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
0
Correct this question
0
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
6%
87%
3%
1%
19094
flagSwitzerland
6%
82%
3%
5%
91
flagRepublic of Ireland
8%
81%
4%
4%
49
flagAustria
0%
80%
5%
10%
130
flagAustralia
4%
79%
6%
3%
158
flagGermany
4%
77%
7%
5%
912
flagthe United Kingdom
7%
76%
8%
2%
451
flagCanada
8%
75%
9%
5%
97
flagUnknown
7%
74%
10%
5%
39
flagSingapore
12%
74%
10%
2%
39
flagthe United States
8%
72%
9%
4%
1224
flagNigeria
8%
70%
12%
0%
47
flagIndia
11%
69%
8%
4%
839
flagMalaysia
2%
69%
6%
2%
43
flagPakistan
10%
64%
5%
8%
56
flagSouth Africa
4%
63%
15%
10%
46
flagGhana
3%
63%
3%
3%
30
flagthe Philippines
13%
61%
11%
1%
94
flagthe United Arab Emirates
3%
56%
23%
6%
30