BREECH wrote:

WIederling wrote:

you still see the greenish coatings on AL parts. ( see the A350 nose as an example.)
nothing has changed actually.
Plastics tend to get that beige or on occasion greyish primer coat and
for some select parts are finished up with the customer airlines livery.
( see any A380 for what gets either type of coating.
tailcone : CFRP : beige or airline finish.)

Thank you very much for the info. Do you also happen to know WHY they're primering the "plastics"? Alumin(i)um is coated to avoid oxidation... oxidization?... whichever is correct. But plastics don't really oxidize, do they? In today's world where "one olive saves 100 million" (according to Jetblue), why spend money and time to paint what cannot deteriorate in the elements?

hkcanadaexpat wrote:

777Mech wrote:

DL #3 should deliver on October 3rd and fly immediately afterwards to MSP for its prior to service induction. No more will be done at ACJC.

Do you not mean November 3? October 3 is in two weeks and the frame is still not painted, no engine run, not RTO and no flights!

Tedd wrote:

Just like anything with a gloss ( shine ) coat, car, fridge, plastic bumpers, & carbon planes, it needs a primer
at some point, so sooner the better.

maortega15 wrote:

Primer is also used for paint to stick similar to how you would prime your walls before painting it in the color of your choice.

BREECH wrote:

Tedd wrote:

Just like anything with a gloss ( shine ) coat, car, fridge, plastic bumpers, & carbon planes, it needs a primer
at some point, so sooner the better.

maortega15 wrote:

Primer is also used for paint to stick similar to how you would prime your walls before painting it in the color of your choice.

Thank you, dear sirs!

I'm sorry if I'm testing your patience or actually breaking any rules (green on green here!), but if they use primer, do they then have to rub it (with sandpaper or otherwise) to give it the "key" for the paint to stick to?

maortega15 wrote:

Some videos worth watching:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESym_Gftu5k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3_IP4zoW9I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2_zmAiSw9s

BREECH wrote:

Thank you very much for the info. Do you also happen to know WHY they're primering the "plastics"? Alumin(i)um is coated to avoid oxidation... oxidization?... whichever is correct. But plastics don't really oxidize, do they? In today's world where "one olive saves 100 million" (according to Jetblue), why spend money and time to paint what cannot deteriorate in the elements?

7BOEING7 wrote:

I had heard (although I can't find anything to back it up) that bare composite airplanes (787) couldn't be left out in the sun (or just outside in general) without issues.

BREECH wrote:

maortega15 wrote:

Some videos worth watching:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESym_Gftu5k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3_IP4zoW9I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2_zmAiSw9s

Thank you very much. I have to say, I've seen those before and that's exactly why I have all those questions. When an aircraft's livery is white, they paint it white. But if it's colored, they... still paint it white and then paint the color. So it looks like the colored planes have THREE coats: the aluminium/plastics primer, the white coat and then the main color coat. OR MAYBE white planes also get two paint coats, just the second one cannot be seen because it's white-on-white. I'd REALLY love to know how it's actually done. National Geographic tried to explain it in their Ultimate Airport Dubai series, but... their idea of an aircraft engine start is "compressed air pushed on the piston and then ingnition is turned on", so I'm not sure their expertise is too valuable.

mat66 wrote:

StTim wrote:

Well done Airbus

Yes indeed. I'm just wondering if this is the first time this or any test airplane transports non airbus/customer employees and press. If there is some kind of permit for it, it might have been waivered for this special circumstance.

Tedd wrote:

BREECH wrote:

WIederling wrote:

you still see the greenish coatings on AL parts. ( see the A350 nose as an example.)
nothing has changed actually.
Plastics tend to get that beige or on occasion greyish primer coat and
for some select parts are finished up with the customer airlines livery.
( see any A380 for what gets either type of coating.
tailcone : CFRP : beige or airline finish.)

Thank you very much for the info. Do you also happen to know WHY they're primering the "plastics"? Alumin(i)um is coated to avoid oxidation... oxidization?... whichever is correct. But plastics don't really oxidize, do they? In today's world where "one olive saves 100 million" (according to Jetblue), why spend money and time to paint what cannot deteriorate in the elements?

Just like anything with a gloss ( shine ) coat, car, fridge, plastic bumpers, & carbon planes, it needs a primer
at some point, so sooner the better.

WIederling wrote:

Tedd wrote:

BREECH wrote:

Thank you very much for the info. Do you also happen to know WHY they're primering the "plastics"? Alumin(i)um is coated to avoid oxidation... oxidization?... whichever is correct. But plastics don't really oxidize, do they? In today's world where "one olive saves 100 million" (according to Jetblue), why spend money and time to paint what cannot deteriorate in the elements?

Just like anything with a gloss ( shine ) coat, car, fridge, plastic bumpers, & carbon planes, it needs a primer
at some point, so sooner the better.

And you want all open fibers covered. No UV, no water.
( Look at any glass fiber "thingy" that has been weathered for some time.
pigment filled gel coat turns matte and rough while the places without
start to loose the binding resin and the fibers start to fray out. )

Slug71 wrote:

The whites should also get 2 coats. The first white coat is also a primer as far as I know. If you just painted over the initial primer, the end result wouldn't be true as the undercoat would alter the colour.

I think that's pretty much a general rule when painting any thing really.

WIederling wrote:

And you want all open fibers covered. No UV, no water.
( Look at any glass fiber "thingy" that has been weathered for some time. pigment filled gel coat turns matte and rough while the places without start to loose the binding resin and the fibers start to fray out. )

KarelXWB wrote:

MSN 145 MK #1 initial engine run this morning.


First engine run msn145 F-WZNN 19/9/2017 by A380_TLS_A350, on Flickr

KarelXWB wrote:

MSN 145 always had the correct flag painted, it's MSN 157 that misses the green paint.

StTim wrote:

Which frame is in the background?

BOAC1966 wrote:

Assume flutter tests have been completed. Does AB announce the route proving schedules? I see that that F-WLXV, I believe with full cabin, has been more active suggesting route proving in coming weeks?

hkcanadaexpat wrote:

MSN 142 (TG #7) sporting its final regs this morning. HS-THH. Delivery imminent.

A330freak wrote:

MSN60, Sichuan's first A350. What an amazing special livery!

hkcanadaexpat wrote:

MSN 145 (MK #1) just completed its RTO. First flight scheduled for tomorrow.

hkcanadaexpat wrote:

A330freak wrote:

MSN60, Sichuan's first A350. What an amazing special livery!

And that's MSN 153 (HX #2) unpainted behind it also on the flight line.

BobMUC wrote:

hkcanadaexpat wrote:

MSN 145 (MK #1) just completed its RTO. First flight scheduled for tomorrow.

On it's way to it's FF:
https://www.flightradar24.com/AIB01NN/ef375a1

Airbus A350 -941 134 OH-LWL Finnair delivery 22sep17 TLS-HEL “Marimekko Kivet” cs ex F-WZGY