Grey F-117s
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soddim,
I would be surprised if the false canopy (paint) was designed as cammo. I believe it was designed to deny (or reduce) the enemy (fighter) SA when it got to the tally and turn stage.
It is IMHE (sometimes) effective at producing the desired effect, but unfortunately more often in tac manoeuvering with your buddies than in BFM (even with your buddies who know the false canopy is there!).
Ray
I would be surprised if the false canopy (paint) was designed as cammo. I believe it was designed to deny (or reduce) the enemy (fighter) SA when it got to the tally and turn stage.
It is IMHE (sometimes) effective at producing the desired effect, but unfortunately more often in tac manoeuvering with your buddies than in BFM (even with your buddies who know the false canopy is there!).
Ray
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In the early 70s in NI, we had no "operational" paint schemes on our aircraft. We painted out the white of our roundels and tail colours, becoming red, black and blue instead of the normal for then red white and blue. The colour of the crews' helmets was changed from white to green by applying Army landrover paint, supplied by our RAF rep in Lisburn. MOD London didn't want to know. About that time, I think we went to green flying gloves.
Discussion took place about what combat camouflage we should paint the helicopters, and someone came up with the grey/brown top and matt black undersides. Some old guy in the MOD was asked, and he said that gloss black was good for the undersides, because that was what the WWII bombers had. When a searchlight caught a bomber, the gloss paint dispersed the beam and made it difficult for the AAA gunners to get a sighting.
Discussion took place about what combat camouflage we should paint the helicopters, and someone came up with the grey/brown top and matt black undersides. Some old guy in the MOD was asked, and he said that gloss black was good for the undersides, because that was what the WWII bombers had. When a searchlight caught a bomber, the gloss paint dispersed the beam and made it difficult for the AAA gunners to get a sighting.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Art Field, wonderful "civil servant that you refer to was a Mr Barley (Phil I think) working out of Farnborough" there is always someone here who can corroborate a story with hard facts. Yes, now you mention the name.
To suggest an answer to the different coloured radomes on the GR4 may I suggest Engineers!
The Vulcan initially retained a black radom as the wiggly amps could not penetrate grey paint!!!!!!!! Then they started to paint the radom and aircraft.
It took the engineers about 2 and half minutes to swap the radomes around. We then had multi-coloured camouflage. When we got them all black/white/grey/green they did another shuffle so that the cheat line between cam and white was different betwixt radome and and fuselage. It looked like an engineering conspiracy to make the aircraft look like cr*p.
To suggest an answer to the different coloured radomes on the GR4 may I suggest Engineers!
The Vulcan initially retained a black radom as the wiggly amps could not penetrate grey paint!!!!!!!! Then they started to paint the radom and aircraft.
It took the engineers about 2 and half minutes to swap the radomes around. We then had multi-coloured camouflage. When we got them all black/white/grey/green they did another shuffle so that the cheat line between cam and white was different betwixt radome and and fuselage. It looked like an engineering conspiracy to make the aircraft look like cr*p.
To suggest an answer to the different coloured radomes on the GR4 may I suggest Engineers!
We just fit what comes out of the box! The grey 'uns came about obviously because of Telic, I guess they're all just going that way for commonality.
Looks a lot better anyway if you ask me.
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To suggest an answer to the different coloured radomes on the GR4 may I suggest Engineers!
"Hmmm, what colour shall we paint this one then Fred?"
"Better ask the engineers Bob. It's their hangar it's going to be sat in all day after all"
RING RING........RING RING....
"Hello Cpl ******, II Sqn tea bar"
"Hello there, SAC Bloggs from the paint shop here. Just a quick one, what colour do you fancy this one then?"
"Oooh....Erm.....We've already got loads that look the same...and I suppose the place COULD do with brightening up a bit, so how about a bit of all sorts. Just slap on what you've got"
The answer to the different radome colours might lie in the fact that they are not painted, and instead coated with a grey coloured "Erocoat" Which is specifically designed to withstand the air particles battering it at 800kts, and give a degree of protection to the delicate composite radome.
Jobza,
Agree completely. They look loads better. Just the colour I'd have asked for if they'd have rung me!
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For the anoraks amongst us the grey F-117 is painted in 36251 and 36176, the same colours as the "Mod-Eagle" scheme applied to USAF F-15's after trials in the PACAF units in the late 80's.
And if you go to Airliners.net and put "Tornado" intot he search engine you will get pics of the Tornado F.3 in it's new scheme. Not sure but it appears to me to be overall dark camoflage grey (the colour of the undersides of Tornado GR.4/Harrier/Jaguar currently), and they have also reverted to normal red/blue type B roundels rather than pink/blue of the paler schemes.
And if you go to Airliners.net and put "Tornado" intot he search engine you will get pics of the Tornado F.3 in it's new scheme. Not sure but it appears to me to be overall dark camoflage grey (the colour of the undersides of Tornado GR.4/Harrier/Jaguar currently), and they have also reverted to normal red/blue type B roundels rather than pink/blue of the paler schemes.
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Guess so. The USAF abandoned the idea because by the time you were close enough to see it there were plenty of other features to tell you which way up it was.
Good gimmick though.
Good gimmick though.
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PN
We change the radomes about to match the colour of the aircrew hair. We could not have you flashing around the sky unco-ordinated, what would changing rooms say. The main reason for mismatches was aircrew changing the flying programme.
On a more serious note, to change the colour of an aircraft requires a mod becasue you are deviating from the drawing set. BAE made us paint the tonkas going in for MLU because they did not match the drawing set and were not to the agreed acceptance standard. Also if there is a significant conductive content in the paint it drags down the radar performance.
Retard
We change the radomes about to match the colour of the aircrew hair. We could not have you flashing around the sky unco-ordinated, what would changing rooms say. The main reason for mismatches was aircrew changing the flying programme.
On a more serious note, to change the colour of an aircraft requires a mod becasue you are deviating from the drawing set. BAE made us paint the tonkas going in for MLU because they did not match the drawing set and were not to the agreed acceptance standard. Also if there is a significant conductive content in the paint it drags down the radar performance.
Retard
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Engineer (retard) that you , you have vindicated me. I didn't think the aircrew painted them 
What I was really saying is that the engineers do exactly that, take e\'em out of the box and stick \'em on the Tonka.
On the V the radom and aircraft were painted in one go then a short while later someone would sneak out on the line and shuffle them all around.
I don\'t know what it is like nowadays but in the \'60s the mods came in fast and furious and we would fly in a different spec jet just about every trip.
What I was really saying is that the engineers do exactly that, take e\'em out of the box and stick \'em on the Tonka.
On the V the radom and aircraft were painted in one go then a short while later someone would sneak out on the line and shuffle them all around.
I don\'t know what it is like nowadays but in the \'60s the mods came in fast and furious and we would fly in a different spec jet just about every trip.
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PN
Unfortunately we were limited by only having grey and black to play with intially. Gingers found it hard to get sorties allocated.
Fortunatley, GW1 and the pink paint allowed us to co-ordinate with the follically challenged but we could not get much of a shine on that paint. The simplest solution would have been to have the aircrew to pick up wigs on crew out, would have saved many manhours swapping radomes
Regards
Retard
Unfortunately we were limited by only having grey and black to play with intially. Gingers found it hard to get sorties allocated.
Fortunatley, GW1 and the pink paint allowed us to co-ordinate with the follically challenged but we could not get much of a shine on that paint. The simplest solution would have been to have the aircrew to pick up wigs on crew out, would have saved many manhours swapping radomes
Regards
Retard
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The Canucks have the false canopy sprayed on the underside on their CF-188s (F/A-18s). They must be the only Air Force to do this now?
Cheers! M2
Go Ugly Early!
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Is this a taste of things to come?
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?i...next_id=786390
This is what soddim was speaking of
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?i...v_id=&next_id=
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?i...next_id=786390
This is what soddim was speaking of
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?i...v_id=&next_id=
Suspicion breeds confidence
If they painted the thing bright yellow it would still look black at night. No light = no colour. I vaguely remember chasing a pink painted RN Oberon submarine many years ago... but that's another story 
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I vaguely remember chasing a pink painted RN Oberon submarine many years ago... but that's another story
How very phallic!
Don't think I'd have liked to be on that "Party boat"!!!
Oooh, chase me
Wasn't there an experiment a few years ago in which the upper surfaces of an SSN were painted bright blue? Something to do with operating in the littoral?
Back to the topic - is it not possible that some F117s are used in a reece role? Who needs Mach 3 when you've got stealth?
Back to the topic - is it not possible that some F117s are used in a reece role? Who needs Mach 3 when you've got stealth?
