I've heard a rumor going around that in an Air Force study, a pale pink was actually considered the best color to paint planes, as it made them nearly invisible to the naked eye. For some reason though, they abandoned they idea. Anyone have any more information on this?
when you paint rainbows on them they tend to go completely stealth. You cant even see them on infared.
yeah, it is true, pale pink is a far better low-vis colour. grey is almost as good, but no-where near as gay, that is why it is used. its the same deal with RAM also. grey is better than black, but i spose the SR-71/F-117a/B2 were black cause it looks much more badass (or cause the use a different type)
Technically the Blackbirds weren't actually black, but rather, an extremely dark blue. And it was only partially because they were mostly operated at night; the other reason was that it increased the emission of internal heat.
sorta. The f-117 was different as it used olfer technologyi - ron/graphite balls in the paint, which scattered the rad waves more than absorbing it, whereas the B2 used absorbant paint and its hape to its advantage. the SR-71 in theory was stealthy du to its shape, but the sheer fact it ran so hot, the heat it put off showed up on radar
I actually the iron oxide balls in the F-117 did absorb radar waves, and it was not even really paint. They were basically rubber sheets that were applied to the airframe. The SR-71 also included similar compounds in the paint to absorb radar. Of course I am surprised no one has mentioned the SAS during WWII in north africa painted their land rovers a purple-pink color to make them harder to see.