what happened to camouflage ?
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Grovetown Ga
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What happened to camouflage?
Hello, aviators!
I am not a pilot myself, but I am a former RAF NCO whose responsibility was to supervise the painting of RAF aircraft (1987 - 2006).
Camouflage paint paint schemes were primarily incorporated to all strike attack aircraft and primarily low level attack aircraft that operated in a European type wooded/forested terrain and would be making low level passes to attack targets. The Tornado GR1, (the aircraft I first worked in 1987 at TTTE Cottesmore) is a good example of this.
Flying low level to avoid radar detection, the Tornado bombers would be tasked with racing to targets low level to get off their nuclear payloads. Believe it or not, it proved very effective and did indeed break down the visual image to other to fighter pilots scanning them to shoot them down thus giving the crew vital seconds to select reheat and get out of harms way and to hopefully avoid lock on from weapons systems.
Other aircraft types in other roles would also be painted `wet on wet` disruptive pattern schemes to avoid visual detection from below and above and for the same reasons. Obviously, the Tornado force had to repainted to a desert sand scheme for Op` Granby (the first modern oil war) thus blending in from visual detection. Other surface coatings can be applied also in order to break up and distort radar cross section images (that were applied to the GR1 for deployment to the Gulf) in order to again give the aircrew more vital seconds to deploy the payload and then get away.
The same concept is true of aircraft in other roles like the Tornado F3 (an air defender) with to or 3 shads of grey to again provide a visual blind spot to other aircraft when viewed from above, below and side on. Again, surprisingly, it does work.
The Gulf 1 oil war proved that, in the post Cold War era, that ultra low level flying is dangerous and and the role of the Tornado as a low level bomber was adjusted to other tasks (ground attack recon`, maritime defense etc) thus the grey and green disruptive pattern was not really required as seen now in the Tornado GR4 variant where they deploy weapons from high altitude from laser guided aiming systems thus I don`t really think that the disappearance of the grey and green camo` paint scheme has much to do with cost!
Still, I left the RAF in 2006 and have never really settled anywhere for long and now I reside in Georgia in the USA working as a security guard for pea nuts, with people I can`t stand and miss the UK more and more each day.......I just camouflage my true feelings though and do it very well!
Cheers guys!
Garry Harriman
Grovetown, Ga, USA
RAF 1987- 2006
I am not a pilot myself, but I am a former RAF NCO whose responsibility was to supervise the painting of RAF aircraft (1987 - 2006).
Camouflage paint paint schemes were primarily incorporated to all strike attack aircraft and primarily low level attack aircraft that operated in a European type wooded/forested terrain and would be making low level passes to attack targets. The Tornado GR1, (the aircraft I first worked in 1987 at TTTE Cottesmore) is a good example of this.
Flying low level to avoid radar detection, the Tornado bombers would be tasked with racing to targets low level to get off their nuclear payloads. Believe it or not, it proved very effective and did indeed break down the visual image to other to fighter pilots scanning them to shoot them down thus giving the crew vital seconds to select reheat and get out of harms way and to hopefully avoid lock on from weapons systems.
Other aircraft types in other roles would also be painted `wet on wet` disruptive pattern schemes to avoid visual detection from below and above and for the same reasons. Obviously, the Tornado force had to repainted to a desert sand scheme for Op` Granby (the first modern oil war) thus blending in from visual detection. Other surface coatings can be applied also in order to break up and distort radar cross section images (that were applied to the GR1 for deployment to the Gulf) in order to again give the aircrew more vital seconds to deploy the payload and then get away.
The same concept is true of aircraft in other roles like the Tornado F3 (an air defender) with to or 3 shads of grey to again provide a visual blind spot to other aircraft when viewed from above, below and side on. Again, surprisingly, it does work.
The Gulf 1 oil war proved that, in the post Cold War era, that ultra low level flying is dangerous and and the role of the Tornado as a low level bomber was adjusted to other tasks (ground attack recon`, maritime defense etc) thus the grey and green disruptive pattern was not really required as seen now in the Tornado GR4 variant where they deploy weapons from high altitude from laser guided aiming systems thus I don`t really think that the disappearance of the grey and green camo` paint scheme has much to do with cost!
Still, I left the RAF in 2006 and have never really settled anywhere for long and now I reside in Georgia in the USA working as a security guard for pea nuts, with people I can`t stand and miss the UK more and more each day.......I just camouflage my true feelings though and do it very well!
Cheers guys!
Garry Harriman
Grovetown, Ga, USA
RAF 1987- 2006
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
In the late 60s a Tech Grade Civil Servant, interested in camouflage, tried to find the RAF policy for camouflage and found there was no consistent policy. Was the purpose to conceal them on the ground or inflight? If inflight, on what mission or terrain.
It was done on a Looks about right basis which was why Middle East TacT had a similar scheme to the V-Force but brown on brown with a white aim here cockpit on a one style fits all basis.
He trialled a water based application and concealled a C130 on the Kingsfield Strip in Cyprus. IIRC it was painted pink overall. I believe his work led to Harriers assigned to AAFNorth getting temporary white dazzle and RAFG Lightnings green overall for ground concealment.
Of the Mk 1 Nimrod it was observed that they were painted just like sea birds only upside down.
It was done on a Looks about right basis which was why Middle East TacT had a similar scheme to the V-Force but brown on brown with a white aim here cockpit on a one style fits all basis.
He trialled a water based application and concealled a C130 on the Kingsfield Strip in Cyprus. IIRC it was painted pink overall. I believe his work led to Harriers assigned to AAFNorth getting temporary white dazzle and RAFG Lightnings green overall for ground concealment.
Of the Mk 1 Nimrod it was observed that they were painted just like sea birds only upside down.
Speaking of CF-18s, I saw this nice retro scheme at an airshow last summer:
Not so good as a winter scheme though!
More pictures here, including the fake canopy:
Canada Celebrates Battle Of Britain With This Stunning CF-18 Hornet
Not so good as a winter scheme though!
More pictures here, including the fake canopy:
Canada Celebrates Battle Of Britain With This Stunning CF-18 Hornet
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Hertfordshire
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Regarding page 2, post 36, photo of Tirpitz model of a scheme that existed. Something similar was used on Admiral Hipper in Kiel, May 1945:
It didn't help much as can be seen. The RAF just flattened the whole area.
It didn't help much as can be seen. The RAF just flattened the whole area.
