I agree, much better.

Then again, anything is better than white.

lee

I think the Jet2 shot really demonstrates the approach config. Very nice.

Lee

Fantastic news. I am sure that the UK will become home to a few European heavies due to the proximity to the atlantic and oil prices. Can only be good news for MAN and BHX.

lee

Great photos Steph.

I managed to get a cheap flight from MAN to TLS last summer and spent a couple of great days spotting from the area prior to the Airbus car parks.

With a good scope i was able to make numerous frames, and saw many test flights on the Monday. Good to see some airline / aircraft combinations that you do not see in Europe.

Well worth grabbing a cheap flight to Nice (which is also a nice spotting environment, sitting next to the sea in the sun) and then pick up a cheap hire car and run along to Toulouse. It is not that far really.

lee

Hmmn, not sure.

Having visitted both the Toullouse and Hamburg Airbus factories, the aircraft components are in various shades of ? anti corrosion ? primer from an early stage. Some of these componets are composites already, so a few 100kg’s of paint is still required.

AAL have always argued that they reap benefits from the reduction in weight (no paint) and the reduced maintenance costs of keeping the aircraft looking good compared to the majority of airlines who claim savings on reduced corrosion and airframe protection of being covered in a few mm of paint.

Q? Are passengers affected by solar radiation more on AAL aircraft due to no anti-radiation paint or does the shiny metal reflect the rays ?

On a similar note, if AAL manage to survive long term, they may be forced into having a livery change, because Boeing as well as Airbus will be making aircraft with composites. AAL will not be able to have the polished bellies that they have always sported.

Having said that, tha AAL A300 fleet have sported both white and grey painted bellies in an attempt to sort of replicate the polished metal look of the Boeings.

~gb~