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#1
March 7th 04, 12:57 PM
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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 
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#2
March 7th 04, 01:02 PM
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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... 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
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#3
March 7th 04, 01:24 PM
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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/ . "Dennis O'Connor" wrote in message ... 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... Now, don't shoot the messenger as he has a tender hide... If you don't like the message, do your own research... 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. I'd hesitate to paint a GA aircraft dark on top unless it was going to spend most of its time in the shade. Julian
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#4
March 8th 04, 12:11 PM
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On the reference, Julian, I simply cannot remember where I read that... I
was surfing various government and military web sites when I chanced upon it, sometime in the past ten years if that helps... Black planes were normallyused only for night hunters, being too visible during the day, and that was universal among the combatants of WWII... Remember, in those days you had to fly up on someone's tail to blast them, so low visibility was crucial for survival at night... Much of the aircraft in the battlefield had their paint mostly stripped off and repainted to match their environment - and too hell with some armchair general's orders back in the states... Look at the picture of Yeager's, Glamorous Glennis in actual battle dress, it is a smudged, dull, grey to match battlefield murky/smoky conditions and prevent reflections... In today's battlefields, the ID is made by the electronics and the missile launched from miles away... Visibility is now an issue for air traffic control and rescue crews, not air to air combat... denny "Julian Scarfe" wrote in message Do you have a reference for the study? I remember the RAF Tornados getting painted black all over some years ago after similar studies.
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#5
March 8th 04, 05:58 PM
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"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
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#6
March 7th 04, 10:25 PM
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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... During WWII the RAF painted its photo-recce planes dark blue so they couldn't be seen. all the best -- Dan Ford email: (requires authentication) see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com
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#7
March 8th 04, 12:01 AM
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Cub Driver wrote: During WWII the RAF painted its photo-recce planes dark blue so they couldn't be seen. 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'. George Patterson Battle, n; A method of untying with the teeth a political knot that would not yield to the tongue.
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#8
March 8th 04, 10:29 AM
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During WWII the RAF painted its photo-recce planes dark blue so they
couldn't be seen. 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. all the best -- Dan Ford email: (requires authentication) see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com
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#9
March 8th 04, 03:21 PM
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Cub Driver wrote: During WWII the RAF painted its photo-recce planes dark blue so they couldn't be seen. 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. George Patterson Battle, n; A method of untying with the teeth a political knot that would not yield to the tongue.
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#10
March 8th 04, 06:14 PM
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"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
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