Bare Metal Vs Painted Finish

SpareParts · Post by **SpareParts** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 10:43 am

I know this may be common knowledge to most of you, but why do many planes have the bare metal finish? Camouflage is an obvious reason to have an aircraft painted. Keeping out of sight of an enemy has obvious advantages, I would reckon. So why are many aircraft bare metal? Seems like it makes them stick out like a sore thumb. I think US planes are the only ones to have done this.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

kimtheredxd · Post by **kimtheredxd** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 11:21 am

the reason I was told was late in the war we had such air superiority that camouflage paint was not necessary any more(but i could be wrong there is a first for everything

) It made the planes lighter for one thing.Plus I think some pilots even had there fighters waxed to help with speed not sure if that's true or not though. The Navy kept there planes painted for camouflage reasons and to protect from the ocean environment.

nooker21 · Post by **nooker21** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 11:34 am

I heard it was a weight thing as well. If you think about it, paint adds hundreds of pounds to a plane, and reduces fuel effeciency. Why bother with it for the bombers and escort fighters thousands of feet up there?

Birddog · Post by **Birddog** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 12:20 pm

From what I've read it was a bit of both.

tmanthegreat · Post by **tmanthegreat** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 1:08 pm

I've heard it was the weight thing as well. Think of how many extra pounds go into covering the surface of an aircraft with OD and Gray paint. Then it could also have been a production time (and cost) saving procedure - you don't have to spend those few extra minutes painting the aircraft when it gets off the assembly line.

Post by **aferguson** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 3:56 pm

weight, time, cost and drag. Flat paint causes drag compared to bare metal. So you end up with a faster, higher flying airplane, if you don't paint it. You really want to be sure of air superiority because, as stated, bare metal really stands out.

Of course some planes had a combination of bare metal and camo paint eg Lou IV, HHH etc, an effort to get the best of both worlds. In front of and behind the canopy was painted to protect the pilot's eyes from glare.

Interestingly many Japanese planes from mid-war on had bare metal finishes, usually with a camouflage mottle on the upper surfaces and sides. My understanding is that it was to speed up production and to save weight and drag to make the planes go a bit faster and fly higher in order to combat the superior US fighters they were encountering.