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This refers to a paint scheme run by the French government. These colours are often found in French military applications.
AIC stands for Airbus Interior Colour. This refers to a paint scheme run by Airbus. These colours are often found in Airbus interior applications such as walls, seats and overhead bins.
BAC stands for Boeing Aircraft Colour. This refers to a paint scheme run by Boeing. These colours are found in Boeing interior and exterior applications.
CIE L*a*b* refers to a method of measuring a colour. L* is the lightness, a* is the redness/greenness and b* is the yellowness/blueness. Knowing the CIE coordinates allows technicians to match closely to a predefined colour.
Most industrial paints traditionally contained solvents as part of their chemical make up. Conventional solids refers to the original formulation, with newer technologies such as "High Solids", "Water Reducible" and "Water Based" carrying less or no solvents. Generally speaking, conventional solid content is between 60% and 65%.
Delta E refers to the unit of measure that identifies how far away from a master colour a sample is. Different organisations require different Delta E tolerances. For example, MIL-PRF-85285 requires a colour to be within Delta 1 of the master to pass the colour test. the higher the Delta E, the further away from the master sample it is.
DOI refers to how much like a mirror the final finish on an aircraft is. General aviation customers often look for a high DOI. One popular test is to hold your watch up to the surface to see how easy it is to read the time.
The dry film thickness/dry film weight refers to the recommended thickness at which the paint should be applied to be able to deploy it's performances and characteristics, such as weight, corrosion inhibiting properties, flexibility and coverage.
The dry to dust refers to the stage at which the paint film has hardened enough that it no longer attracts or retains dust from the air.
The dry to sand refers to the stage at which the paint film has hardened enough to be abraded with sanding paper.
The dry to tape refers to the stage at which the paint film has hardened sufficiently to allow tape to be applied for masking without lifting or damaging the coating.
The dry to touch refers to the stage at which the paint surface has hardened enough to be touched without leaving fingerprints or marks.
The epoxy refer to topcoats known for their excellent adhesion, abrasion resistance, and chemical durability, making them ideal for environments exposed to solvents, fuels, and mechanical wear.
The flash off refers to the required time that should pass between the application of successive coats or before forced cure in the oven. It is used to allow the solvent to escape the drying film.
This refers to a paint finish with a gloss level of less than X gloss units.
FS stands for Federal Standard, and this is a selection of colours managed by the US government under Federal Standard 595.
This refers to a paint finish with a gloss level of more than X gloss units.
The hiding power of a paint refers to its ability to hide the surface beneath it. A high hiding power will generally mean fewer coats, saving time and weight.
Following on from conventional solids, high solid formulations were developed to reduce the amount of solvent included in a paint. Generally speaking, high solid content is between 35% and 40%.
The induction time refers to the mandatory waiting period between the mixing of the paint components and the application of the product. It is needed to induce the initial chemical reaction of the product. The lack of induction time may compromise both the application and the final properties of the paint.
Mica refers to a natural substance that is often added to paints to provide a metallic effect. This is especially common in general aviation applications.
The mix ratio refers to the ratio of different components that must be combined to achieve the final sprayable paint. Any mistake in the mixing ration may compromise the application and final properties of the paint.
PMS stands for "Pantone Matching System". This refers to another popular group of colours used in aerospace e coating systems.
The polyurethane refers to topcoats known to strike a balance between the toughness of epoxy and the aesthetic and UV performance of acrylics. These are often the go-to finish coats for aircraft exteriors.
Learn More About Polyurethane Here
The pot life refers to the period of time in which the mixed paint can be used. Pot life is influenced by temperature, where higher temperatures can shorten the pit life. The use of a paint mix beyond pot life can compromise both the application and the final properties of the paint.
RAL refers to Reichs-Ausschuß für Lieferbedingungen. This organisation manages a series of paint colours commonly found in German aviation and industrial companies.
Refresh Primers refer to special primers that can be applied over existing primer systems. These coatings help save time for the user, removing the need to sand the primer off the substrate.
This refers to a paint finish with a gloss level of between X and X gloss units.
The theoretical coverage refers to a calculated value representing the area that can be coated by a given quantity of paint, assuming a 100% transfer efficiency with no paint loss during spraying.
To combat the use of solvented thinners adding additional solvent content to paint systems, water reducible paints were developed. These paints use water (tap, deionised or demineralised depending on the paint) to thin the coating for application.
