Army Cammo

[mark]

Iam hoping someone can help with a couple of questions concerning Army Aircraft Cammo scheme's.

1.What is the official name of the Black,tan and green cammo scheme used on Army aircraft such as the Huey,Jetranger,Blackhawk and Tiger.Is it considered
"Auscam" like the uniform?

2.Do the colours used of Black,tan and green have a US type FS (Federal Standard) code as is applied to US cammo.

3.What is the official cammo colour of our Chinooks (and why don't they have the Black,tan and green scheme of the other chopper's ?).

thanks in advance!

regards mark

[Demon50]

References I have are :

Black is Black !

Tan - FS30219

Olive Green - FS34082

As far as I am aware, these are/were the colours used on Nomads, Pilatus Porters, Blackhawks and Kiowas ( have I missed any ?)

The black and tan used on the Tiger is the same but I believe that the green on the machines built in France is a different shade and the difference was quite noticeable to me when I saw the Army choppers at Avalon in March. Someone told me a close match is "French Artillery Green". Machines built in Australia should have the FS34082 colour.

The Chinooks appear to be painted in a very dark olive drab almost black scheme and I am guessing that it may be some sort of radar absorbing or low reflective paint given that the Chinooks are often used by Special Forces - ie SAS and Commandos behind enemy lines.

[mark]

Thanks for the info Demon50....but your remark black is black ! what about black as coal,jet black,black as your hat,crow black and many more shades of black.Yes
you are right black is black.sorry about that....regards and thanks again mark.

[Warhawk]

Speaking of black

Can I ask a stupid question?

Why hasn't the Bell UH-1Hs ever been painted like the rest of the Camo Army Eggbeaters belongim sky???

Is it because of the contract or lack of "Black" paint?

Curious isn't it, why the chooks aren't painted the same way.

Maybe the new 171Sqn with go the same colour as the chooks as they do standout in the city currently.

Best
Gordy

[Demon50]

Hi Warhawk

I suspect that the Chinooks are optimised for special forces operations so the black or dark olive drab scheme applied my be a radar absorbent coating similar to that applied on the F117 and B2.

And it is a bit odd that the UH1Hs haven't been painted up like the Blackhawks and Kiowas. Even the Porters and Nomads had the three colour scheme. I can't offer any explantion.

Perhaps Len will know the answer.

Cheers

Bob

[Warhawk]

Yeah,......

Maybe then "our" 12 special ops S70A9s will become O/D or Black as well.

Adding a few optional extras of course, in basic black. Mini Guns , high single tanks etc.

Could be too that the Refurbished Chinooks were direct FMS via US Army , whereas the S70A9s were commercial contract. Hence standard US ARMY Colours

Otherwise, I can't explain why their UH-60A/Ms are of the same single colour.

Single paint jobs are cheaper to maintain and to re-apply, hence why we are appearing to single colourise our Caribou and C-130Hs with that lovely Teatree Green.

Wonder what scheme the M1A1's will be????? Lay odds its single green, reflective microwave colour.

On retrospect, our 80's special ops Wessex were still painted Blue and white!

Too much thinking and too much damn grey in the air!!!

Night
Gordy :)

[Demon50]

Hi Gordy

Makes sense about the Chinooks - I thought the same thing about them being from US Army stocks and the scheme was retained perhaps due to cost factors. But then the C models had tan/green applied which replaced the original scheme of olive drab.

I haven't seen a C130H in the West for a long time. How many are in the "Tea Tree" Green scheme (FS???? anyone) ?

Likewise with Caribous which rarely venture westwards these days. Are they also getting the same colour or perhaps the shade of green originally applied ?

[Warhawk]

Hi Bob,

Seems only a few went Teatree,..few pics in Caribou Picture files.

Several C-130Hs,..A97-009 is one I think.

,..they fade rather bad and look greyish.

I live in Ipswich, so I get to see the odd Caribou to name but a few.

Oh the Chooks came out in Olive Drab,..only when we went "continental Defence" did we spray them in that G/Br colour.

#011 was still in O/D when it was getting close being re-built in 1981.

A interim paint job for 1977 for K77 Exercise was medium green spraying on the white tops of the CH-47Cs



Best
Gordy

[Demon50]

Several Iroquois have received experimental colour schemes over the years (excluding the high viz red and orange schemes applied for Peace Keeping duties in Bouganville.)

After much searching, I've found a photo I cut from a magazine years ago which shows A2-649 in a "high viz" camo scheme (a contradiction in terms !) of what appears to be black, sand and and ochre applied over a dark green base. The scheme is similar to the splinter/lozenge type schemes applied to German aircraft in WW1.

It was obviously unsuccesful and I think was applied about 1988 or 89.

[Warhawk]

How about a scan?

Gordy :)

[Demon50]

Hi Gordy

It's been one of those days !!!!

I had several prints on my desk to scan but my son decided he needed the computer for a school assignment so I left him to it. But somehow he managed to spill a glass of coke over my prints and in his panic to clean up used tissue paper and promptly put his fingers through the photo from the magazine. The other prints are also ruined but at least I have the negs.

The back/ochre/sand colours are very similar to those applied to Caribou A4-208 which lived at Pearce for several years and I'm certain the photo of the Iroquois appeared in an Air Forces Monthly mag.

Needless to say, no more drinks in the study !

[Warhawk]

Lol, though I shouldn't

Yeap, I have three kids like that!!!

Never mind,...I'll go a drovin and see if I can come up with some too

Best
Go :o rdy

[Demon50]

Hi Gordy et al

Following on from my earlier post about the splinter/lozenge type scheme applied to A2-649, I've hunted high and low for another picture. I've spent hours at the RAAFA Museum Bull Creek looking through Air Forces Monthly magazines from January 1988 without success.

When I came home earlier today I thought I'd look through my slide collection in a final attempt and EUREKA, I struck gold !!

The only slide I have of A2-649 was taken at Townsville on 22 October 1987 and its wearing the splinter camo scheme. I'll get a print from the slide (will take a few days) then scan the print and hopefully upload to the site asap.

[Brendan Cowan]

Actually,

Now that you mention it, I remember either an APMA or IPMS Australasia line drawing of this scheme ages ago.

I'll have to scurry into the "reserve collection" in the bungalow for that!

:wacko:

Boy is that placed overloaded!

BC

[Warhawk]

Cool,
Look forward to either, but both woul dbe good
Gordy :)

[Demon50]

I've emailed the scan of A2-649 to Darren and asked him to post it on the Message Board as I didn't know how.

[Warhawk]

Great, and thanks Mate
Gordy :D

[darren.crick]

here tis...

Attached Image

[darren.crick]

Being a current Army aircraft Len Avery is interested in this pic. He wants to know if we can date the image? obviously its pre-the helo's going to the army...

[Demon50]

Taken at Townsville QLD on 22 October 1987.

The slide was purchased from Aviation Photo Australia long before the inflation in prices caused by listing on specialist Internet sites.

[Warhawk]

And a "Wallaby" at that! 35Sqn

remember the pic,...must have it somewhere in a Mag,.....unless the wife was started cleaning out my stuff,..Yeeeeekkkkkkkkkkeeeeeeeee!

Excellent pic,..sort of Russian splinter camo,..or should I dare say "Luftwaffe"

Lol

I remember that day too,....my birthday when I reached 29!!

Gordy "out there" :P

[Brendan Cowan]

Found the drawings and article........

The scheme was called Barracuda...

:D

BC

Attached Image

[Brendan Cowan]

And here is the line drawing set.

Apologies for the size!

BC

Attached Image

[Warhawk]

I feel it! I sense it,...I think that there will be UH-1H Profiles soon!!!

:ph34r:

Gordy :blink:

[Brendan Cowan]

Ahhhh - The affliction takes hold again...... :P

[goggsy]

<!--QuoteBegin-Demon50+Mar 11 2006, 09:03 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Demon50 @ Mar 11 2006, 09:03 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Hi Warhawk

I suspect that the Chinooks are optimised for special forces operations so the black or dark olive drab scheme applied my be a radar absorbent coating similar to that applied on the F117 and B2.

And it is a bit odd that the UH1Hs haven't been painted up like the Blackhawks and Kiowas. Even the Porters and Nomads had the three colour scheme. I can't offer any explantion.

Perhaps Len will know the answer.

Cheers

Bob <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
The paint on the Chooks is nothing special. Standard dark olive green matte poly. I will try and chase up the specs. All the frames i saw at the Boeing Philly factory were painted this colour. We took the first frames from Boeing as stock standard D models as all the frames went into production at the same time minus production delays and we simply took four of these with the US army taking the rest

I also have some scanned photos of the iroquois in cammo paint (standard pattern if anyone wants them)

This post has been edited by goggsy on Apr 18 2006, 05:39 PM

[Brendan Cowan]

Thanks Goggsy,

That clears up another part of the puzzle on the Chook colours.

I'd be happy to post up the photos that you mentioned on your behalf.

Just send them to my email address:

brendan.cowan@adf-serials.com.

Cheers

BC

:D

[Warhawk]

Yes Please Goggsy

Gordy :huh:

[Brendan Cowan]

From Goggsy:

Hi there Brendan,

Here are the two pictures. They were taken by a RAAF photographer in the High Range Training Area just outside of Townsville. They did at this stage belong to B sqn, 5Avn Regt. B Sqn was originally a training Sqn for Blackhawks and they also operated the gunships. They sqn became operational about 1 year before the Cambodian election mission and gunbships then became a seperate entity eventually forming C sqn with the procurement of the chinooks.
Cheers
Dave 'goggsy'

Attached Image

[Brendan Cowan]

And the other photo from Goggsy.....



Attached Image

[Dean]

Damn. I want to get a ride in one of these before I go civvy. Just gotta love that sound. Woppa woppa woppa

[Warhawk]

Reminds me of a song,.."Shakin all over"

Been on that A2-771 when it was a slick, A2-773 and A2-649 too

Amazing how the numbers stick in your mind after all of these years,......

Now if I can remember the year, that would be better. K79 or K81,.hmmmm

NAP!!!! What a crazy way to fly one of these things!!!

Give me wings!!

Best
Gordy :)

[Brendan Cowan]

Hey Gordy,

Did you end up bashing out a profile of 649?

(Not pushing you to do it - just curious!)


;)

BC

[darren.crick]

yeah Gordy where is it??????

:P

[Warhawk]

Nope, not yet

I was aiming doing a 1975 Hybrid O/Drab with Green spray- over White and down tone RAAF Markings per K75 per A2-485 or A2-649

So be patient,..."or else" Get a red one!!!

Got to fix up my stuff up per TB-863 first

Hey since when do Herks out perform F-111Cs? >300?

It must be about gross AUW"s eh?

Gordy :D

[darren.crick]

I shoved that in waiting for the coments... just before my retirement :D

Now that Brendan is in charge lets blame him anyway...

[Brendan Cowan]

Yes I know,

I have to get back to the rankings!

:o

BC

[cj0203]

http://motty.hobbyvista.com/Helicopters/Iroquois-01.html
This webpage has barracuda images.
hope it helps
chris