Delta's 75th Anniversary
Celebrating 75 years of passenger service in 2004, Delta painted Boeing 767 The Spirit of Delta in a special paint scheme inspired by 1940 Douglas DC-3 Ship 41.
The challenge was to replicate in gray paint the look of the DC-3’s unpainted, polished aluminum. Tommy Vinci, Delta aircraft refinishing foreman, recalled the process in 2007:
“The ‘polished look’ was accomplished by using a four step painting process. First a primer coat was applied, then a gray top coat. After this was dry they applied the ‘sparkle coat’ which was made of silica particles. The trick there was to insure they achieved a consistent and even coat so that once we applied the last coat of paint, which was clear, it all reflected the same. I remember that all we heard from the mechanics and everyone else that came by to see it before it went in to service was how good it looked.”