Marcel111 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 https://theaviationist.com/2017/10/08/new-f-16c-aggressor-color-livery-dubbed-bdu-splinter-unveiled-at-eielson-air-force/ Starfighter Jock, CANicoll, Tnarg and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 Yeah, it's pretty awesome looking! Twobobs is supposedly coming out with decals for it. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazzas Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 I realize it's great for modeling, but in an age of advanced radars, shoot - and- forget weapons, and who knows what else, isn't camo just window dressing? Gigant 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigant Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 (edited) I realize it's great for modeling, but in an age of advanced radars, shoot - and- forget weapons, and who knows what else, isn't camo just window dressing? Unfortunately, no. The purpose of camo is not to defend the aircraft in-flight, but disguise it while it is on the ground, especially in foreign country air-bases. Ideally it will cause the aircraft to "blend-in" both while in storage as well as after an unplanned "landing", due to equipment malfunction or being downed by an enemy weapon to prevent its' capture by enemy forces who could gather information from any technical gear or hardware left intact, or worst-case scenario, getting their hands on an operable unit. Hope that helps... Edited October 12, 2017 by Gigant Zero77 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmthamade Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 Well, those colors together are different. From what is shown it looks good. I have to admit, it kinda looks like an Ace Combat scheme...... Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgem37 Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 (edited) Not to hijack your thread, but the patterns are reminiscent of abstract paintings. Sincerely, Mark Edited October 12, 2017 by dodgem37 Marcel111, Out2gtcha and Tnarg 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Fleischmann Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 Unfortunately, no. The purpose of camo is not to defend the aircraft in-flight, but disguise it while it is on the ground, especially in foreign country air-bases. Ideally it will cause the aircraft to "blend-in" both while in storage as well as after an unplanned "landing", due to equipment malfunction or being downed by an enemy weapon to prevent its' capture by enemy forces who could gather information from any technical gear or hardware left intact, or worst-case scenario, getting their hands on an operable unit. Hope that helps... Mmmm- perhaps for some air arms, but this sounds like historical information. I can tell you for a fact that the current paint schemes on the F-16, F-15, and F-22 are there to make airborne visual acquisition of these jets harder. The best A/A camouflage I've ever encountered was the "Smurf jet" camo on the AT-38B. That thing was tough to pick up visually simply flying in line abreast tactical formation- nose on; even worse. The Gomer jets are painted to mimic threat aircraft obviously. Why the bad guys paint their jets the way they do is subject to interpretation, but there is nothing, at all, about a Ukrainian Flanker (for example) to suggest they want to hide it amongst the visual ground clutter. Just an old fighter pilot talkin' Cheers Pete Marcel111 and Gigant 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigant Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 Yeah, I was thinking of an "antique" like this A-10: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tnarg Posted October 13, 2017 Share Posted October 13, 2017 I think camo just looks beautiful. Any kind of camo, any way you paint it, but grey is my least favorite. As all of you have said, it doesn't mean nearly as much now.. but that Viggen splinter camo really floats my boat. Tnarg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Fleischmann Posted October 13, 2017 Share Posted October 13, 2017 Yeah, I was thinking of an "antique" like this A-10: That A-10 camo was designed to make visual acquisition of it difficult from high to low, by an interceptor, over Europe. The A-10 would be driven to low altitude by the layered Warsaw Pact IADS. Hence the camo. Pete Gigant 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Fleischmann Posted October 13, 2017 Share Posted October 13, 2017 Modern weapons systems have basically rendered camouflage virtually a moot point. On the ground or in the air, advanced sensors can pick up an aircraft long before anyone can see it with Mk.I eyeballs. True, grey camouflage renders them more difficult to see, but in the real world, nobody's likely to sneak up close enough to anybody else to allow camouflage to make much of a difference. Jennings...and when the fight collapses inside sensor range to a multi bandit visual fight, I don't want to be in a Ferrari red F-16. Any advantage, even if ever so slight, I'll take. Apparently the USAF agrees with me. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcel111 Posted October 13, 2017 Author Share Posted October 13, 2017 I would guess that the Russian splinter schemes are about aspect deception at the edge of vision i.e. the dark/light splinters break up the outline of the aircraft such that range and direction are harder to detect. Similar theory to Heater-Ferris. The 18th using green and brown seems to me to be a pretty creative take on that. I am pretty certain that NATO attack aircraft wearing wrap-around schemes in the 80's (they generally all had it, A-10, F-111, F-4, Tornado...) had everything to do with the very low-level profiles they were expecting to have to fly in the event that things got serious. As things went up to medium level, camo went lighter and changed to gray. Anyway, I hope the 18th still does a variation of the splinter scheme using the standard gray (FS36270), medium blue (FS35190) and light blue (FS35450)... because that would look really nice :-) Cheers, Marcel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero77 Posted October 13, 2017 Share Posted October 13, 2017 Wow, the USAF also adopted the new trend of the black undercoat base. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigant Posted October 13, 2017 Share Posted October 13, 2017 That A-10 camo was designed to make visual acquisition of it difficult from high to low, by an interceptor, over Europe. The A-10 would be driven to low altitude by the layered Warsaw Pact IADS. Hence the camo. Pete Wow! So what about this "relic"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Fleischmann Posted October 14, 2017 Share Posted October 14, 2017 Any of the mods care to tell me why my post on this topic was deleted? A PM, at least, would be appreciated- Respectfully, Pete Zero77 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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