London,
UK, 27 April,2015 - One of Volga-Dnepr
Airlines’ unique An-124-100 freighters has been painted using a leading durable
coating technology to increase the aircraft’s aerodynamic qualities and produce
a fuel saving of over $100,000 a year.
Vladimir Drebnev, Senior Engineer, Continuing
Airworthiness at Volga-Dnepr Airlines, stated, “The Base coat/clear coat system
is widely used on aircraft around the world. The facial layer of the glaze is
considered to have greater smoothness than i.e. polyurethane enamel, and
protects the base layer of painting from the influence of ultra-violet rays.
Due to this smoother effect, the air drag during a flight decreases and this
can be measured in terms of fuel savings. As a result of using the coating, we
expect to cut the aircraft’s fuel expenses by up to 1.5% or more than $100 000
per year. The base lacquer also gives a freshly painted look for a longer
period so it also produces a saving in paint work too. The periods between
washing of the aircraft can also be extended because the lacquer is more
soil-resistant.”
The aircraft (RA82079) will be monitored by
Volga-Dnepr’s technical experts to gauge the level of fuel savings. If the
technology demonstrates the results the airline is hoping for, it will
ultimately be applied to the rest of Volga-Dnepr’s An-124-100 fleet.
The painting of the aircraft was completed by
Spectr-Avia Russia’s leading aircraft painting centre.
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