PPG Coatings Specified for Australian Air Force Jets

PPG was selected by Boeing Defence Australia to supply coatings for repainting the vertical stabilizers of an EA-18G Growler aircraft for the No. 6 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Boeing repainted the tails of the airborne electronic attack aircraft in a special paint scheme to commemorate the squadron’s 100th anniversary in 2017.

(Formed in 1917, the RAAF No. 6 Squadron was disbanded in 1919 and reformed in 1939.) 

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In four days, the PPG team at the Aerospace Application Support Center (ASC) in Tullamarine, Victoria, blended, tested, packed and shipped PPG Desothane 8221 military and defense topcoat in six specially made colors: red, yellow, light blue, dark blue, black and white. Boeing received the coatings on time to repaint the tails of the EA-18G Growler attack aircraft for delivery to RAAF’s base in Amberley, Queensland.

“We moved heaven and earth to make sure we delivered,” says Paul Camilleri, PPG military account manager, aerospace, for Australia and New Zealand. “Our standard lead time is seven days, but corrections for difficult colors can extend that. Although the dark blue color for the RAAF paint scheme was uncommon, we were able to blend and ship it within four days. We all worked as a team to prioritize the order.”

The PPG ASC-Australia is part of a worldwide network that connects PPG global aerospace resources with a regional base. It is one of many of its centers that have paint color-matching and blending capabilities.

“We have the equipment on site and a team experienced in color mixing, which gave us the resources for an on-time delivery,” Camilleri says.

PPG also supplied PPG Desoprime HS 7255 military epoxy primer, which was applied over the existing scuffed topcoat to enhance adhesion of the new PPG Desothane 8221 coating.

PPG’s global aerospace business offers coatings, sealants, transparencies, packaging and application systems, and transparent armor, as well as chemical management and other services. For information, visit ppgaerospace.com.