Most Visible Color for Aircraft

"Julian Scarfe" wrote in message
news:fnF2c.1824$re1.544@newsfe1-win...
No shots fired. :-) Do you have a reference for the study?

I remember the RAF Tornados getting painted black all over some years ago
after similar studies. Presumably they get repainted before going into
action.

Most of the RAF training fleet is now black. The Tornado GR4s are
being painted black too. Tornados tended to get painted for the job
at hand. For desert camouflage during Desert Storm they were painted
in this colour:
http://www.flyingzone.co.uk/tornadoi...stormunits.htm

RAF black:
http://www.raf.mod.uk/equipment/hawk.html
http://www.raf.mod.uk/equipment/tucano.html
http://www.raf.mod.uk/equipment/griffin.html
http://www.raf.mod.uk/equipment/ssquirrel.html

I'd hesitate to paint a GA aircraft dark on top unless it was going to
spend
most of its time in the shade.

Mine seems to survive ok out in the sun. Ok, it's based near Andover
in Hampshire rather than Arizona. I've even got a black cover for it.

My plane:
http://makeashorterlink.com/?P6D3256A7

Grey was seen to be the low visibility scheme.

Paul

"G.R. Patterson III" wrote in message
...

Cub Driver wrote:
"G.R. Patterson III" wrote
First off, it's sort of an electric robin's egg blue - not very dark,
and
secondly, very few of us are flying at 40,000'.

Very few Hurricanes did either.

That's why they used special Spitfires for the job.

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=109363
http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=104095
http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=145761
http://www.ospreypublishing.com/titl...P6159~ser=SPAV
http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/galle...=14&Group=7prg
http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazin...ail_spit19.htm

A PR squadron:
http://www.rafmarham.co.uk/organisat...pruhistory.htm

Paul

(Teacherjh) wrote in message ...
I read somewhere that the standard camouflage (splotches of various greens) was
not as effective at hiding things as random sharp edges of contrasty colors.
It's anti-intuitive, and I don't have a picture of it, but maybe somebody else
remembers.

The Royal Navy used that method for ships. The random patterns and
contrasting colors made it difficult to identify a ship's type, speed
and course from a distance. I don't know if the same thing would
work on aircraft.

Here's an example of some schemes used in WWII :

http://www.steelnavy.com/images/WR_RN_CAMO2/sample2.jpg

These are pretty mild compared to some of the others I've seen (i.e.
black on white rectangles, triangles and big red circles).

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)

wrote in message ...
Howdy,

I've been looking all over, and I can't seem to find any discussions on the
relative visibility of various colors for aircraft. I would guess that the
best color might be different when viewed against the sky or the ground.

Any pointers will be welcome,

I can't believe this thread has gone on for two days without anyone
posting a URL to Neal Howard's Checkerbird.

Here it is : http://www.nealhoward.net/

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)

On Mon, 8 Mar 2004, John Galban wrote:

(Teacherjh) wrote in message ...
I read somewhere that the standard camouflage (splotches of various greens) was
not as effective at hiding things as random sharp edges of contrasty colors.
It's anti-intuitive, and I don't have a picture of it, but maybe somebody else
remembers.

The Royal Navy used that method for ships. The random patterns and
contrasting colors made it difficult to identify a ship's type, speed
and course from a distance. I don't know if the same thing would
work on aircraft.

Well, the Czech Air Force tried something related on at least one Mig21:

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/469919/M/

Pretty cool paint scheme, but I'm not sure how useful it would be as
actual camo while airborne.

Brian.

On Sun, 7 Mar 2004, Dennis O'Connor wrote:

A study within the military showed that the most visible color for
identifying the shape of a plane against any background, is a solid, dark
blue...

Really? Against the sky, I can understand, but at a nearby airstrip that's
close to our usual practice area there's an advanced ultralight that's
dark navy blue, and that one is nearly impossible to see against the dark
conifers around that strip. It's even hard to see against the pastures &
fields nearby.

OTOH, the Canadian Air Force is also painting most of its training planes
dark blue now, so maybe there is something to it. Both the Hawks
(http://www.airliners.net/open.file/435441/M/) and the Harvard IIs
(http://www.airliners.net/open.file/435441/M/) are now dark blue. I've
seen both on the ground here, but not from the air against the ground.

Brian.



Now, don't shoot the messenger as he has a tender hide... If you don't like
the message, do your own research...
denny
"Julian Scarfe" wrote in message
news:zZE2c.1820$re1.1377@newsfe1-win...
wrote in message
...
Howdy,

I've been looking all over, and I can't seem to find any discussions on
the
relative visibility of various colors for aircraft. I would guess that
the
best color might be different when viewed against the sky or the
ground.

I think white on top (contrast vs ground clutter) and dark on the
underside
(contrast vs sky) works well, like, for example, the factory Mooney
schemes,
http://www.mooney.com/ .

Julian Scarfe

Cub Driver wrote:



Right, and fire engines used to be red but now are yellow.


All the fire engines in our town went back to Red after a decade of
yellow/green.

It was found that Lighting is much more important than the color for
visibility.

And when our fire trucks were yellow/green the public thought they were
highway/garbage trucks. We went back to Red because that's the color
the public most associates with fire trucks.

"Buff5200" wrote in message
...


Cub Driver wrote:



Right, and fire engines used to be red but now are yellow.


All the fire engines in our town went back to Red after a decade of
yellow/green.

It was found that Lighting is much more important than the color for
visibility.

And when our fire trucks were yellow/green the public thought they were
highway/garbage trucks. We went back to Red because that's the color
the public most associates with fire trucks.


CD,

Just out of curiosity, do you happen to know what the upside of painting
Fire/Rescue Vehicles WHITE was supposed to be?

I don't see too many these days, but for a while it was quite prevalent
around the Phoenix metro area.

TIA,

Jay

"Jay Beckman" wrote

Just out of curiosity, do you happen to know what the upside of painting
Fire/Rescue Vehicles WHITE was supposed to be?

I don't see too many these days, but for a while it was quite prevalent
around the Phoenix metro area.

TIA,

Jay

Yes, they are cooler. Ever been in a red van in Arizona?
--
Jim in NC


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Arizona hearses are white also.

On Wed, 10 Mar 2004 22:38:43 -0500, "Morgans"
wrote:


"Jay Beckman" wrote

Just out of curiosity, do you happen to know what the upside of painting
Fire/Rescue Vehicles WHITE was supposed to be?

I don't see too many these days, but for a while it was quite prevalent
around the Phoenix metro area.

TIA,

Jay

Yes, they are cooler. Ever been in a red van in Arizona?

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (requires authentication)

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