Unexpected reason why most planes are painted white

Ever wondered why most airplanes are painted white?

Watch below, and wonder no more:

If you think about it, planes are pretty crazy.

Hear me out, you're literally flying in a big metal jet thingy that weighs over 400 tonnes, on your way to a completely different location, with a totally different timezone and culture. 'Mad innit'.

Even though planes have been around for over a hundred years now...

Anyway, if you've managed to stay with me so far, you might as well find out why planes are usually painted white.

So, according to Sandi Toksvig, host of BBC Two show QI, there is an unexpected reason as to why we don't fly in rainbow coloured planes.

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The panel - who were discussing the 'strange ways airlines cut costs' - were shocked when Toksvig revealed that the reason why planes are normally painted white and not black is because 'dark paint can add the equivalent weight of eight passengers'.

"Dark paint is heavier because it has more pigments in it," Toksvig says.

"So, if you look at a plan, you'll see most of them are of a lighter colour."

Now, Menkor Aviation - who specialise in the chartering of private jets - also claim there are other reasons why planes are painted white.

"White is the colour that best reflects sunlight," it states.

"You can compare the effect of white on the warming up of the cabin to wearing a white t-shirt in summer, it is always warmer when wearing a dark coloured t-shirt.

"You can also compare the effect of white on a plane’s fuselage to applying sunscreen to your skin on a sunny day. White, because it best reflects solar radiation, helps minimize potential damage."

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White colours also apparently reduce birdstrike hazards.

"Although it may not be obvious at first glance, the white colour of an airplane has been shown to reduce the risk of bird strikes," Menkor Aviation explains.

"The impact of birds in flight is a significant and common threat to the safety of aircraft. In 2019, no less than 17,228 collisions between an airplane and a bird were recorded in the United States.

"The white livery allows birds to better identify the threat and steer away from it. Darker color combinations reduce the contrast between the aircraft and the visual background, reducing the ability of birds to detect the aircraft and increasing birdstrike risk."