Is there a safe colour for a Plane.

[Kyle Communications]

I have flown model aircraft for years and they all look like black blobs at distance the only real way I found at distance was have large contrasting markings though even this is still a relative thing depends on how good your eyes are. I just finished my savannah and tried to do the same thing on the ground its pretty much all in your face with contrast but only 2 colours bright red and bright white. Hopefully she will fly at the end of this week just waiting for the paperwork to come back so will know then what its like at distance.hopefully it will be easily seen at distance

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RetiredRacer]

A beautifull aircraft you have there Kyle, well done!

 

 

[Neil_S]

I have flown model aircraft for years and they all look like black blobs at distance the only real way I found at distance was have large contrasting markings though even this is still a relative thing depends on how good your eyes are. I just finished my savannah and tried to do the same thing on the ground its pretty much all in your face with contrast but only 2 colours bright red and bright white. Hopefully she will fly at the end of this week just waiting for the paperwork to come back so will know then what its like at distance.hopefully it will be easily seen at distance

Hi,

 

I agree a combination of white and a dark colour would seem to be the best. I think your Savvy looks good, and should be visible against most backdrops (sky or ground).

 

Cheers

 

Neil

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Looks great, Kyle! Contrasting colours seem to stand out better than even bright yellow.

 

There are probably two different situations where you most want to be seen: in the circuit and if/when you have pranged. Each one is different. In the air you need to stand out against cloud and distant earth, so a darker colour may be best.

 

After a prang you want to be found easily. From above, white stands out as well as yellow, but I reckon light blue may be the best; it is a colour very rare in nature. Maybe red white and blue?

 

 

[Steve L]

thats a very nice aircraft Kyle, I reckon you will be seen

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Its a modified factory scheme The std factory one needed a lot more contrast I thought on the fuselage and also the top of the wings and tailplane to make it visible......of course I will only know when she flys. I am a very low time pilot my licence only turned up last week so getting my instructor to test fly her as he has 1000 hrs on the type so much better for him to do it to help sort out any slight rolling or yawing etc. So when he is flying it around I will see then what its like

 

Mark

 

 

[Ballpoint 246niner]

Yes Indeed Mark, I see it regularly trapsing the taxi-ways eager to lurch into the air- very hi Viz, and so say same of my "Jaffa" orange Fanta Can.

 

On the subject of "being seen", and in reference to Old K'S comment; the motorcycle safety council of Australia, in support from numerous other countries in the early 90's, pressurred by car motoring lobby groups were successful in having international laws accepted demanding motorcycles be fitted with a compulsory headlight permanently turned on. This was argued aggressively against by respected motorcycle experts and manufacturers to no avail and led to this being the standard fitment here and in many countries at enormous cost to manufacturers. A caveat to repeal the law was written if the effective accident rate between vehicles did not reduce by key reference amounts over a five year period, of which the Volvo brigade and numerous others just mocked as the were sure this was going to help them see and avoid those damn motorbikes...... guess what? It failed. Law was repealed, but the motorcycle industry was not going to turn back again.

 

If you don't look- no matter if it's lit up like a disco ball you won't see. LOOKOUT is the only effective strategy, planes trains, bikes or automobiles( but they can't legislate that can they!)

 

God bless the Volvo drivers, some also fly!

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

If you don't look- no matter if it's lit up like a disco ball you won't see. LOOKOUT is the only effective strategy, planes trains, bikes or automobiles( but they can't legislate that can they!)God bless the Volvo drivers, some also fly!

Too bloody right, mate. Despite my motorcycles being painted the most visible colours, car drivers put me on the deck several times. Always assume they are not looking for you.

 

 

[alf jessup]

There's a few Jabs at YLTV on this forum have fitted flashers to their standard every day yellow landing light on the front. VERY effective. Have yet to see anything anywhere near as good for an aircraft coming towards you. Dash 8's etc if you've seen them have a flashing light on each wing towards the front, also very effective. The flasher on the front is great for looking at the aircraft on final.I have the most trouble spotting aircraft in front of me in the circuit until it turns, mostly due to slim profile, hard to see and hard to fit a flashing halogen to the rear of an aircraft.

 

I would have said that some kind of multi-colour aircraft would be the easiest to see, but not just stripes, actual multiple colours, like dark blue wings and a white body for example.

 

I have a set of AeroFlash LED and Strobe Combos. Only draw up to 2.8 amps and run at up to 430 flashes per minute, however ineffective during daylight. Second most effective is the red beacon on the tail. Red Beacons can often be seen better at night than strobes. It all depends on the weather at the time and available light.

Brentc,

 

These LTV Jabiru's you are talking about also have a flasher landing light pointing rearward from the top of the fin.

 

They are very easy to spot, you usually see the things coming from 10 miles away and can watch them going away from you aswell.

 

Easiest aircraft I have ever had to spot.

 

Alf

 

 

[alf jessup]

Yes Indeed Mark, I see it regularly trapsing the taxi-ways eager to lurch into the air- very hi Viz, and so say same of my "Jaffa" orange Fanta Can.On the subject of "being seen", and in reference to Old K'S comment; the motorcycle safety council of Australia, in support from numerous other countries in the early 90's, pressurred by car motoring lobby groups were successful in having international laws accepted demanding motorcycles be fitted with a compulsory headlight permanently turned on. This was argued aggressively against by respected motorcycle experts and manufacturers to no avail and led to this being the standard fitment here and in many countries at enormous cost to manufacturers. A caveat to repeal the law was written if the effective accident rate between vehicles did not reduce by key reference amounts over a five year period, of which the Volvo brigade and numerous others just mocked as the were sure this was going to help them see and avoid those damn motorbikes...... guess what? It failed. Law was repealed, but the motorcycle industry was not going to turn back again.

If you don't look- no matter if it's lit up like a disco ball you won't see. LOOKOUT is the only effective strategy, planes trains, bikes or automobiles( but they can't legislate that can they!)

 

God bless the Volvo drivers, some also fly!

Hey Ballpoint,

 

I drive a dam big white Volvo primemover and motorists don't see me sometimes when i'm in that.

 

Don't think the boss would like me painting it Jaffa orange or anything like that lol.

 

I rode motocycles on the road for over 25 years and had my fair share of drivers so called not seeing me, some don't see you genuinely and some do see you but still pull out, the reason i feel is they know they are not the ones going to get hurt.

 

As for yellow aircraft like the Foxbat, i personally find them not easy to see at times.

 

And your right LOOKOUT is the only way to go.

 

Oh well time to head out in my big white Volvo hoping today the motorists see me as they will be the ones getting hurt if they don't.

 

Cheers

 

Alf

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

Despite my motorcycles being painted the most visible colours, car drivers put me on the deck several times.

You ride a pink motorbike? Perhaps they lost control through laughing too much!

 

(Sorry, had to say it). Maybe try swords protruding horizontally from the wheel hubs like Boadicea. Or a flamethrower, they command respect.

 

Re lighting I read a lengthy scientific based article recently which concluded that no amount of lighting helps to any significant degree in the daytime. Seemed surprising.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

I think the orange and white paint scheme of the US coast guard is a pretty good scheme for visibility. During WW2 Coastal command painted their Liberators white as camouflage, I am guessing that the white blends in with clouds pretty well.

 

 

[Guest Crezzi]

Black apparently - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/safety-first-as-raf-paints-planes-black-1146643.html

 

Cheers

 

John

 

 

[Ballpoint 246niner]

Hey Ballpoint,I drive a dam big white Volvo primemover and motorists don't see me sometimes when i'm in that.

 

Don't think the boss would like me painting it Jaffa orange or anything

 

Oh well time to head out in my big white Volvo hoping today the motorists see me as they will be the ones getting hurt if they don't.

 

Cheers

 

Alf

no offense intended mate,truck drivers, are some of the better ones- they have to be. I always assume someone will pull out on me then happy if they don,t. Treat every intersection as an accident until you pass and it's not I reckon.

What is it with pilots and motorbikes? It's way too common but great.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Re lighting I read a lengthy scientific based article recently which concluded that no amount of lighting helps to any significant degree in the daytime. Seemed surprising.

Doesn't surprise me, GG. There are so many things competing for our attention on the roads and in the air: road signs, advertising, other vehicles. Remember when a police car or ambulance had a single weak flashing light? We sure noticed. Now every roadside lawn mower and mail person has one. It's really like an arms race to be noticed, and people just zone it out.

 

We find this at accident sites; any number of red and blue strobes are not enough to jolt some people to slow down.

 

One of my pet peeves (there are too many, I know) is hyper-reflective road signs that dazzle you from hundreds of metres away as you approach at night, totally stuffing any chance of seeing a roo on the road.

 

 

[ben87r]

One of my pet peeves (there are too many, I know) is hyper-reflective road signs that dazzle you from hundreds of metres away as you approach at night, totally stuffing any chance of seeing a roo on the road.

AS is mine!! i drive coumtry roads alot and even without the roo risk come around a slight bend with high beams and the spotlights on and WHAM Super reflective 18' od sign blinding you

[alf jessup]

no offense intended mate,truck drivers, are some of the better ones- they have to be. I always assume someone will pull out on me then happy if they don,t. Treat every intersection as an accident until you pass and it's not I reckon.What is it with pilots and motorbikes? It's way too common but great.

No offence taken at all Ballpoint,

 

Yep bikes and planes are a great combination, but i'm pretty much well out of the bikes since flying started.

 

Just thought of something about this post,

 

I think the safest color is the color of ones eyes to keep a damn good lookout, if you don't look out you won't see it no matter the color of it, the only color you will see is red from the blood then the grey and then black, then yibbadiyibba that will be all folks.

 

Look out scan and lookout.

 

Alf

 

 

[SOS]

I may be showing my age here, but I remember when the Airlines of NSW F27s were painted in canary yellow. They often flew into Coffs, where I flew, and we called them the flying bananas. We seemed to pick them out ok... and rarely bumped into them.

 

 

[Guernsey]

I may be showing my age here, but I remember when the Airlines of NSW F27s were painted in canary yellow. They often flew into Coffs, where I flew, and we called them the flying bananas. We seemed to pick them out ok... and rarely bumped into them.

'Rarely bumped into them' Stone the Crows How often was rarely????

 

Alan.

 

 

[eightyknots]

Black apparently - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/safety-first-as-raf-paints-planes-black-1146643.htmlCheers

 

John

How many RA-Aus aircraft are painted black I wonder?