N270DS

[Colin]

Is Daniel Caplinger on here?

I just saw his DA40 at KOWD (Norwood, MA) and was surprised by the paint job. Does this mean the factory is getting colors for the DA40? Or allowing them if it is on the lower half of the plane?

[BlueYonder]

I know that this year's new models are coming in all kinds of wonderful all-over colors: top-to-bottom blue, red, gold, etc.

Not sure if this is because of a change to the composite they're using now; or if it's the same old stuff they've always used, but they've finally decided it's safe to put full-body paint on it.

Will be interesting to know which it is. Because if it's the latter, the Blue Yonder will, in fact, be blue as soon as I can schedule the paint job.

[gordsh]

I was at the factory 2 weeks ago to pick my plane after ADSB, Avidyne upgrade and asked about this. I was told that the new models now have the colour infused in the composite material as on the new DA42 VI and DA62. I was also told to stay tuned as the DA40s will have full colour options as well.

[BlueYonder]

Still hoping we can get an answer to Colin's original question about lower-half paint colors. Has there been a change to the spec on existing planes?

[Colin]

The factory wrote back and said there was no change. They referred to the manual section for the DA42, since they know what I fly, but I imagine it is similar in the DA40. For now.

[CFIDave]

The Aircraft Maintenance Manuals (AMMs) for Diamond models describe which surfaces can be painted, with specific levels of reflectivity (e.g., how dark the paint or vinyl striping can be, and what % coverage is permitted). This is to keep solar radiation from overheating the composite and causing loss of strength.

The DA40 in the photo above may be OK, since lower surfaces can be darker.

To date, only DA62s and newer DA42-VI aircraft (starting with serial 42.N300) have been constructed with a revised composite formula that permits painting the entire airframe with colors other than white. But only certain colors have been approved by the factory (I don't think you could order a black DA62).

If you order a new DA40 (such as the latest DA40NGs being produced), you still can have "any color as long as it's white." There's not yet been any change to this.

I have somewhat mixed feelings about flying a darker painted aircraft. At my home field KJYO with the first US remote tower now in full operation, controllers seem to be having a harder time seeing my gold/silver DA62 via their 15 videocameras and high-def screens. A white aircraft is obviously easier to see.

Little known historical fact: The Wright Brothers painted the structure of their 1907 aircraft -- the first model intended to be sold to the US Army -- silver. This was done to create a "stealth" aircraft that wouldn't show up as well against the sky in black & white photographs -- to help keep competitors from copying the design of their flying machines.

[blsewardjr]

Here's a shot of the DA40-180 at Oshkosh this year. I was told that you can put dark stripes across the top of the engine cowling but not the wings. I was also told that the DA40-180 has been completely re-done in the new composite formula and they expect to start selling ones with colors other than white next year.

[Colin]

I've always liked the paint scheme on Lindbergh-Morrow's plane and wanted to do something similar. When against the sky, you want a dark color for visibility. Against the ground you want a bright one instead. This was Lindy's solution.

[BlueYonder]

Decades ago, an old pilot (ex WWII fighter guy whose post-war job had him flying hundreds of hours per year through the Western mountains) told me that his biggest concern was going down in the Rockies or the Sierra and not being found (this being pre-GPS and pre-ELT). So he advocated very high-contrast color schemes. His preference was a white, bright yellow, or orange body with some combo of big, graphic, white, black, or yellow or orange striping -- a collection of colors that would stand out very distinctly against bare gray rocks, dark tree cover, water, or snowfield.

Always made sense to me. His Bonanza was white with wide black and orange striping -- it vaguely invoked Tony the Tiger. I'm not inclined toward those exact colors myself; but the idea of a plane that's marked in a way that's easier for searchers to spot makes a lot of sense to me. DA40 White with some kind of wide dark or bright striping is a good step in the right direction.

[neema]

Seeing the paint limits below (this is for a 42) gives you some hope, but I haven't had much luck finding paint solar absorptivity associated with colors. Anyone know if anything exists?