During the 1950's and 60's the FAA camouflage was either Extra Dark Sea Grey uppers with Sky or white undersides. My query is about the Sea Vixen in particular but would apply to other aircraft such as the Sea Venom and Attacker as well. Some of the kit instructions for aircraft of this period suggest that the topsides (i.e Extra Dark Sea Grey) were matt and the undersides (Sky or white) were gloss, and most of the buildups and kit reviews on various sites suggest that the final finish was gloss overall; at least they finish the entire model with a final coat of Future or gloss spray. I have googled the internet using various combinations of words and found plenty of references to FAA camouflage but not one reference regarding whether the finish (according to specs.) was matt + gloss, all gloss or all matt. I realise that after a few weeks at sea the aircraft would probably have been more or less matt all over due to the climate, but what was the official finish. Help would be appreciated as my Sea Vixen is painted up, decalled and ready for the finishing final coat. Thanks, Derek Shaw
Fleet Air Arm camouflage
Nov 13, 2005
7 Replies
When I was undergoing trade training in the early 80s at RAF Cosford, we used to do our weapon load training on Sea Vixens. They were always glossy and well presented. One would have thought that this was because they were at a training unit and so they were reasonably well looked after, but it was not so. There were a number of aircraft in use as instructional airframes, including Hunters, Gnats and Shackletons. None of them were looked after properly and all the ex-RAF aircraft got very tatty indeed. The ex-FAA Sea Vixens remained nice and glossy with no work at all. I believe this was probably due to the quality of the paint finish, which was intended to provide corrosion protection on an exposed carrier flightdeck.
Vixens were EDSG/White in a gloss finish overall
Remove nospam to reply!!
I'd like to know when this scheme was withdrawn from service and which aircraft was last to wear it. I'm guessing it was a Harrier in about
1981...?Nick
Yeah that's about right I think. Buccaneers went from Grey over White to overall Grey in the late 60s. RN Phantoms had a Grey over White scheme but were flat in comparison to the early Sea Harriers.
Thanks for that, it matches with the stories and pics of the Harriers being repainted aboard ship en-route to the Falklands. Those on HMS Hermes were painted by hand and those on HMS Invincible were painted with an airbrush, all because the newer ship had an airconditioned hangar deck.
Nick
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