Drone Aircraft Paint Schemes Query

[Cobra]

Hey Guys, as You know, I'm planning to do a Super Drone based on the SR-71, what would Be a Good Paint Scheme for such a Drone? should i do a Single color,2 tone,or What? What Say You? thanks For Looking. Dan

[Dizzyfugu]

Is it a retired and then modified aircraft? Then the USAF would keep its original livery and add some hi-viz panels in orange, and maybe the windows painted over. Should look cool on a SR-71, though... The USN used some wild colors on their drones, partly all orange, or orange with yellow wings.

Otherwise... an overall light grey could look cool, too? One is SO used to connect the SR-71 with an all black livery that anything might be appropriate?

[Cobra]

i was Thinking of Going Gerry Anderson with it and Doing a Scheme of Maybe Anthracite Gray with White Trim and the Letters WAF on the Wings. how does that sound?Dan

[Dizzyfugu]

Sounds good. Maybe go with a lighter grey, like FS 36173, and add some checkered trim (for extra speed)?

[Cobra]

Not Sure about Checkered Pattern,but i was Thinking of 2 White Bands on the Wingtips to show it a Drone.Dan

[zenrat]

Natural metal with orange wingtips and tips of the vertical stabilisers.

[Dizzyfugu]

Yeah, blank titanium! Modelmaster has a nice Metallizer for that - coupled with some day-glo markings... 

[sandiego89]

Not wanting to throw a blanket on things, but MACH 3+ was quite hard on any paint not in the standard SR-71/A-12/YF-12 colors.  Several pictures show scorched off markings.  A few had large white crosses etc for photo calibration but these markings did not last long at MACH 3+.  Heat was a big reason why markings on these aircraft were so simple, along with wanting to look as annonymous as possible.  Think you need black on at least the leading edges, like the early A-12's.  The early natural titanium and black A-12's look great.  Realistically the fin tips and wingtips were very high heat areas, so special colors there would not be as realistic.  White is especially vulnerable.  The early A-12's were black in the highest heat areas, natural in lower heat areas. If you desire some high viz, perhaps some high viz colors in these areas of less heat would be more realistic.  Just trying to be helpfull if realism is important....

But of course this is WHIF, so go with anything you want!   

[PR19_Kit]

Unobtanium paint is what you need.........   

[zenrat]

[Cobra]

Related Question:would it be Workable to use Plastic stock to Blank out the Windscreen area of a 1/110 scale blackbird model for the  Super Drone? what say You? thanks for looking. Dan