INSPECTION
OF PAINT AND COATINGS
Identify, locate and document visible deterioration of your aircraft's external coatings with automated drone inspection and DVI's technical expertise.
During operation, an aircraft is exposed to various environmental, mechanical and operational stresses that can progressively degrade its external surfaces.
Drone Visual Inspection (DVI) supports operators, maintenance organisations and aircraft owners in visually inspecting coatings and paint using automated drone photographic acquisition technology.
Our aim: to facilitate the search for visible anomalies, document their location and provide technical teams with usable information to support maintenance and monitoring.
WHY INSPECT COATINGS AND PAINT?
Monitor the aircraft's external condition and better anticipate the need for work.
Aircraft coatings help protect surfaces against various environmental effects while providing an external finish that meets operator requirements and applicable specifications.
Over time, deterioration may appear due to weather exposure, ground operations, cleaning, wear or particular events.
Some anomalies are difficult to observe from the ground, particularly on the upper fuselage, wings or tail surfaces.
Automated drone inspection captures structured photographic records of accessible external surfaces to document their apparent condition.
DVI experts can then examine the images to identify visible findings within the agreed scope and help maintenance teams take them into account.
WHAT TYPES OF DETERIORATION CAN BE IDENTIFIED?
Depending on acquisition quality, lighting conditions and surface visibility, inspection may address the following categories.
01 — PAINT CHIPS
Paint chips are localised losses of coating that may result from impacts, rubbing or other stresses.
Photographic inspection searches for and documents areas showing visible paint loss.
Identified findings can help guide any necessary checks and touch-ups.
02 — PAINT PEELING AND DETACHMENT
Some surfaces may show areas of flaking, lifting or apparent coating detachment.
Photographic acquisition documents these anomalies where they are visible and sufficiently discernible in the images.
The actual extent of detachment and its possible causes require specific checks by competent personnel where necessary.
03 — SCRATCHES AND SCUFFS
Scratches or scuff marks may appear during operation, maintenance or ground handling.
High-resolution images allow a search for these visible marks and documentation of their location.
Further inspection may be necessary to determine whether deterioration affects only the paint or also the underlying material.
04 — SURFACE WEAR AND CHANGES IN APPEARANCE
Coatings may show worn areas, discolouration or visible differences in appearance.
Automated inspection can help document these changes, particularly through recurring photographic monitoring.
Assessments of colour, gloss and aesthetic conformity remain dependent on viewing conditions and applicable inspection methods.
05 — COATING IRREGULARITIES AND VISIBLE TOUCH-UPS
Some areas may show differences in finish, surface irregularities or apparent touch-ups.
Photographic inspection documents identifiable findings on accessible surfaces, according to acquisition conditions.
Specific examinations of finishes and their conformity may require additional direct inspection.
WHICH SURFACES CAN BE INSPECTED?
Depending on the aircraft configuration, system capabilities and operating conditions, image capture may cover:
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Fuselage: accessible side, upper and lower sections.
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Wings: external surfaces and coated areas accessible for image capture.
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Horizontal tail surfaces: elevated surfaces and visible finish details.
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Vertical stabiliser: coatings on the vertical stabiliser and accessible areas.
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External panels and junctions: documenting differences in appearance and visible deterioration.
Drone use is particularly useful for documenting elevated surfaces while enabling a structured acquisition method.
HOW DOES THE SERVICE WORK?
01 — Defining the requirement
DVI liaises with the client to identify the aircraft, areas concerned, deterioration categories to be sought and expected level of analysis.
02 — Preparing image capture
We define the photographic scope and check the technical and operational conditions required for inspection.
03 — Automated image capture
The drone collects high-resolution images of accessible surfaces along the planned flight paths and under the agreed inspection conditions.
04 — Technical analysis
Depending on the selected service, DVI experts review usable photographs to search for, identify and locate visible coating anomalies.
05 — Reporting the findings
The agreed photographs and technical reports are supplied to the client with documented findings and any analysis limitations.
BENEFITS FOR OPERATORS AND MAINTENANCE ORGANISATIONS
DOCUMENTING EXTERNAL CONDITION
Retain a photographic record of inspected coatings to support the aircraft's technical monitoring.
IDENTIFYING VISIBLE DETERIORATION
Facilitate the search for and location of apparent anomalies on the surfaces actually covered.
ACCESS TO ELEVATED AREAS
Document coatings on the upper fuselage, vertical stabiliser and tail surfaces, according to accessibility and system capabilities.
PREPARING MAINTENANCE WORK
Provide technical teams with photographic findings that can help identify areas requiring further examination, touch-ups or other work.
TRACEABILITY AND PHOTOGRAPHIC MONITORING
Build a visual history to observe apparent changes in certain forms of deterioration over time, where acquisition conditions are comparable.
REMOTE ASSESSMENT
Enable technical analysis of previously acquired photographs without routinely deploying DVI experts to the site, subject to image quality and usability.
A SERVICE TAILORED TO YOUR NEEDS
Comprehensive coating inspection
Visual documentation of multiple areas and deterioration categories within the agreed scope.
Targeted inspection
Analysis of a particular area or defect category precisely defined in advance.
Recurring photographic monitoring
Surveys at different times to document apparent changes in coatings.
Remote Technical Assessment
Analysis of available photographic data and delivery of a report under the agreed arrangements.
Post-paint inspection
For aircraft that have recently undergone painting, a separate service can be offered to document finishes before delivery.
AN INSPECTION COMPLEMENTING TECHNICAL CHECKS
Automated inspection provides visual documentation without replacing coating conformity checks.
Acquired images allow a search for certain visible anomalies but do not always suffice to determine the thickness, adhesion, composition or actual condition of the different protective layers.
Thickness measurements, adhesion tests, specific corrosion checks and other prescribed verification tasks remain subject to applicable technical methods and data.
DVI findings support maintenance teams' investigations and decisions without taking over the responsibilities of authorised organisations and personnel.
OPTIMISE MONITORING OF YOUR AIRCRAFT'S COATINGS
Would you like to document the condition of your aircraft's paint and external surfaces?
DVI helps define your requirements, select areas to inspect and choose a solution suited to your organisation.
Whether you need a one-off inspection, a targeted search or recurring photographic monitoring, we assess the available options according to your aircraft and operational requirements.