Fair enough. There is a reason that almost every CIVILIAN composite airplane is painted white. Even the Ospreys are medium gray or light desert camo, typically. The 787 tends to be light on top, with the dark colors down on the sides or below or not on the wings - at least in the photos I have seen. Dark colors sitting in the sun will heat up and soften the resins and glues, so the airframe is no longer as strong as intended. Maybe military planes have taken that into consideration, since they are heavily over-built anyway. Not sure. I am only a mechanical engineer and pilot, not an aerospace designer.
Last edited by Earl49; 03-03-2014 at 11:01 AM.
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