Originally Posted by
FWAAA
Listen, son - we don't need any citations for the fact that AA does not paint its planes silver. Decades upon decades of polished aluminum speaks for itself.
AA has used decals for the large AA, the word "American" and the tail eagle for many years.
The composite surfaces are painted with grey paint - IIRC, the plastic parts need paint for protection.
The AB6s were painted by Airbus since that company didn't think that polished and waxed aluminum airplanes protected against corrosion, but AA prevailed and stripped the paint a few years after they were delivered.
Except for those 35 AB6s, AA has not painted its mainline planes. Not its DC-3s, its DC-6s, its DC-7s. Not its 707s, nor its 727s, nor its 747s. And no, the current shiny 737s, 757s, 767s and 777s are polished aluminum.
On a totally different tangent, this makes me wonder what AA would do if/when they order some B787's.
Boeing says approx 50% of the 787 will be composites, mostly wings and fuselage.
m