Does anyone know why painting an airliners nose black helps avoid bird strikes?

[Simon W]

Does anyone know why painting an airliners nose black helps avoid bird strikes?

Just came across the picture below to illustrate the point:

http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=197678&WxsIERv=QWlyYnVzIEEzNDAtMzEzWA%3D%3D&WdsYXMg=QWlyIEZyYW5jZQ%3D%3D&QtODMg=UGFyaXMgLSBDaGFybGVzIGRlIEdhdWxsZSAoUm9pc3N5KSAoQ0RHI C8gTEZQRyk%3D&ERDLTkt=RnJhbmNl&ktODMp=U2VwdGVtYmVyIDEwLCAyMDAw&WNEb25u=RGFuaWVsIFdlcm5lcg%3D%3D&xsIERvdWdsY=Ri1HTFpS&MgTUQtODMgKE=VGhlIGJsYWNrIGFuZCB3aGl0ZSBub3NlIGlzIHRvIGF2b2l kIGJpcmQgc3RyaWtlcw%3D%3D&YXMgTUQtODMgKERD=Nzgx&NEb25uZWxs=MjAwMS0xMC0yNg%3D%3D&static=yes

[Motormouse]

er,it doesn't

the radome there is in its 'as supplied new' state black neoprene
finish,with an anti-erosion 'cap' fitted to the very front that is white polythene.

bye

[Human Factor]

You'll find that the nose cone of the front fan is often painted with an 'evil eye' swirly thing which is supposed to scare them off (think: 200ft wide albatross heading into my territory at a rate of knots - I'm off). Not sure how effective it is, I have experience of it not working!:eek:

[Canuckbirdstrike]

Aircraft paint schemes have no known effect on increasing visibility to birds. This is another urban legend like using the aircraft weather radar to warn birds, no basis in science.

[Timothy]

I believe that there is evidence that leaving the radome black (ie unpainted) improves radar performance.

Indeed the aircraft I flew with radar (HS125) had a little caption "do not paint" on the radome. However, in it's case the radome was white anyway.

I may, of course be wrong!

W

[Flight Detent]

Many years ago, I was an Airframe/Engine fitter in the RAAF, working in the fibreglass shop, in No. 11 squadron, operating the Lockheed P3B Orion.

We overhauled both the forward and aft radomes for that aircraft, the forward one being coated in black poly, and the rear one getting coated in white.

The P3 has all-around radar coverage, with these two antenna, and I'm not aware of any difference in the performance of the fwd or aft coverage, over many years of flying both the 'B' and 'C' models.

"great times!"

Cheers

[Timothy]

I didn't mean that the colour affected it. I meant that I had heard that the layer of paint did.

Thus a radome would be left whatever colour it started, which, as you say, might be white or black.

But in the cases where it is black it is left black, hence why some airliners have black noses.

Which was the original question, I think.

W

[Windy Militant]

From the dim and distant past I believe that in the early days of Radar the materials available to manufacture radomes were not very receptive to painting this meant that they got to look very tatty in no time at all so it was preferable to leave them black. I think that there's mention of this in the history of The RAE by Reg Turnhill (I can't remember the correct title) A lot of work was done on this at Pendine, firing samples through water sprays on the rocket track in the sixties and early seventies. Originally I believe to allow anti-flash coatings to be applied to the V force however by the time the new coatings were ready for use the V bombers were moved to the low level role and they left the radomes black!

[Firestorm]

Don't know if any of you have seen 'Straight and Level' in Flight International this week, but the photograph at the top of the column illustrates that it doesn't work, at least not for reindeer and Christmas Delivery Executives!;)

[Simon W]

Ah good, I sat there trying to work out why a bird would be less inclined to hit the nose of an aircraft that was black and now I know...... it doesn't make the blindest bit of difference. Thanks for answering :)

[Hew Jampton]

You'll find that the nose cone of the front fan is often painted with an 'evil eye' swirly thing which is supposed to scare them off It's to assist the headset person to tell that the fan is rotating the correct way before/during start.

[phnuff]

I thought it had the swirly thing on to warn people on the ground rather than birds.

THINKS ' 6 foot mincing machine - I wont put my arm in there' !