Pretty in Paint
People
make impressions with their outward appearances, and commercial airline
carriers are no different. If it catches your eye, you just might be tempted
to catch the next flight.
Just about every model of Boeing airplane currently
in production has sported a unique livery in recent years. From U.S. carriers
such as Southwest Airlines and American Airlines to international customers
All Nippon Airways and Qantas, airlines sometimes opt for a distinctive,
customized livery. Even the Boeing house livery has seen a few innovative
touches lately.
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Not just scraping by anymore
While
some may say art is sacred, the artistic application of an airplane's
livery certainly isn't, as decorative painters always are looking for
ways to improve their craft.
Painting an airplane has always been physically demanding work. Commercial
airplane skin panels are covered with a temporary protective coating to
protect the metal from damage or corrosion during the manufacturing and
assembly processes. Paint shop employees use hand-sanders to clean all
previously primed surfaces. Once that's complete, employees climb all
over the aircraft to manually abrade the surface with Scotch-Brite pads
to ensure the primer coat adheres to the metal.
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