What is on the outside of a plane that weighs over a ton, yet has nothing to do with the plane flying?

The paint?

I hate you.

Oooops !! Sorry I ruined all your fun.

There is over a ton of paint on the outside of a plane? I didn't know they were painted, I thought some were just alumininininium and clear-coated...

ya learn somethin' new every day!

Are you suggesting that after the paint dries, it still weighs over a ton? If so, I find that incredibly difficult to believe, no matter what the size of the plane.

http://konzern.lufthansa.com/en/html/magazin/technik_macht_mode/index.html 300 KG a couple of years ago was a serious weight reduction

http://www.roboticsonline.com/public/articles/details.cfm?id=2311 interesting article on using robotics for painting. Also mentions that aircraft paint is heavier than automotive for the same thickness.

I remeber reading something way back along these same lines. The shuttle columbia ( RIP ) launched with a the center fuel tank and it was painted white. I read that they changed the color ,of the fuel tank, to the rustoleum primer color becuase that color was lighter than the white paint . Truth or a myth ?

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HARDCORE SBC CRONIE AND PROUD OF IT ! GOT TQ ?

The first two external tanks, used in STS-1 and STS-2, were painted white. As a weight-saving measure, Lockheed Martin ceased painting the external tanks beginning with STS-3, leaving only the clear primer over the now-trademark rust-colored insulation, saving approximately 1,000 pounds (0.5 t) of weight.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_external_tank