US Navy Paint Scheme Query

[rickshaw]

I've got a question about the US Navy schemes, post war.

Does anybody know when the US Navy changed their aircraft from dark blue to light grey?

[kitbasher]

Don't know, but the Dark Blue would essentially create a stick-out-like-a-sore-thumb silhouette in the air.

In WW2 the RAF moved to the Medium Sea Grey uppers and white sides/lowers for its MR aircraft - mimicking sea birds.  Head on very difficult to sea - especially as wing/tailplane undersurfaces were finished in a gloss white that reflected the colour of the sea.  The grey complemented heavy, clouded skies, thus reducing visual conspicuity.  There was even a trial undertaken (using a Whitley IIRC) to test whether car headlights (when on) would further reduce the head-on silhouette when operating against submarines.  Of course that doesn't explain why the RAF then moved away from such a scheme to overall Dark Sea Grey for the Shackleton - unless it was to hide it from higher flying fighters when operating over water?

So a mixture of operating conditions and the experience of the RAF may have played a part?  Night fighters in WW2 moved away from all black to medium greys (RAF and Luftwaffe specifically) as a medium grey created less of a silhouette against cloud, thus making them harder to be visually acquired by bombers.

The RAF experimented with numerous finishes for night bombers before and during WW2.  The received wisdom was that the mattest possible finish would hide aircraft in searchlight cones.  In fact the best solution was the rather counterintuitive high gloss black, which was beginning to be introduced at the end of WW2, and remained in use for some years afterwards (Lincolns, early Canberras, etc).

Of course things evolve.  Camo schemes intended to reduce visual conspicuity don't have any bearing on electronic conspicuity, and vice versa.  All camouflage is a compromise, essentially - depending on the operating environment.  A fascinating subject with plenty of dead ends.

[JayBee]

Acording to "United States Navy aircraft since 1911" by Swanborough and Bowers (Putnam) The change from Midnight Blue to Light Grey for top and side surfaces, over white for the underside came in 1955.

[rickshaw]

Thank'ee JayBee, that is exactly what I was after.   1955 fits in well with my plans.   

[Old Wombat]

Also fits with the introduction of the A-4 Skyhawk, which entered service in 1956 in grey-over-white, while the 1st S-2 Trackers entered service in 1954 in over-all dark blue.

[Dizzyfugu]

Initial A-3 (incl. prototypes) were also dark blue, but AFAIK the service machines all became Gull Grey/White.