原文地址：http://www.telegraph.co.uk
原創翻譯：龍騰網 翻譯：八神疾風
正文翻譯：
Why are planes nearly always painted white?
為什麼飛機幾乎總被噴成白色？
Painting an aircraft with several colours, as opposed to white, adds to its weight which increases fuel costs CREDIT: AP
與白色相比，用多種顏色燃料噴塗飛機會增加它的重量，導致燃料成本增加，美聯社
There are exceptions. Air New Zealand once turned a Boeing 777 into a giant ad for Lord of the Rings, Mango, based in Johannesburg, utilises a bright orange hue, while Siberian carrier S7 tends to colour its planes lime green. But the vast majority of passenger aircraft are painted white. Why?
有些個例，紐西蘭航空為了指環王和Mango曾經把一架波音777變成巨型廣告牌，
在約翰尼斯堡，會使用明亮的成色，與此同時西伯利亞S7航空往往用石灰綠噴塗它的飛機。但是絕大多數客機都噴成白色，這是為什麼？
It’s cheaper
它更便宜
「Paint adds between 600-1,200 lbs (273-544 kg) of weight to an aircraft,」 a spokesperson for Boeing told Telegraph Travel. Extra weight means more fuel is burned, and 544kg equates to around eight passengers.
「油漆會導致一架飛機增重600-1200磅（273-544千克）」波音公司的一個發言人對每日電訊報表示。額外的重量意味著更多的油耗，544千克大致相當於8名乘客的重量。
And airlines take the issue of weight very seriously. In the 1980s, for example, Robert Crandall, the former chief executive of American Airlines, claimed the carrier had made annual savings of $40,000 by removing just one olive from every salad served on board its flights.
航空公司對重量造成的問題非常重視。在八十年代，舉個慄子，美國航空公司前執行長羅伯特·蘭德爾聲稱，從每一份航空餐的沙拉中減少一個橄欖，就能給航空公司每年節省4萬美元。
The paint itself costs money too, and repainting an aircraft uses a lot of it. 「Approximately 120 gallons (454 litres) of paint are used on a typical 747; 90 gallons (341 litres) on a 767; and 110 gallons (416 litres) on a 777, while a typical 787 Dreamliner paint scheme involves 800-1000 lbs (362-453 kg) of paint,」 said Boeing. All told, repainting a plane costs between ￡36,375 ($50,000) and ￡145,503 ($200,000).
油漆本身也很花錢，粉刷一架飛機需要大量的油漆。波音公司表示：「一架典型的747大約消耗120加侖（454升）油漆；767上是90加侖（341升）；777是是110加侖（416升），而一架787夢想飛機塗裝方案需要800磅（362-453公斤）的油漆（倒是接著用加侖啊，不是一個單位怎麼比？）」總而言之，粉刷一架飛機的成本在36375英鎊（50000美元）到145503英鎊（200000美元之間）。
Furthermore, airlines often end up selling their aircraft to other carriers. They will find it harder to do so if the colour scheme is anything but white.
此外，航空公司通常在最後會把飛機賣給其他航空公司，他們發現，除了白色以外的任何顏色配色都會讓這件事做起來更困難。
Reducing the plane’s heat absorption as much as possible keeps cooling costs down. CREDIT: AP
降低飛機的熱量吸收，儘可能的降低冷卻成本。來源：美聯社
It keeps the plane cool
它使飛機保持低溫
In the same way that lighter colours dominate our summer wardrobes because they are cooler, aircraft are painted white to reflect sunlight.
淺色系衣服主宰我們夏季的衣櫃也是同樣的道理，因為它們是冷色調，飛機被塗成白色以反射陽光。
「The main reason why aircraft are painted white or light colours is to reflect sunlight and minimise both the heating and any potential damage from solar radiation,」 R. John Hansman, Aeronautics and Astronautics professor, told Business Insider.
航空航天大學教授「R. John Hansman，透露了商業內幕： 「最主要的原因，飛機被塗成白色或淺顏色是為了反射陽光，減少了熱量吸收和任何來自太陽輻射的潛在損害，
Plane features made of plastic and composite materials such as carbon fiber and fiberglass need the most protection from the heat of the sun. Therefore parts such as the nose cone of the plane, where the aircraft radar lives, and the control surfaces, which are made of composite materials, are all usually painted white or light grey, he explained.
他解釋手，由塑料和複合材料（如碳纖維和玻璃纖維）製成的飛機特點最需要防止來自太陽熱量的傷害。因此，諸如飛機的鼻錐，飛機雷達的壽命，以及由複合材料製成的控制表面等部件，通常都被漆成白色或淺灰色。
Concorde had to be painted with a special highly reflective white paint so it could withstand the heat generated from supersonic travel.
協和式飛機必須塗上一種特殊的高反射性白色油漆，這樣才能抵禦超音速飛行產生的熱量。
「The power was gained using an engine reheat, where fuel is pumped into the jet pipe and set alight to give extra thrust,」 British Airways said. 「Concorde reached 127°C at the nose and trailing edge, but special white paint helped reflect and radiate heat. Its reflectivity was 80 out of 100, compared to the rating of normal white paint of 45-50 out of 100.」
英國航空公司說：「這種動力是通過發動機二次加熱獲得的，燃料被泵入噴射管中，並點燃以提供額外的推力。」
協和式飛機在機頭和後緣達到127°C，但特殊的白色油漆有助於反射和散熱。其反射率為百分之80，相對應的，正常白漆的反射率為40-50%。」
The Concorde was painted with a special highly reflective white paint CREDIT: GETTY
協和式飛機被噴上了特殊白色高反射率油漆
Damage control
損管
The white colour of most aircraft makes it easier for any cracks, dents, oil spills and other faults to be identified and repaired swiftly.
大多數飛機使用的白色油漆可以使任何裂紋、凹痕、漏油和其他故障更容易識別和修復。
Search and rescue
搜救
It depends where the crash occurs, but, should a plane go down, a white fuselage may well be easier to spot more from the air - another good reason for avoiding colour.
這取決於空難發生的地點，但是如果一架飛機墜毀，一個白色的機身更容易從空中識別--這也是避開其他顏色的原因
Reducing bird strikes
減少鳥類撞擊
Aircraft visibility could be enhanced by white or brightly-coloured exteriors to potentially increase its detection and avoidance by birds, according to research, such as a US study published in the science journal Human-Wildlife Interactions in 2011.
通過使用白色或其他鮮豔的顏色使飛機的能見度提高，可以讓鳥類更容易發現和規避，例如發表在2011年《人類與野生動物相互作用科學期刊》上的一項美國的研究。
The study looked at the correlation between bird strike rates among different airlines and aircraft colour schemes, assuming that 「Darker aircraft colour schemes could potentially reduce the contrast between aircraft and the visual background [and] potentially reduce the ability of birds to detect aircraft in sufficient time to avoid a strike,」 the report said.
這項研究觀察了不同航空公司的飛機的配色方案和鳥類的撞擊率之間的相關性
報告稱，假設「暗色系的飛機顏色方案也許會降低飛機與視覺背景之間的對比度（並且）減少鳥類發現飛機以避免撞擊的（反應）時間」
Does this mean colourful aircraft are more risky to fly?
這是否意味著色彩鮮豔的飛機會遭遇更多的飛行危險？
The Civil Aviation Authority says not. 「There are no requirements from a safety point of view regarding aircraft paint schemes,」 a spokesperson told Telegraph Travel.
民航局說然而並不是。（民航局）一位發言人告訴每日電訊報記者：「從安全的角度來看，關於飛機塗裝方案沒有要求。」
Coloured features on planes also tend to fade and whiten over time due to oxidisation, Mr Hansman notes, following long-term sun exposure and other environmental factors.
Hansman先生指出，長時間暴露於陽光直射和其他環境因素下，隨著時間的推移而發生的氧化，（會使）飛機的顏色特徵同樣會褪色和變白。
Emirates A380 in numbers | Painting the world's biggest passenger plane
阿聯航空數量眾多的A380|世界上最大的客機塗裝（需求）
6,000小時
Hours it took to paint the aircraft during its latest paint job in 2016.
6000小時
這架飛機在2016年的塗裝工作中花費的小時數
3,046
Area of the plane in square kilometres that is covered in paint.
3046平方公裡
飛機所用的油漆（能夠）覆蓋的面積
1,100
Kilograms of paint used over seven coats.
1100kg
七層油漆總重量
34
People required to paint the aircraft.
34人
塗裝這架飛機的工人數量
15
Days it took to complete the paint job.
15天
完成這項塗裝工作需要的時間
7.5
Average wait period in years before the aircraft is repainted.
7.5年
在飛機重新塗裝前需要等待的時間
Why bother painting planes at all?
為什麼要為飛機的塗裝操心？
Until just after the Second World War, most aircraft exteriors were left unpainted, or decorated with only the airline emblem, for economical reasons.
知道第二次世界大戰，大多數飛機的外表沒有塗裝，或者處於經濟方面的考慮，（飛機）只有航空公司的標誌
Even in modern times some airlines have avoided using paint on their aircraft. American Airlines, for one, has been known for its bare aluminium look. But, while this saves money, it leaves the aircraft exposed and unprotected, especially in harsh weather conditions.
即使在現代，一些航空公司也避免在它們的飛機上使用油漆。舉個慄子，美國航空公司以其飛機裸露的鋁而聞名。
Historically, some airlines have attempted to avoid using any paint on their aircraft, such as American Airlines CREDIT: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
歷史上，一些航空公司試圖避免在自己的飛機上使用任何油漆，比如美國航空公司 信息：維基
「Those planes would start to tarnish over time so they had to spend time and money to polish them frequently. So, most airlines now use light coloured paint,」 Mr Hansman said.
Hansan先生表示：「這些飛機會逐漸失去光澤，所以他們不得不花費時間和金錢來頻繁地維護它們。」因此，大多數航空公司現在都使用淺色塗料。
「Paint is more than aesthetic; it affects the weight of the aircraft and protects the integrity of the airframe,」 says the US Federal Aviation Association (FAA).
「塗裝不僅僅關乎審美;它會影響飛機的重量同時保護機身的完整性。」美國聯邦航空協會(FAA)說。
「A properly painted aircraft is easier to clean and maintain because the exposed surfaces are more resistant to corrosion and dirt, and oil does not adhere as readily to the surface.」
一架適當噴塗的飛機更容易清潔和保養，因為裸露的表面更耐腐蝕和耐髒，同時油不容易附著在表面上
The process of painting a plane
噴塗一架飛機的流程
「Commercial plane skin panels arrive at Boeing covered with a temporary coating to protect the metal from damage or corrosion during the manufacturing and assembly processes,」 said Bill Dill, a decorative paint manager at Boeing’s commercial aircraft factory in Everett, Washington.
Bill Dill是一位波音公司華盛頓埃弗雷特的商用飛機製造廠的裝飾漆經理，他說:「商用飛機的皮膚面板上覆蓋著一層臨時塗層，以保護金屬在製造和組裝過程中免受損壞或腐蝕。」
At a glance | The aircraft painting process
飛機噴漆過程的一瞥
It takes approximately four to seven days to paint a commercial jetliner.
噴塗一架商用噴氣客機大約需要4到7天的時間。
Each paint hangar shift and crew has approximately 16 people assigned – 12 painters, a team lead, a mixer, an air raid person who monitors waste and hands out equipment, and a safety spotter.
每一個油漆機庫用來輪班的工作人員大約有16人- 12名，一個團隊領導，一個調色師，一個空氣突擊監察人員，負責監督廢物和分發設備，以及一個安全觀測員。
This is replicated over three shifts for a 24-hour operation. Providing a crisp, clear paint exterior is the goal for every plane that enters a hangar.
這是一個24小時不停三班倒的操作。為每個進入機庫的飛機提供一個清晰、乾淨的外部漆面。
New airplanes arriving from the factory or the field are initially masked and washed in the paint hangar using a diluted soap and water mixture.
從工廠或外地來的新飛機最初使用稀釋的肥皂和水混合物在油漆機庫裡進行掩蔽和清洗
Next, the airplane is sanded and then re-washed before the paint sequence begins.
然後，飛機被打磨拋光，然後在噴漆工序開始之前重新清洗。
Many of the world’s leading airlines』 jetliners are painted using MICA – a simulated metallic that is actually a plastic flake – which provides a nice metallic shine.
許多世界領先的航空公司的噴氣式客機都是用雲母——一種本質上是塑料的模擬金屬噴塗，它提供了一種很好的金屬光澤。
Painter tools include tape, paper and engineering-designed, precut stencils, while paint is applied using HVLP (high volume low pressure) and electrostatic spray equipment prior to curing.
油漆工的工具包括膠帶、紙張、工程設計、預切模板、塗漆使用HVLP(高體積低壓)和靜電噴塗設備。
Source: Boeing
來源：波音公司
The second layer is considered a polish, while the third is a more decorative layer, when the plane’s upper half, vertical stabiliser and rudder are fully painted, using colours if required.
第二層被認為是一種拋光，而第三層則是一層更有裝飾性的塗層，當飛機的上半部分，垂直穩定器和方向舵被完全粉刷，如果需要的話使用彩色。
The weight of the paint job differs according to whether two or three layers are used. 「While the lighter weight of a polished plane saves fuel costs, the savings are more than offset by the higher cost of washing, polishing, and painting a polished fuselage throughout its service life,」 says Boeing.
噴漆作業產生的重量根據是否使用兩層或三層而有所不同。波音公司表示:「雖然拋光飛機（使得）重量較輕，節省了燃料成本，但在整個使用壽命期間，清洗機、拋光和拋光機的成本更高，這大大超過了節省費用。」