jeffs@a.gp.cs.cmu.edu (Jeffrey Schlimmer) (07/05/90)
From: jeffs@a.gp.cs.cmu.edu (Jeffrey Schlimmer)
Currently the US Navy uses a dark/light gray paint scheme on their
aircraft. Just before that, they painted the top of an airplane gull
gray and the bottom white. I'm curious about two specifics of this
latter paint scheme:
- Why are ailerons, rudders, and elevators (and flying elevators)
painted white on both the bottom _and_ top?
- Why are the edges of landing gear doors and the inside of flaps
and airbrakes painted red?
I'll be happy to post a summary of responses next week.
--Jeff Schlimmernam2254%dsacg2.dsac.dla.mil@dsac.dla.mil (Tom Ohmer) (07/08/90)
From: nam2254%dsacg2.dsac.dla.mil@dsac.dla.mil (Tom Ohmer) >From article <1990Jul5.020644.14675@cbnews.att.com>, by jeffs@a.gp.cs.cmu.edu (Jeffrey Schlimmer): > [questions about Navy aircraft paint scheme deleted] For that matter, I remember (as a very young boy) military aircraft having a portion of the tail (and maybe the wingtips) painted a very bright orange. Anyone know why? > I'll be happy to post a summary of responses next week. Me, too. -- Tom Ohmer @ Defense Logistics Agency Systems Automation Center, DSAC-AMB, Bldg. 27-6, P.O. Box 1605, Columbus, OH 43216-5002 UUCP: ...osu-cis!dsac!tohmer INTERNET: tohmer@dsac.dla.mil Phone: (614) 238-9210 AutoVoN: 850-9210 Disclaimer claimed
jeffs@a.gp.cs.cmu.edu (Jeffrey Schlimmer) (07/16/90)
From: jeffs@a.gp.cs.cmu.edu (Jeffrey Schlimmer) > Currently the US Navy uses a dark/light gray paint scheme on their >aircraft. Just before that, they painted the top of an airplane gull >gray and the bottom white. I'm curious about two specifics of this >latter paint scheme: > > - Why are ailerons, rudders, and elevators (and flying elevators) > painted white on both the bottom _and_ top? > - Why are the edges of landing gear doors and the inside of flaps > and airbrakes painted red? -------------------- Date: Fri, 6 Jul 90 00:03:44 MST From: Raymond Man <raymond@carme.ame.arizona.EDU> Subject: Modern USN Aircraft Colors: Why White & Red? The first question had been asked on the net before. The Navy was concerned about the effect of radiation from nuclear explosion on the integrity of the structure of the control surfaces. I am not sure about the second but believe it is just for better visibility, e.g., during maintenance or preflight checks. Actually inside surfaces are often in a greenish color and not necessarily red. -------------------- Date: Thu, 5 Jul 90 08:09:34 EDT From: Stuart Warmink <sw@groucho.att.com> Subject: Re: Modern USN Aircraft Colors: Why White & Red? Re: red edges I would imagine that the red edges are there for safety - people are less likely to wander into them on a crowded carrier deck. An edge-on open door or flap might not be so easy to see otherwise? -------------------- Thank you for your responses. (Raymond, my mail to you bounced.) --Jeff Schlimmer
hampep@jacobs.cs.orst.edu (Peter D. Hampe) (07/16/90)
From: hampep@jacobs.cs.orst.edu (Peter D. Hampe) In article <1990Jul8.053603.8430@cbnews.att.com> nam2254%dsacg2.dsac.dla.mil@dsac.dla.mil (Tom Ohmer) writes: > > >For that matter, I remember (as a very young boy) military aircraft having >a portion of the tail (and maybe the wingtips) painted a very bright >orange. Anyone know why? > The tails and wing tips were in International Distress Orange, the idea being that mid air collisions could be better avoided if pilots could see each other. Unfortunately, being see is not high on the specs for warcraft, and as Operations increased in SE Asia, the colour scheme was changed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Peter D. Hampe, hampep@jacobs.cs.orst.edu This has been another Ask Mr History production. Moo U thinks I'm long gone.
jem3@bellcore.bellcore.com (John E McKillop) (07/24/90)
From: pyuxf!jem3@bellcore.bellcore.com (John E McKillop) In article <1990Jul8.053603.8430@cbnews.att.com> nam2254%dsacg2.dsac.dla.mil@dsac.dla.mil (Tom Ohmer) writes: > > >From: nam2254%dsacg2.dsac.dla.mil@dsac.dla.mil (Tom Ohmer) > >>From article <1990Jul5.020644.14675@cbnews.att.com>, by jeffs@a.gp.cs.cmu.edu (Jeffrey Schlimmer): >> [questions about Navy aircraft paint scheme deleted] > >For that matter, I remember (as a very young boy) military aircraft having >a portion of the tail (and maybe the wingtips) painted a very bright >orange. Anyone know why? > >> I'll be happy to post a summary of responses next week. > >Me, too. You don't give your age but if you were a young boy in the late 50's or early 60's I can give you one reason. There was a great deal of fear of mid air collision in those days so all non-combat military aircraft were painted International Orange on the nose, wing tips and tail for greater visibility. I was in an AF Reserve unit at the time with Dollar Nineteens, aka Fairchild C-119, and all our aircraft were painted. I often wondered what would have happened if we were called up for a war. The orange made a beautiful target. Also, USAF aircraft operating in the Artic in the 40's and 50's had their wingtips and tail surfaces painted bright red. This was so they could be sighted against the snow if the aircraft went in. I was in Iceland in 56-57 and the 54th Air Rescue Squadron had all of their SC-54Ds painted in this manner.
ron@hpfcso.hp.com (Ron Miller) (07/26/90)
From: ron@hpfcso.hp.com (Ron Miller) Re: Orange tails.... an associated orange thought Flights suits for USN pilots in the 50's were international orange, presumably in order to help with rescue location. When squadrons were deployed to Viet Nam, orange flight suits were all that the Federal Stock System had available. Not too smart for avoiding capture. I recall when I was very young (6 or 8) that my dad (pilot) went to the Marine base and purchased green fatigues. My mother installed drawstrings in the legs and cuffs and these became my father's flight suits until the government disposed of the orange ones. He also purchased a .38 special handgun and holster. I guess the USN wasn't issuing sidearms either. (I don't know where he got the tracer ammo from) We weren't ready for a real war in 1965. I guess the good news was that he was flying F-4s from the carrier. If the war had come on about 3 years earlier, he could have been flying the F-3H Demon. Now *that* was a piece of shit airplane! I'm now older than he was when he went to war and I appreciate that I never ended up a fatherless child. He knows/knew a lot of POW/MIAs :-( Ron (did my time underwater)