Why Most Planes Are White?

Did you know that the majority of planes around the world are white in color? Of course, there will be a few colored stripes, logos, banners, and other decorations, but the base color is still white. Why is that the case one might ask?

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Scientific Explanation Behind It

1. Heat Reflection

As some of you might have known, the white color is the best heat reflector out there considering that it reflects almost all types of light. On top of that this will prevent the build-up of heat inside the plane.

Other colors will highly likely absorb more light, produce more heat, and make it less cost-effective to operate the plane. Aside from it looking dazzling in the blue sky, the white color is also helpful when the plane is on the track during a hot sunny day. It will take a shorter amount of time to cool off the plane before taking off.

2. Easy Inspection

Planes will always undergo thorough and regular inspections to identify any sort of damage on the plane's surface. And of course, it is for the safety of all passengers onboard, and to ease that process white color is the choice to go for since dents or cracks are commonly dark in color making them easier to spot.

Not just that but the white color makes the rust or leaks stand out even more as it leaves a dark color behind.

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3. Accidents

Based on a study conducted by Purdue University, a white-colored fuselage tends to reduce the risk of collisions with a herd of birds in the sky. This is because, in hot or gloomy weather, birds with highly violet-sensitive (VS) and ultraviolet(UVS) pigments are capable of detecting white contrast color chromatically compared with other colors such as blue.

Aside from that, in case of any unwanted events occurring in the middle of an ocean or perhaps on track at night time, the presence of the plane can easily be seen.

Other Reasons

1. Painting Involved High Costs

When it comes to the costs, painting the whole plane will come at a high price, energy, and even time. According to Boeing, the process of painting the whole Boeing Airbus will take between two to seven days depending on the budget.

Boeing also added that each layer of paint will increase the overall weight of the plane adding up more to its operational cost. Most airline companies simply want to avoid such issues.

2. Price Reduction With Other Colors

Let's say you are a multi-billionaire who owns a private jet that is kept in your own personal hangar. Before this, you have painted your plane with your favorite color of choice. If you intend to sell that plane to replace it with a newer one, you must prepare to accept the low price being offered.

This is because most companies of individuals who are about to buy the plane will have to repaint the plane which of course will come at a price as stated previously.

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3. White Color Hardly Fades

When a plane flies at such high altitudes and is exposed to many kinds of atmospheric conditions, the color of the plane will definitely fade over time. Many kinds of maintenance work must be done to ensure that the plane is kept in its esthetic condition.

This however can be reduced by using white color as it is hardly noticeable when the color fades away. But then again there are still some planes out there that are kept in bright colors such as this: