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"CADPAT"-ish Airplane (could be: Hmmm, in uniform or air force sub-board?)

Check this photo out
161RFA-3A17-007.jpg
 
OK, the OH-58, yes. The F-16, maybe not so much. I mean, what sort of top-down threat are American fast-movers facing these days?

Perhaps the same utility as the camo Budweiser beer truck servicing the Messes at Ft Bragg - - green/brown cam, with the Budweiser Eagle crest in black. I took pics, but the camera was......well, you know...Messes.

Edited to include a desert cam Budweiser truck. It's not the same, (or nearly as cool), but you get the idea.

The picture came from a US Cbt Medic's ("niner1whiskey") photo blog:
http://shw.fotopages.com/4282352/budweiser-truck-in-desert-camouflage.htm

 
Journeyman said:
OK, the OH-58, yes. The F-16, maybe not so much. I mean, what sort of top-down threat are American fast-movers facing these days?

They aren't. The F-16 is Jordanian - the article is about Jordan buying digital cam uniforms and painting their aircraft (scroll down the article for a pic of the Jordanian King in a digi-cam uniform).

Given the propensity of the Jordanian Air Force to be destroyed on the ground by the Israelis (and possibly the USAF in the near future) digital cam seems like a good idea for them. The Syrians should look into it as well.

 
What would be the advantage of a camouflaged plane?  I know if it were on the ground it would be harder to distinguish when looking from the sky, but how about in the air (I know nothing about air combat so could someone please enlighten me)
 
YeOldFootman said:
What would be the advantage of a camouflaged plane?  I know if it were on the ground it would be harder to distinguish when looking from the sky, but how about in the air (I know nothing about air combat so could someone please enlighten me)

The CAF painted false canopies on the bottom of the CF-18 as a deception; if in combat you see a plane make a quick break in one direction, at the speeds at which combat aircraft fly, you might have a split second to decide which maneuver you were going to take to respond to it - the false canopy was there to make an enemy pilot think wrong during that split second and make the wrong reaction. Other than that, visual cam is probably not as important as masking your infra-red or radar signature....at least according to the GI Joe comic books....;)
 
YeOldFootman said:
What would be the advantage of a camouflaged plane?  I know if it were on the ground it would be harder to distinguish when looking from the sky, but how about in the air (I know nothing about air combat so could someone please enlighten me)

the theroem is that the top of the plane is dark, while the bottom is a light color. this is to confuse the enemy, as if they are looking up at you from the bottom, you blend in with the sky, and if they are looking down at you, you blend in with the ground.
 
"p.s.  for the record, this wouldn't be too bad if "toned-down" slightly, i.e. more greyish, less-saturated/intense colours, like the new US ACUs."

- Yup.  No point giving the ground crew vertigo while they work on it.

Tom
 
Cam on aircraft is usually dependant on what altitudes the aircraft fly.  The two-tone dark green on the Griffon is quite effective during the warm three seasons when flying low at tactical levels....winter is another story unless flying over coniferous forest.  Flip side was when we had our Twin Hueys in UN white...those stuck out like a sore thumb in tactical formations yet up at altitude on birght day's it was hard to see them if more than about a mile away.  Like fourninerzero noted, some aircraft will have two tone (top-bottom) cam patterns, bluish or another light grey-like colour on the bottom to fool folks looking up against the sky and top of aircraft painted similar to terrain below...that pretty well assumes the plane won't be manoeuvring significantly (rolling) which would render that paint scheme ineffective.  All around single effective colour for day ops though is a medium/dark grey.  Many aircraft are moving to such a colour, some of ours are already there (some hercs, Auroras, SK, Polaris).  US CSAR Pavehawks are moving towards an all-grey paint scheme and away from the Euro 3-green or sand colours...

Cheers,
Duey
 
So, die welt is once again discovering the merits of FELDGRAU.  Amazing how ahead of the curve those Germans were.
 
TCBF said:
So, die welt is once again discovering the merits of FELDGRAU.  Amazing how ahead of the curve those Germans were.

Khaki's just as good, and we had it first...
 
"That's pretty crazy.  I was actually trying to imagine CADPAT LAV's and Coyotes the other day...."

- I liked my Coyote in desert tan in 2002.  In fact, I think desert tan would be a better all-round permanent colour in Canada too.

Better in the winter.
Better in the cities.
Better in the spring, before things get TOO green...
 
TCBF said:
"That's pretty crazy.  I was actually trying to imagine CADPAT LAV's and Coyotes the other day...."

- I liked my Coyote in desert tan in 2002.  In fact, I think desert tan would be a better all-round permanent colour in Canada too.

Better in the winter.
Better in the cities.
Better in the spring, before things get TOO green...

Another page from the Krauts, hey?  They went to "ordnance tan" in 1943...
 
I actually saw one of those Budweiser trucks while on exercise in Ft Lewis, Washington.  Just about drove off the road laughing when I saw it (luckily no patients in back).

MM
 
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