New Paint Scheme?

[ITRADE]

If there is a poll, this would be the one.

Do you like the "bare metal" scheme or the "navy" scheme?

I'm kinda torn. The navy is quite sharp, but there's something nice about the shiny silver colored fuselage.

My only suggestion would be that the titles on the fuselage be painted a different color - the black does not contrast as well.

 

[BoeingBoy]

Ok, now I'm confused as heck.

I had heard about the damage done by the paint shop in New Iberia a while back in "crew room scuttlebutt" and we all know how accurate that can be. Now someone has posted something on the ALPA board about an Airworthiness Directive on the lap joints of the fuselage because of possible delamination (the convertible issue but with different cause) - that means a pilot posted it so consider the source. I've checked and there is an AD out for lap joint inspections, so does anybody have the real scoop on all this.

Jim

 

[W:EXCH:INVOL]

I agree with ITRADE to a point. They do look nice when the skin is shiny, but we all know that look doesn't last forever, then they look like crap. Put some paint back on it. What about a white fuselage, no stripes, and keep the tail the way it is?

 

[AOG-N-IT]

If there is a poll, this would be the one.

Do you like the "bare metal" scheme or the "navy" scheme?

I'm kinda torn. The navy is quite sharp, but there's something nice about the shiny silver colored fuselage.

My only suggestion would be that the titles on the fuselage be painted a different color - the black does not contrast as well.

IMHO...What one likes regarding cosmetics should fall a distant second to what makes sense from an economical standpoint.

I agree that the fuselage logo graphics need some sharper and bolder contrast on the bare metal skin..but lets examine this beyond cosmetics likes and dis-likes.

The "Navy Blue" is not wearing well just for starters. The process of dry washing them and buffing them has had to be addressed while in a scheduled HMV. We also see paint shearing off due in part to a poor surface prep by ARA in New Iberia La. The quality of the paint is likely questionable in the name of cost and vendor savings as well. Touch-ups on these planes tend to make them look like patch-work quilts...and that is not an image we need to be projecting to anyone.

Many if not Most of the Acft are showing a condition known as "Jet Way Rash" around the L1 Entry doors on the B737's and the properly painted Airbus narrow bodies. Attempting to correct this on wears or burns the painted surface further. The B757's and B767's are peeling like snakes as well.

The cost of taking any plane out of service for touch-up or a complete re-painting is a luxury we can't afford at this or any other point in the foreseeable future.

The arguement of this being warranty work where applicable doesn't offset lost revenued time , crew utilization to ferry it to ARA...or certainly not the fuel burn and time and cycles being placed on the aircraft every two to three years to get it back and forth.

Lastly...U is a bigtime presence in the sometimes HOT and often Humid eastern US. The dark fuselage makes these planes much harder to cool while on the ground. ( The term "heat-soaked" comes into play) To make an Acft on the ground comfortable to board takes APU usage or electrical power to perform. Again...energy in any form comes with a hefty price these days.

My opinion is being based on costs and the obvious results we've seen....Keep them bare metal , keep them shined and lets move on with life.

 

[ITRADE]

I can't disagree with you there. Paint as a general matter does add weight. Mutiply that by 365 days by 275+ aircraft, and you've got a good amount of fuel consumption.

How much paint is on a A320? 100 pounds?

 

[aerosmith]

Star alliance paint jobs have been delayed til nov.

 

[ktflyhome]

Thank You AOG. That was very interesting. Gee, I am learning all kinds of neat things, since joining these boards. It's been rather dull be a dumb Hillbilly

 

[BoeingBoy]

I'll only say one thing concerning "bare" airplanes - if we're not going to paint them then keep them shined. Otherwise, they look bad.

Jim

 

[JayBrian]

Is there a cost advantage to not fully painting an aircraft and leaving it bare. Subsequent paintings would only require touch-up or striping and repainting the logos. Or does leaving the bare metal exposed accelerate corrosion issues. I have heard that there is an average 400 lb weight savings without the fuselage painted.

I do like the look though but agree that the "USAirways" logo needs to be bolder or larger.


Jay

 

[AOG-N-IT]

I can't disagree with you there. Paint as a general matter does add weight. Mutiply that by 365 days by 275+ aircraft, and you've got a good amount of fuel consumption.

How much paint is on a A320? 100 pounds?

Figures that I've seen over the years on Boeings would double that figure easily.

The Airbus fleet will require more painted areas regardless of what the final choice happens to be?. Note how the A300-600's that AA has are painted were their B767-300's aren't.

 

[ITRADE]

Good point. I think certain composite sections are green or yellow or something like that. Now, that's a bare color you don't want the flying public to see.

 

[AOG-N-IT]

Is there a cost advantage to not fully painting an aircraft and leaving it bare. Subsequent paintings would only require touch-up or striping and repainting the logos. Or does leaving the bare metal exposed accelerate corrosion issues. I have heard that there is an average 400 lb weight savings without the fuselage painted.

I do like the look though but agree that the "USAirways" logo needs to be bolder or larger.


Jay

JayBrian,

Painting may have some short term benefits...but if the Acft is maintained properly by washing it , using aluminum brightner and insuring it the residue of it doesn't linger..then performing scheduled dry-washes with perscribed waxing additives (which we use already)...thier shold be no concerns at all regarding corrossion. Take AA's Fleet for example....and the numerous years that we ran a bare metal scheme into account.

Touch-ups on our scheme tend to look terrible at present...and we do not need to be projecting a patch-work image to our paying passengers. I only wish people could see what this "touch-up" work looks like up close. It's horrible and very very time consuming. <--- That aspect adds to the cost of labor and materials.

Cost advantages of bare Vs. painted

(1) Added weight of paint increases hourly fuel consumption.

(2) Down time and added labor costs to touch-up paint.

(3) Down time and expenses associated with Acft moving to a non-revenued location to have it painted

(4) Added costs regarding crew usage , fuel and hours and cycles on both the airframe and the engines for such a movement.

(5) Energy cost increases while attempting to cool a "heat soaked" darker fuselage...this is the eastern seaboard where heat and humidity is a factor for a minimum of 4 months out of 12 in most areas we serve.


Just try to imagine what's involved when you multiply that times the number of acft we own..it's staggering , when you consider that we need to be saving money and protecting as many jobs as possible.

 

[ISP]

If I recall, the whole reason US went to the Darth Vader scheme is because the Airbus fleet cannot be silver - if it went unpainted, it is an ugly beige color. If the Boeings were actually left unpainted, the Airbus would have to be painted silver, and the silvers would look quite different.

 

[linemech]

This is definetly not a new paint scheme, recent repairs to the lap joint areas will reqiure frequent reinspections along the top of the fuselage.

Same paint scheme minus blue on top. The stripes and tail remain the same.
Other aircraft continue to be rotated thru the paint facilty, coming out with original paint scheme.


Limemech

 

[delldude]

This is definetly not a new paint scheme, recent repairs to the lap joint areas will reqiure frequent reinspections along the top of the fuselage.

Same paint scheme minus blue on top. The stripes and tail remain the same.
Other aircraft continue to be rotated thru the paint facilty, coming out with original paint scheme.


Limemech

any idea if thats 573 the hangar pig?