B-2 and the F-117 What color are they and what would colors would you use in testors to match it? im going to paint a black jet but was thinking of painting it dark gray? what do you guys think?
I’ve used flat black on a Nighthawk and It looked great. Gray wouldn’t work because the finish is black. I have heard some say to mix a little blue in it but I wouldn’t I was within 10 feet of one (the guy with the M-16 wouldn’t let me closer) and it was FLAT BLACK.
I’d have to agree that the F-117 is indeed about as flat black as you can get. If you wanted to make some contrasting detail on it, I’d do a bit of dry brushing with gunship grey or intermediate blue along the edges of all the facets on the exterior of it. Don’t overdo it though, you don’t want to lose the overall blackness of it, just make a bit of contrast to add intrest to it.
As for the B-2, from what pictures I’ve seen of it in broad daylight, I’d be inclined to go with an overall gunship grey for that one.
Maybe try rubbing a pencil tip lightly along the edges of the facets. I think this would “suggest” a corner without defineing it. just do it light to start. I have used this on road wheels for armour with good results.
I’m building a 1/32 F-117 model from the Testors kit. I am using this picture and a few others for reference. I took this photo at Andrew’s Air Force Base, 2001
You can see some of the orange tinting to the screens in this picture.
This was as close as I could get (alive)
-Muzzleflash
As far as i know its flat black but the radar absorbing materials (paint) have iron in them and that is what gives it its grey tint i would go flat black ive done SR 71and sea shadow in flat black and look prefect.
If any of you want to read a good book about Skunk Works (maker of the stealths) true story its called Skunk Works by Ben R. Rich has alot of cool pics and the story of each of the stealths.
PS. I like the alien hanging of the front landing gear.[:D]
When I get around to building it, this is how my Goblin’ll look:
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Hey isnt that the prototype color sceam?
It’s one of the FSD aircraft.
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fsd?
Oops, Full Scale Development. These are aircraft that aren’t necessarily prototypes, but which also aren’t necessarily up to production standards.
FSD aircraft are used for testing and evaluation of the aircraft and it’s various systems.
For instance, one FSD airframe may be used to test the engines. It may not have any radar or weapons systems installed because there’s probably another airframe for testing the radar, and another for the weapons systems etc…
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ahhhhhh i seeeeee!!! btw great job on your models !!! they are really cool!!!
Thanks, T-Bolt!
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Painting the surface of a 117 destroys the stealth ability.
They are black for a reason.
That’s all I can say.
Yeah, they are black for a reason. They’re black because they initially were flown only at night. Also, there may be a bit of tradition in it, lookit the U-2 and the SR-71/A-12. The vast majority of them were overall black.
With the exception of visual, the color of the aircraft doesn’t matter at all as regards method of detection. It’s not the black color that makes them stealthy, it’s 1) the design (in this case lotsa facets and sawtooth edges) and 2) the RAM. (Radar Absorbant Material) These things aren’t painted in the traditional sense, they’re coated with RAM.
An F-117 could be neon green and it still wouldn’t show up very well on radar. Now if it were PAINTED neon green (or any other color), yeah, that may increase the RCS (Radar-Cross-Section) of the bird. But if the thing were coated in green RAM instead of black, it would make no difference whatsoever.
And I wanna build a Goblin in that camo scheme simply because EVERYONE does theirs in black. (Or that gray bird with the flag on the bottom. That one’s tempting too…)
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Here is a photo of the F-117 and B-2 side by side. I took this photo at an airshow at Whiteman AFB last weekend. I can post more photos if requested
Hey mkarlin01…
The photo is not showing up. If you can, post more of them. My son is in the Spirits, and was working that show. maybe he’s in one of your pics.
Bruce
Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt, oops, iguess I hiccuped on the keys. I dont know about the F-117 for sure, but I do know that the B-2 is supposed to be gunship grey. I have been to Whiteman a couple of times, and all of the bombers are painted in gunship grey. The T-38’s that they build hours on (they stick the same) are painted a color best described as a semi sheen charcoal grey—not quite a black, but not gunship grey either. Bruce Pease.
Ok Bruce then, how would you get that color in a testors paint?..Maybe they should make the paint for the B-2 and the F-117.