Subject: Re: dirty aircraft
From: "Steve Bamford" <[email-masked]>
To: "Dylan Smith" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 10:45:44 -0800

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Dylan Smith 
  To: steve bamford 
  Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2002 3:14 AM
  Subject: dirty aircraft

  HI steve. i have been working around aircraft for about 14 years now and it's about time that i shared some of the stuff that i see every day. i am sending you an article on how aircraft get dirty. all of the images are the right size and dont need cropping. tia dylan ( text as follows)
   
                                                 Dirty airplanes 
   
    Much has been said about what panel lines and weathering look like on "real" airplanes. I work at winnipeg airport as a refueller and i see al kinds of planes every day.  so i decided to do something about it. These are all airliners and not the military planes most of us model,but i think it might be surprising to see just how dirty some of them get
         
  picture 1 "black panel lines are wrong"
   
  well i can tell you that EVERY rivet on this wing is black. all of the panel lines are full of dirt and there is dirt streaking from the flap fairings. also note the fasteners on the wing root fairing  as well as the engine.
   
  picture 2     tail
   
  this is the tail of the the same a-320 as above. you can see all of the screws holding the leading edge panels on.there is some paint streaking at the base of the rudder from leaking hydraulic fluid. the maple leaf is a decal and is starting to peel at the front. also note the differences in the shades of white.
   
  picture 3  "real aircraft don't get that dirty"
   
  yes they do. the line under the windows is a lap joint where one piece of aluminum over laps the other and is filled in with sealant, but the line is quite visible. there are lots of dirt streaks under the windows most likely from a hard canadian winter of deicing fluid(i took these in the spring). and more differing shades of white on the engine. on top of the engine pylon there are vents that tend to blast away the paint,and the leading edge is a satin aluminum finish.
   
  picture 4   a picture of the engine alone
   
  this shows the streaks of oil and dirt on the cowling as well as many paint chips. the warning marks are all faded and peeling,and all of the paint has come off of the rivets on the nose ring .leaving only the black rivets exposed.
   
  picture 5   more underwing
   
  if you look real carefully you will see that the paint has come off of most of the rivets on the side of the fuselage, revealing the pattern of the structure underneath. the flaps have most likely  been removed and cleaned recently, as they are much cleaner than the rest of the wing
   
  picture 6  close up of the engine
   
  a better picture of the engine cowling . the center panel  has been repainted several times just to cover the chips. usually they use a roller for this and it is really rough looking. the oil is really orange but looks more brown here, just the way it photographs i guess.
   
  picture 7  polished aluminum
   
  well this is actually clean but the front of the nacelle gives a good idea of how polished metal looks . the panel at the top of the engine is titanium and is darker and more "oily" than the front. you can see the staining in the concrete from the oil dripping from 737's over the last 25 or so years.

  picture 8  the back end of the same engine
   
  the titanium stands out much better in this one as well as the fasteners . the exhaust area is dull compared to the front but you can still see the fuel truck reflected in it. even though it has been painted recently the panel lines on the wing can be made out .
   
  picture 9   the f-28

  rolls royce speys leak a fair bit of oil as seen here. also the apu has scorched the underside of the engine .it's too bad that this picture doesn't really show the patchy look of the paint. the blue on the tail faded quickly and was touched up frequently.
   
  picture 10   rivet counting  
   
  paint chips really stand out on dark colours. all of the grey paint has come off of the rivets too but it doesn"t show up here. the letters on the nose are peeling as well . the frontside  of the landing gear is dirtier than rear.this is from the snow,ice,and dirt blasting the paint off while going 150mph down a runway.
   
  picture 11 brand spankin new
   
  this is one of westjets new 737-300s even on a brand new airplane you can still make out some panel lines. although not as prominent as on the a 320 they are still visible
   
  picture 12  wheels and tires
   
  yes tires are dark grey but they get coated with brown brake dust quickly. weels are gloss grey,silver or white. but they turn black quickly from the heat of the brakes. this is the only one i could find that wasn't coated in black dust, but it is starting to build up .
   
  picture 13  the hot section
   
  not much to say here but a good shot of the titanium bits for reference. the black thing on the left with the blue label on it is the fuel hose.

  I hope that this helps settle some of the arguments that rage over panel lines. i have tried to go from one extreme to the other to show from the dirtiest to the cleanest.because these aircraft see way more flying time than most military jets do( they don't make any money sitting on the ground) they get pretty filthy. and even gloss paint soaks up quite a bit of dirt.   dylan