The paint on a single Airbus A380 weighs as much as a full-grown cow.

The Airbus A380 is the world's largest passenger plane, with a surface area of 33,000 square feet. This is about the same size as 12 tennis courts. To cover all that metal, painters use special spray guns that use electricity to pull the paint onto the surface so none is wasted.The paint starts as a heavy liquid, but most of that weight is from solvents that disappear into the air as it dries. What stays on the plane is a super-thin layer only 0.2 millimeters thick. That is about the same thickness as two pieces of paper stacked together. Even though it is thin, it is strong enough to protect the metal from rust and harsh sunlight.Weight is a huge deal for airplanes because heavier planes burn more fuel. This is why most airlines paint their planes white. White paint uses lighter pigments and reflects heat from the sun, which keeps the cabin cooler and saves energy. Every 7 to 10 years, workers strip all the old paint off to check the metal for tiny cracks before putting on a fresh coat.