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When the F-117 was ready for deployment to Squadrons, AF stated they wanted it painted Black.
Engineers replied that wasn't the best color, but were overridden.

By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - 01:32 pm: Edit

Even before Adam Turners work started to show up, I've always like what are considered the base 'official' colours for the SFU vessels.

Starting with the classic three of Fed CA, Klingon D7 and Romulan War Eagle, branching out with things such as black for Orions, different counties colour schemes for Lyrans etc. It made the simple TOS design style pop with the elaborate paint schemes.

Adam has just elaborated on that basis with some amazing artwork!

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - 03:32 pm: Edit

In our hearts the SFU is pure but outwardly it all about fun.

And if any ship is going to get painted for fun, it would be the Orion ships that can land. They are flat out the easiest ships to paint.

I suspect a lot of workboats get painted all sorts of goofy schemes considering space paint is probably expensive. This leads to people selling their surplus and economical buyers picking up small batches of multiple colors resulting is said goofy color schemes.

Hulls do need to be maintained, especially those venturing into weird places and atmospheres. Might as well do it in color!

Pirates might also have a reason to ID themselves without broadcasting it. I'd think that pirate captains might have to register their "colors" with the cartels. Changing colors would be hard to do without it being reported that its being done (in violation of cartel law). Visual ID might be preferred over a transponder. Bold designs are probably more easily pattern-recognized at long distance. They are probably changed occasionally and reregistered as operation require. (Get a bad rep with the local authorities you might request a scheme change from the cartel boss office... for a fee... if you can afford it.)

By Garth L. Getgen (Sgt_G) on Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - 06:47 pm: Edit

Reminds me of a story about my Dad from before I was born. He had a Jeep that he kept repainting with different colors or at least changing the racing stripe along the side / down the hood. Rumor had it he do so to keep one step ahead of people he owed money to .....


Garth L. Getgen

By Bennett Snyder (Planner) on Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - 07:50 pm: Edit

Nice article, Mark.

By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - 08:09 pm: Edit

Thanks, but I just started the thread!

By Bennett Snyder (Planner) on Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - 10:33 pm: Edit

But without you there would have been no discussion.

By Scott Iles (Gullwind) on Friday, June 27, 2014 - 01:13 am: Edit

I seem to recall the Flying Tigers did a similar trick in China. They would change the numbers and repaint the spinners on their planes for each mission. The Japanese estimated there were something like 50 aircraft in the AVG, when there were never more than a dozen at one time.

By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Friday, June 27, 2014 - 07:33 am: Edit

@Mark Steven Boyle

"When the F-117 was ready for deployment to Squadrons, AF stated they wanted it painted Black.
Engineers replied that wasn't the best color, but were overridden."

That's interesting, I thought that they were black because of the material used. What colour did the engineers recommend? Why was black not recommended?

By Mark Steven Hoyle (Markshoyle) on Friday, June 27, 2014 - 08:43 am: Edit

I don't recall what was recommended.
Though most of it's stealth was in it's shape,
any color could be done in special treatment.
Engineers pointed out that flying against a clear sky (especially when crossing the moon), black would not be any better than any other.
Because it was planned to do most missions at night, guess the Officers believed it would be better anyways.
It was explained better in one of those historic documentaries about it.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Friday, June 27, 2014 - 09:59 am: Edit

F117 Gray Dragon
http://theaviationist.com/2013/02/25/gray-dragon-story/

By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Friday, June 27, 2014 - 10:12 am: Edit

Ah, thanks for that link, Loren.

And Mark, sorry about misspelling your surname. Blooming predictive text on my phone!

By Will McCammon (Djdood) on Friday, June 27, 2014 - 11:06 am: Edit

The original "Have Blue" stealth pathfinder prototypes were painted in a blue and gray "dazzle" pattern.

The low observable coatings are a mixture of special particulates in a paint like matrix material. Just like paint, the matrix can be just about any color desired. The Air Force brass wanted sexy black, so they got black, even if grey would have been better in more situations.

By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Friday, June 27, 2014 - 11:26 am: Edit

Who else thinks that the F-117 would make a cool X-tech Orion design?

By Will McCammon (Djdood) on Friday, June 27, 2014 - 12:42 pm: Edit

I think I might paint one of my Orions up in the Have Blue scheme (which also had khaki in it, as it turns out).
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/00/Have_Blue_stealth_aricraft.jpg

By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Friday, June 27, 2014 - 12:53 pm: Edit

Now that could look cool on an Orion.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Friday, June 27, 2014 - 06:57 pm: Edit

Well, Orions do land on planets, often "wheres day ain't spoze ta be."


Also, what would "asteroid camo" look like?

By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Friday, June 27, 2014 - 07:49 pm: Edit

You know, never thought about that one, Loren!

But if you can have starfield cammo, why not that!

By Bennett Snyder (Planner) on Friday, June 27, 2014 - 10:16 pm: Edit

Scott is correct about the AVG. Continuous changes kept the Japanese guessing.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Friday, June 27, 2014 - 10:28 pm: Edit

I can envision a scenario where the target of a pirate raid is a freighter full of starship paint. (The freighter is making the starbase and BATTS rounds).

But which freighter has the paint?

"Captain! We just blew up the freighter with the paint on board."

"Noooo! OK, helm, quickly. Come about and coast us through the debris field."

"We'll have to drop shields"

"It'll be worth it."

By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Saturday, June 28, 2014 - 04:33 am: Edit

LOL! Good one, Loren. OK, whose gonna paint their BR that way?

By Garth L. Getgen (Sgt_G) on Saturday, June 28, 2014 - 02:20 pm: Edit

Reminds me of a short-story in an anthology series, I want to say it was "Fleet", where the one commander won a battle by dumping paint, which blinded the enemy ship's radar, and then dumping bolts & nuts, followed by larger and larger spare parts until the enemy ship looked more like Swiss Cheese than anything else.


Garth L. Getgen

By Stewart Frazier (Frazikar2) on Saturday, June 28, 2014 - 07:25 pm: Edit

Think I remember that, they were running as half light (.5c) when they started dumpping it behind them...

By Bennett Snyder (Planner) on Wednesday, July 02, 2014 - 02:27 pm: Edit

When manufacturers reach a certain production number that fighter would get painted red,white and blue.
Think anything similar is done with starships?

By Jack Bohn (Jackbohn) on Friday, July 04, 2014 - 08:44 am: Edit

What production number would be attainable and impressive for starships? 24, 25?

The Escort Carrier Richthofen NCC-365 is painted red.
...isn't it?

By Will McCammon (Djdood) on Friday, July 04, 2014 - 04:22 pm: Edit

Smaller ships tend to be built in larger numbers. There are references to well over 100 Fed FFs being built.