint Scheme %1,,-./S/ !ollars'

Short-range,single-aisle

ong-range,double-aisle


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/pper and lower half of fuselage and tail paintedplus customer markings

(ase (ase

/pper and lower half of fuselage and tail paintedplus customer markings

&$,999 59,999

olished skin and customer markings @$,999 "&$,999

+elative operating costs can be estimated only within a large tolerance toaccommodate wide variation in the complexity of paint schemes and intervalsbetween washings, polishings, and paintings. The cost savings shown for short-range, single-aisle airplanes and long-range, double-aisle airplanes are based onthe activity level of an operator that strenuously maintains the appearance of itsfleet. Another operator could easily experience half of the cost savings shown.

!an 0ansenrincipal 'ngineer

ScientistAirframe !esign(oeing ong (each1ivision

1999 q1-painting versus polishing of airplane exterior surfaces

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