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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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%
19289
flagSwitzerland
6%
82%
3%
5%
106
flagRepublic of Ireland
7%
82%
3%
3%
51
flagAustria
1%
80%
5%
9%
137
flagAustralia
4%
78%
6%
3%
160
flagGermany
4%
77%
7%
5%
971
flagthe United Kingdom
7%
76%
8%
2%
454
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%
1243
flagNigeria
8%
70%
12%
0%
47
flagIndia
11%
69%
8%
4%
845
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