PDA

View Full Version : The polished metal look to save money?


Truckmasters
30th Mar 2006, 11:00
Air Canada pulls the plug on the polished metal look
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4473/1884/1600/Air%20Canada%20767-200%20C-GDSP%20%28metal%29%28Tko%29%20MIA%20%28BD%29.jpg

Air Canada (Montreal) has decided to not proceed with the polished metal look for their fleet after a three-month test period on a single 767. Removing the white fuselage paint shed approximately 360 pounds which added up to a savings of $24,000 in annual fuel costs. However the increased maintenance costs outweighed these advantages. In addition the test aircraft (C-GDSP) received "low scores" from passengers on the appearance scale.

Copyright Photo: The test airliner, a Boeing 767-233 (C-GDSP, msn 24142), will be repainted shortly. (AirlinersGallery.com)

http://airlinersgallery.********.com/

spannersatcx
30th Mar 2006, 16:11
We're only doing the freighters, I believe, so that shouldn't upset the pax!

Kitsune
30th Mar 2006, 17:03
Get out the DuraGlit spanners............:}

flyer_spotter
31st Mar 2006, 05:17
Yes...not new...,but I'm sure CX will not have their passenger planes naked!

So HIH is out in May in the new silver look?:O

N1 Vibes
31st Mar 2006, 05:31
In the latest issue of Cargo Clan, page 24, gotta love that politically correct literature(!), B-HIH is to receive a 747-400 conversion. It's amaing anybody gets past the centre pages of that wonerfully illustrated document.....;)

Dan Winterland
31st Mar 2006, 07:22
The problem with polished finishes is that they need polishing! Statement of the bleedin obvious, but they do require higher maintenance to look smart. Also, frequent polishing thins the skin (fnarr fnarr!). American Airlines order their aircraft with thicker fuselage skin to take into account what they will remove with the frequent polishing.

However, Northwest have bare metal freighters and they always look pretty sh!tty as they're never polished. Freight doesn't care, so if the managers don't everything's OK! When pointed out that our freighters looked grubby, a managers replied 'A dirty freighter is a working freighter'.

Fr8t M8te
31st Mar 2006, 08:40
In truth I have seen grubbier pax a/c than the frighteners at times. Nevertheless I think they will start to look seedy with the passage of time once the skin starts oxidising(?).

Shame as I think our 'corporate' looking frighteners have always made a bold statement up til now with their colour scheme.

There's no money in freight.:hmm: :hmm:

flyer_spotter
31st Mar 2006, 09:27
JAL Cargo has very nice clean freighters with bare metals too, the workers are doing great job in polishing them regularly.

I was quite surprise how Canada took this step, I mean, none of the successful airlines has freighter-looking passenger planes!:E I guess passengers do care about how the plane they are on looks, that's how they judge whether the airline is good or crap...

There're many passenger planes around the world in filthy conditions...I somehow love seeing dirtty aeroplane when spotting!:O

junior_man
31st Mar 2006, 13:07
Skins are not thicker for polished planes, just a different grade to look nicer. Airbus and Fokkers were made with something you were not supposed to polish (no alclad) but AA has polished "Barebusses" now days.

Polishing is an overnight job for a narrowbody jet. I think they get done about once a year.

betaboy
31st Mar 2006, 14:05
I think it would matter, since, if the good folks at Haeco aren't polishing (or painting), they can be doing other things, like maintaining aircraft. However, it probably makes more sense here than it would in a high-labour cost, unionized environment.

I wonder how much losing that weight would save, per flight, in decreased fuel bills?

7FF
1st Apr 2006, 01:31
Yup, it's all about saving money at the working end so that TT can have an increase in his housing allowance from the HK$2 million plus he now enjoys. SCMP figures.:E

spannersatcx
1st Apr 2006, 08:42
Surely maintenance costs is irrelevant....as we 'own' HAECO/TAECO and how much we charge ourselves to any extra spit & polish is entirely flexible.

Haeco is owned by Swire not CX and is a separate business, as far as I am aware we (CX) are charged a premium for their services, more than other airlines they handle!

Surely maintenance costs is irrelevant don't think so some how!:eek:

BalusKaptan
5th Apr 2006, 13:03
Several weeks ago at the FF (Classic) CP and CFE annouced the Silver Bullet was dead yet now it seems that it is still going ahead. Just goes to show how in the picture the Fleet Management is.

As for the practicalities of the Silver Bullet? Well......there isn't any for the current fleet. When an aircraft is painted the skin must be ettched to ensure the paint 'sticks'. When the paint is removed the etteching of course still remains thus allowing corrosion at an exccessive rate. The cost of the additional fuel for a 'rough' fuselage is much hgher than the fuel saving for the reduced weight.

New builds do not have this problem if they haven't been ettched in ready for painting.

A programme recently to wash and polish the Freighters (and the pax fleet) was introduced to improve the fuel burn. I can't lay my hand on the figures at present however this is recognised by many airlines as very cost efficent even before the soaring cost of fuel.

Denzil
5th Apr 2006, 19:22
The CX fleet have been washed & polished by HAECO for a few years, the difference to the aircraft appearance is very apparent, it must also make some difference to drag!

junior_man
5th Apr 2006, 23:43
Most of the time you can polish up previously painted airplanes without any problem.
Several of the airline mergers in the USA in the late 80's resulted in several hundred formerly painted airliners getting polished. They were no different than their always polished bretheren in either appearance or maintenance required to maintain it.

gotak
13th Apr 2006, 14:58
Talking about naked planes. What would the savings be if they do the same with passengers. Ok ok just kidding but i am sure it would save some weights. But maintainance on the seats might eh offset the costs. :eek:

Re-entry
13th Apr 2006, 16:25
Paint weight 200kg
F/E weight ?

Hmmm...