Go3Team From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 3266 posts, RR: 21 Reply 2, posted (7 years 5 months 1 week 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 2085 times:
Mack8994 From Canada, joined Jan 2006, 57 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (7 years 5 months 1 week 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 2049 times:
Quoting Daleaholic (Reply 1): I'm not sure how they do it, but I know they did a bad job on this one...
I agree! I think there is another thread on here discussing the why (i.e., pilot program for cost reductions). But IMO, it really does not look good at all.
Gr8Circle From Canada, joined Dec 2005, 2993 posts, RR: 4 Reply 4, posted (7 years 5 months 1 week 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 2019 times:
Quoting Go3Team (Reply 2): Someone went against the grain on that one. Horrible job.
I think the AC aircraft pictured above is done quite well....reasons why it doesn't look good in this pic are:
1. Sudden change of appearance - people take time to adjust to anything new..
2. The sky is cloudy, but with broken clouds....what seems to be a 'bad job', on closer inspection, is actually the reflection of the cloudy sky...take a closer look at the pic...
Wedgetail737 From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 5566 posts, RR: 5 Reply 5, posted (7 years 5 months 1 week 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 2005 times:
It all has to do with the quality of the skin that the airline decides to buy for their airplanes. Some order the polished skins like AA and AM. Most others buy the unpolished skins. You will not get that imaculate (sp?) polished look when you try to polish an unpolished skin.
The maintenance cost is higher for polished skin because you have to keep in polished. At a certain point, the airline will have to replace the old skin with new skin.
474218 From United States of America, joined Oct 2005, 6340 posts, RR: 9 Reply 6, posted (7 years 5 months 1 week 21 hours ago) and read 1824 times:
The reason the bare aluminum AC 767 looks like it does is because it was previously painted. Paint does not adhere well on aluminum, and several steps are required for good paint adhesion. One step is to etch the surface. Etching can be done in several ways, both chemically or mechanically. Chemical treatments actually open up the pores of the aluminum allowing the paint to stick. The mechanical method can be as simple as rubbing the surface with an abrasive compound or scotch brite pads. When the paint is removed and the surface is polished the pure aluminum (alclad) surface appears dull, because of this prior treatment. Look at the pictures of the Eastern L-1011's and DC-9's they stripped and compare them to the 757's which came from the factory polished. The L-1011's and DC-9's just do not shine like the 757's.
EMBQA From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 9292 posts, RR: 12 Reply 7, posted (7 years 5 months 1 week 21 hours ago) and read 1806 times:
Quoting 474218 (Reply 6): The reason the bare aluminum AC 767 looks like it does is because it was previously painted.
That is exactly the reason....!! Previously painted aircraft and skin panels are all but impossiable to get looking good again if you choose to go to polished. The process to paint an aircraft actually etches the surface of the of the skin panels and if it has been striped, sanded and re-painted you'll have that to deal with.
Nosedive From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 10, posted (7 years 5 months 1 week 14 hours ago) and read 1648 times:
Quoting Gr8Circle (Reply 4): I think the AC aircraft pictured above is done quite well....reasons why it doesn't look good in this pic are:
1. Sudden change of appearance - people take time to adjust to anything new..
2. The sky is cloudy, but with broken clouds....what seems to be a 'bad job', on closer inspection, is actually the reflection of the cloudy sky...take a closer look at the pic...
N1120A From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 25869 posts, RR: 79 Reply 11, posted (7 years 5 months 1 week 12 hours ago) and read 1588 times:
Buckieboy From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 13, posted (7 years 5 months 1 week 7 hours ago) and read 1481 times:
Quoting Wedgetail737 (Reply 5): When the paint is removed and the surface is polished the pure aluminum (alclad) surface appears dull, because of this prior treatment.
I studied Industrial Chemistry at University and I have to contest this statement. I know, you shouldn't believe everything you read on the internet, however the first sentence of the second paragraph explains why the aircraft's surface will never be 100% "shiny".
"A clean aluminium surface is reactive and will react spontaneously with water or air and form aluminium oxide."
For anyone old enough to have aluminium kitchenware, try a simple experiment: make a small scratch and you will shiny, bare metal. Leave in a moist environment and the "wound" will heal. This due to the formation of the oxide layer, which gives excellent corrosion resistance as can be read in the attachment.
474218 From United States of America, joined Oct 2005, 6340 posts, RR: 9 Reply 16, posted (7 years 5 months 1 week 3 hours ago) and read 1322 times:
Quoting Buckieboy (Reply 13): studied Industrial Chemistry at University and I have to contest this statement. I know, you shouldn't believe everything you read on the internet, however the first sentence of the second paragraph explains why the aircraft's surface will never be 100% "shiny".
"A clean aluminium surface is reactive and will react spontaneously with water or air and form aluminium oxide."
For anyone old enough to have aluminium kitchenware, try a simple experiment: make a small scratch and you will shiny, bare metal. Leave in a moist environment and the "wound" will heal. This due to the formation of the oxide layer, which gives excellent corrosion resistance as can be read in the attachment
What you say is true and that is why the airlines with bare aluminum in their livery have to polish them periodically to remove the oxide. By the way, it is that oxide that prevents the paint from sticking to aluminum.
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