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Author Topic: Good colors for flying in a tree-rimmed knoll?  (Read 1081 times)

Offline 944_Jim

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Good colors for flying in a tree-rimmed knoll?
« on: November 16, 2021, 08:26:39 AM »
Hello Gents,

I'm trying to decide on my next colors. I tend to fly in an area surrounded by trees. All of my military models suffered from the same affliction...they are difficult to see against the trees/greenery.

So what colors have you discovered show up best against a green/brown background? I'm looking for your most easily seen colors, preferably two colors per paint job with top one color, and bottom the other. Awful colors may be recommended as long as they contrast with green/brown.

Thanks in advance,

Offline Dennis Toth

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Re: Good colors for flying in a tree-rimmed knoll?
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2021, 09:44:42 AM »
If you want to stay with military colors you could consider a light brown - sandy and light yellow kinda camo. Could use light blue and pale blue. Also would suggest that you try different color sun glasses, I had a Chief that was base medium red with blue trim. It was an effort for me to fly the red ships against the trees at the old circle burner field until I by change got some yellow sun glasses. Made it very easy to see the ship.

Best,   DennisT

Offline 944_Jim

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Re: Good colors for flying in a tree-rimmed knoll?
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2021, 11:52:29 AM »
Mr. Dennis,

I appreciate what you say. However, I am trying to steer clear of.military models for a bit...and the related drab colors.

The idea of different glasses is interesting...time to dig out the shooters.

Mr Ty,
I think I'll try your colors. I haven't done much with white, nor yellow. I will check a colored profile picture at 50 feet against trees with my shooters.

I don't consider this thread closed, so all with favorite combos, feel free to make suggestions.

Thanks!

Offline Craig Beswick

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Re: Good colors for flying in a tree-rimmed knoll?
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2021, 12:20:03 PM »
We fly in an area exactly as you describe. I noted last Sunday how a blue model was almost impossible to see!

My suggestion is red and white.

Good luck
Craig
AUS 87123
"The Ninja"

John A Miller

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Re: Good colors for flying in a tree-rimmed knoll?
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2021, 01:57:56 PM »
Yellow, need I say more?

Offline Howard Rush

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Re: Good colors for flying in a tree-rimmed knoll?
« Reply #5 on: November 16, 2021, 02:09:32 PM »
Sun direction is an issue, too.  An orange airplane is hard to see against trees if the sun is behind it. 

You might try a fluorescent stripe.  Fluorescent orange or pink worked dandy on combat planes when I wore orange sunglasses.
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Offline Dan McEntee

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Re: Good colors for flying in a tree-rimmed knoll?
« Reply #6 on: November 19, 2021, 04:21:53 PM »
    Everyone's eyes are different. You need to experiment a bit. Back in my R/C soaring days, this was a common topic. You had a 100" wingspan sailplane that would sky out in a thermal to a point where the tabulators disappeared when over head, or when really far up or down wind chasing thermals. Oddly enough, for me, the color I could see easiest in all conditions was blue, and I learned to add some contrast like white. Orange and white is a sort of internationally recognized combination for visibility. For me, yellow was useless! A few hundred feet in the air and the color just diffused into the day light. The ebst advise I can give is to just make it pleasing to you eyes and use some kind of contrasting colors.
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Offline Ken Culbertson

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Re: Good colors for flying in a tree-rimmed knoll?
« Reply #7 on: November 19, 2021, 08:15:27 PM »
    Everyone's eyes are different. You need to experiment a bit. Back in my R/C soaring days, this was a common topic. You had a 100" wingspan sailplane that would sky out in a thermal to a point where the tabulators disappeared when over head, or when really far up or down wind chasing thermals. Oddly enough, for me, the color I could see easiest in all conditions was blue, and I learned to add some contrast like white. Orange and white is a sort of internationally recognized combination for visibility. For me, yellow was useless! A few hundred feet in the air and the color just diffused into the day light. The ebst advise I can give is to just make it pleasing to you eyes and use some kind of contrasting colors.
  Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee
Agree on the blue.  My unlimited planes were dark blue and white.  Yellow is indeed useless, I had a Segita that I covered in yellow, kept losing it near cloud bases in thermals and I had to dive out early so the timer could see it again.  Red works well with an overcast but not any better than blue.  For CL, white always shows, even on a cloudy day.  I like to put three colors, usually red, white, blue on the fuselage.  Big White stripe shows well against trees, etc and the colors show well overhead.

Ken
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Offline BillP

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Re: Good colors for flying in a tree-rimmed knoll?
« Reply #8 on: November 20, 2021, 10:12:09 AM »
I'm red/green "color weak" and have the same problem but any ight contrasting color works for me. Yellow, light blue, silver, cream or white are my better seen colors. For reference I see no difference between red, green and brown...only shade differences.  An orange pumpkin is the same color to me as grass and purple looks like bright blue. I also use bright colored spinners on dark ships.
Bill P.

Offline phil c

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Re: Good colors for flying in a tree-rimmed knoll?
« Reply #9 on: November 20, 2021, 01:05:06 PM »
We fly in an area exactly as you describe. I noted last Sunday how a blue model was almost impossible to see!

My suggestion is red and white.

Good luck
Craig

I agree. White and red trim.  Or yellow and maybe black trun or a bright red-and-white trim. Metallic additives, or metal flake might spice up the close-up impact.
phil Cartier

Offline Ken Culbertson

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Re: Good colors for flying in a tree-rimmed knoll?
« Reply #10 on: November 20, 2021, 01:41:02 PM »
My whole point is we fly in two totally different backgrounds depending on elevation of which each may have different tones.  My fuselages, let the judges gripe about the wings, have a color that stands out on each.  As much as I want the judges to see what I am doing it is more important that I see what I am doing! LL~

Ken
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If it is not broke you are not trying hard enough.
USAF 1968-1974 TAC

John A Miller

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Re: Good colors for flying in a tree-rimmed knoll?
« Reply #11 on: November 20, 2021, 04:02:47 PM »
Here's my Pathfinder L.E. flying at Brodaks a few years go. Note the visibility with the background of trees. Compare to my Blue with yellow trim Classic All American Eagle at the same meet.

John Miller

Offline BillP

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Re: Good colors for flying in a tree-rimmed knoll?
« Reply #12 on: November 20, 2021, 05:33:14 PM »
If I had to pick one color for best vis with CL against trees it would be yellow...lemon yellow. None of the other colors come close.
Bill P.

Offline Mark wood

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Re: Good colors for flying in a tree-rimmed knoll?
« Reply #13 on: November 23, 2021, 08:57:18 AM »
I thought this was a rhetorical question. The obvious answer is yellow….  n~ n~ Airplanes should be yellow independent of background. Unless it is a military airplane that needs to hide and not be seen.

Seriously, color is a personal decision but the best contrast to the natural backgrounds is generally but not always yellow.  Whatever floats yer canoe is what you should paint it. Except pink. Why in the world would anyone ever paint an airplane pink? Words you don’t want to hear from the judges when you show up with an airplane painted fuchsia.  Fuchsia is another great contrasting color. Use grey and yellow for trim.
Life is good AMA 1488
Why do we fly? We are practicing, you might say, what it means to be alive...  -Richard Bach
“Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that’s not why we do it.” – Richard P. Feynman


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