Why airplanes are white?

Question

Why airplanes are white?

Answer 1

reflect heat and the only thing cheaper is bare metal

Answer 2

Not all aircraft are white, but many airlines use white as the main color of their livery to help keep the plane cooler when parked in the sun. White reflects more light and heat than darker colors. This is important for two reasons: it requires less fuel be used for air-conditioning while loading\unloading passengers, and if the plane is not in use cooler interior temps do not deteriorate components as quickly.

In the US, US Airways changed their colors scheme from dark blue to white after a merger provided them a hub in Phoenix, in the desert Southwestern section of the country to protect from heat.

   There are still exceptions to the use of white,  American Airline still uses polished bare metal as its main color.

  Looking at the later responses, Been Dere is the only one that has added any of the other valid, yet secondary reasons.

  I'm amused by those that think somehow white paint weighs less that paints of other colors. These are not house paints - they don't make the colors by mixing extra pigment into white paint.  White paint has white pigment- other colors have other pigments not "more" pigment.  White paint actually requires a higher percentage of white pigment to achieve an opaque layer than a darker color paint does

Answer 3

to reflect heat from the sun and because white is the easiest and cheapest color to paint planes in.

Answer 4

Cherokee Flyer is the only one who has gotten this right so far.  Its all about weight and believe it or not colored paint actually weighs more than non colored paint due to the pigment and dyes that are added to the paint to make it colored.  Now that might not seem like a lot of added weight but think a moment three or four coats of paint (or more depending on the color your using) over the entire skin of an aircraft can add up to a couple of hundred extra pounds for a larger jet liner which in turn is going to not only lower the usefull load of the aircraft but also decrease the distance in which the aircraft can fly.

As for the heat issue yes white paint does reflect light and heat better than darker colors but with aircraft for fuel concerns you actually want to trap that heat and use it.  Hot fuel burns better than cold fuel as it is easier to atomize and mix with the air when either injected into the carburetor, cylinder, or combustion chamber depending on your engine, and gives a better more complete burn.

Answer 5

cost of white paint is less than others, as well as needing less paint to cover.(less weight ) Often times (depending on the color) it takes more coats to get a nice finish.   Its all about the $$$$$

Answer 6

White paint is cheaper than other colors.  There are some planes that have different color paint jobs, but a custom paint job is expensive.  With the Concord the paint actually was a special heat receptive paint.  When flying at mach speeds the friction from the air can make the surface of a plane quite hot.

Answer 7

to reflect heat from the sun

Answer 8

Obviously not all airplanes are white, but the reasons most airplanes are painted white are:

1) White reflects the sun better, keeping the aircraft cooler on the ground and at low altitudes.

2) White is highly visible which aids in collision avoidance

3) Hydraulic and oil leaks are more easily spotted on white paint

4) White paint stays shinier longer than other colors which tend to fade and get chalky in the sun more quickly. Repainting an aircraft is very expensive, so the less often it is needed, the cheaper the airplane is to maintain.

5) White paint is slightly cheaper than other colors except gray and black. The price difference is negligible though when buying paint in the quantities used by the airlines and aircraft manufacturers, so it is usually not a main consideration.

6) As a base color, white goes with all other colors better than any other.

7) While weight is indeed an issue, the pigments in most colors except metallics are not substantially heavier. The reason American Airlines has polished aluminum airplanes is to save weight, and hence fuel.