Why are gliders almost always painted white?

to easily hide in clouds
to reduce solar heating
to make gliders distinguishable from other aircraft
to allow quick replacement of damaged parts
Since fiberglass resin softens at high temperatures, white is used almost universally to reduce the temperature rise caused by solar heating. Less popular non-fiberglass gliders (those made of aluminum and wood) can be painted any color.
Kasia
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Very interesting!
reach: rather globalaviationcolorsglidersphysicstechnologywhite

Answers by country

to easily hide in clouds
to reduce solar heating
to make gliders distinguishable from other aircraft
to allow quick replacement of damaged parts
answers
flagthe Netherlands
3%
88%
1%
3%
51
flagPoland
5%
87%
3%
1%
19169
flagRepublic of Ireland
7%
82%
3%
3%
51
flagAustria
0%
81%
5%
9%
132
flagSwitzerland
7%
81%
4%
5%
98
flagAustralia
4%
79%
6%
3%
158
flagGermany
4%
77%
8%
5%
933
flagthe United Kingdom
7%
76%
8%
2%
452
flagCanada
8%
75%
9%
5%
97
flagSingapore
12%
74%
10%
2%
39
flagUnknown
7%
74%
10%
5%
39
flagthe United States
8%
72%
9%
4%
1235
flagNigeria
8%
70%
12%
0%
47
flagIndia
11%
69%
8%
4%
840
flagMalaysia
2%
69%
6%
2%
43
flagPakistan
10%
64%
5%
8%
56
flagGhana
3%
63%
3%
3%
30
flagthe Philippines
13%
61%
11%
1%
94
flagSouth Africa
4%
61%
17%
10%
47
flagthe United Arab Emirates
3%
56%
23%
6%
30