Aerospace Coatings Help Colorize LOT Polish Airlines 85th Anniversary Livery
Coatings by PPG Industries’ (NYSE:PPG) aerospace business helped LOT Polish Airlines (Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT) colorize the livery of an Embraer E175 jet painted to celebrate the airline’s 85th anniversary. Working from black-and-white photographs, LOT and PPG officials created the colors for a retro design honoring a historic livery and the airline’s original logo that featured a representation of a crane in flight.

Coatings by PPG Industries’ (NYSE:PPG) aerospace business colorize the 85th anniversary livery of LOT Polish Airlines (Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT) on this Embraer E175 aircraft painted by LOT Aircraft Maintenance Services (LOTAMS). DESOTHANE(R) HS/CA 8800 buffable topcoat in six colors and a DESOTHANE high-solids topcoat in semi-matte silver were applied over P99 wash primer and chromate-free PAC33CF primer. A clear DESOTHANE topcoat on top of the silver provides maximum gloss. PPG coatings will be used on four other LOT Polish Airlines Embraer aircraft to be repainted in the airline’s standard livery. (Photo by Pawel Mikolajczyk - Courtesy of LOTAMS)
Six colors of DESOTHANE(R) HS/CA 8800 buffable topcoat and a DESOTHANEhigh-solids topcoat in semi-matte silver were applied over P99 wash primer and chromate-free PAC33CF primer.
The LOT anniversary livery uses elements from the airline’s livery of 1945 to 1973. The top of the fuselage is white with “POLSKIE LINIE LOTNICZE >LOT<” in black, and the lower fuselage, wings and horizontal stabilizers are semi-matte silver with a clear topcoat for added gloss. A sky-blue horizontal band across the fuselage frames the windows, with cobalt blue lines above and below. The current LOT logo in purple appears on each side of the fuselage, and “Flying since 1929” is painted in black in English on one side and Polish on the other. The white tail has a red accent and the original logo in black, and a black stylized crane is painted on the forward fuselage. Sky-blue winglets have “85 ANNIVERSARY” and “SINCE 1929” in white.
According to Ralf Maubach, PPG Aerospace sales manager for Central and Eastern Europe, LOT chose the PPG coatings after seeing another aircraft painted with DESOTHANE HS/CA 8800 topcoat by LOT Aircraft Maintenance Services (LOTAMS) in Warsaw. Maubach said LOTAMS has much experience applying PPG coatings, and LOT Polish Airlines made the final selection for the paint scheme.
“LOT Polish Airlines was impressed by the high gloss of our DESOTHANE HS/CA 8800 topcoat,” Maubach said. “The anniversary special livery is really an eye-catcher painted with PPG coatings. They have to repaint some of their aircraft and want to present LOT Polish Airlines with aircraft that have high gloss and shine, so PPG will supply coatings for four more Embraer aircraft to be repainted.”
Maubach said it was difficult for LOT to select colors for the anniversary livery because only black-and-white historical photographs were available as resource. “We discussed with them the possible colors we could produce to meet their expectations,” he said. PPG Aerospace’s Central Europe application support center in Hamburg, Germany, mixed six colors while PPG’s Gonfreville, France, coatings facility supplied the semi-matte silver color and clear topcoat.
DESOTHANE HS/CA 8800 topcoat provides outstanding color and gloss retention, so the anniversary and repainted aircraft should maintain their appearance for years. It has a high-solids formulation that results in a lower percentage of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and reduced weight because coverage is achieved with less material than traditional coatings. P99 wash primer promotes excellent adhesion for chromate-free PAC33CF primer, which affords corrosion resistance. A clear DESOTHANE high-solids topcoat applied over the semi-matte silver provides maximum gloss.
Maubach praised the painting skill of LOTAMS. “This was an intricate design, and LOTAMS did an excellent job.”
PPG Aerospace is the aerospace products and services business of PPG Industries. PPG Aerospace – PRC-DeSoto is the leading global producer of aerospace sealants, coatings, and packaging and application systems. PPG Aerospace – Transparencies is the world’s largest supplier of aircraft windshields, windows and canopies. For more information, visit www.ppgaerospace.com.
About LOT Polish Airlines
LOT Polish Airlines is one of the oldest airlines in the world. It has been connecting Poland with the rest of the world since 1929. Now planes in LOT colours fly to nearly 50 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, North America and Asia. Many of LOT’s pilots are among the European and World Champions in several types of aviation sports. Since 2003, LOT has been a member of Star Alliance, whose network currently offers more than 21,900 daily flights to 1,328 airports in 195 countries all over the world. For more information, visit www.lot.com.
About LOT Aircraft Maintenance Services
LOTAMS Company is a provider of services connected with technical services of civil and military aircraft. The Company realizes services in the full scope of base and line maintenance. It specializes also in services connected with the full aesthetics of airplanes (including painting and covering of the aircraft structure and wings, interior aesthetics, and the replacement and service of aircraft seats) and workshop services of aviation components. As a result, the Company provides comprehensive services in accordance with the expectation of clients. Since the moment of complete separation from the structures of PLL LOT S.A., the Company LOTAMS consistently realizes its business model, the goal of which is to reinforce its position on the international market as a reliable service provider. Since April 5, 2012, LOT Aircraft Maintenance Services has been one of 11 EMBRAER AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTERS worldwide. For more information, visit www.lotams.com.
PPG: BRINGING INNOVATION TO THE SURFACE.(TM)
PPG Industries’ vision is to continue to be the world’s leading coatings and specialty materials company. Through leadership in innovation, sustainability and color, PPG helps customers in industrial, transportation, consumer products, and construction markets and aftermarkets to enhance more surfaces in more ways than does any other company. Founded in 1883, PPG has global headquarters in Pittsburgh and operates in nearly 70 countries around the world. Net sales in 2013 were $15.1 billion. PPG shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol:PPG). For more information, visit www.ppg.com and follow @PPGIndustries on Twitter.
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DESOTHANE is a registered trademark of PRC-DeSoto International, Inc.
