Why the pink Spits? - Aircraft of World War II

Alban · 10-30-2009, 01:21 AM

Hi, I was hoping you might help me out with a question. Why the pink spitfire camoflage scheme, I assume is was a lov-vis thing? Does anyone here at the forum know how this came about? Very British I'm sure, nobody had anything simmilar in any of the other nations I can find. It's bugged me for years how that came about.

cheers
Alban

Milosh · 10-30-2009, 01:29 AM

Yes it was for visibility reasons. Can't remember the whole story but in certain lighting conditions the a/c would more or less disappear.

The RN also had 'pink' ships.

Google Mountbatten Pink.

B-17engineer · 10-30-2009, 07:24 AM

I think SAS use pink Land Rovers because it can 'absorb' light. Maybe the same reason ?

Gnomey · 10-30-2009, 07:54 AM

All about camouflage and what colours render the object least visible. In the conditions the PR Spits were flying in (and the SAS in the desert), the Pink was the colour that rendered them least visible and so they used it.

Colin1 · 10-30-2009, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gnomey

All about camouflage and what colours render the object least visible. In the conditions the PR Spits were flying in (and the SAS in the desert), the Pink was the colour that rendered them least visible and so they used it.

To be fair
the SAS 'pinkies' were painted stone or whatever that shade was called. It was the desert heat that eventually turned them pink.

I've seen photos of RAF desert P-40s in the dark earth/stone livery and they are showing signs of it too.

I think the pink PRU Spitfires were liveried to fly up against the cloud base, where they were practically invisible from the ground, though horribly visible from above. I think the time of day when the mission was conducted played a part too (dawn and dusk) but I can't fully remember the details, I'll have a look when I get home.

DerAdlerIstGelandet · 10-30-2009, 09:03 AM

Pink is used in the desert, because it makes the aircraft harder to see. Even today pink aircraft are sometimes used for desert ops. In Desert Storm the RAF used pink Jaguars. Also another color that is often used is grey for desert ops.

stona · 10-30-2009, 10:43 AM

The pink Spits flew at a time of day when the sun was in the best position for photo reconnaisance. They also operated at lower level than their blue counterparts. Pink was indeed considered to give the best protection under these circumstances,hiding them against a haze or cloud base. It seems to have been very unpopular with the pilots who thought that they "stuck out like a sore thumb."
I'm sure someone who is far more knowledgeable will come along but FWIW I have read that the colour often given as PRU pink nowadays is far too red and that the actual colour was very pale.
Steve

DAVIDICUS · 10-30-2009, 04:55 PM

"Why the pink spitfire camouflage scheme, ..."

In the U.S. we currently have a don't ask don't tell policy.

vikingBerserker · 10-30-2009, 05:11 PM

Nice...

Airframes · 10-30-2009, 07:44 PM

The PR Spits were indeed a much paler pink than has often been shown, particularly on some scale models. The colour was developed, after the greenish hued 'cammotint', to be effective, as already described, in certain lighting conditions against cloud or haze background, at medium level, as opposed to the PRU Blue used for high altitude operations.
This was made more effective by the reflection of UV light off the clouds, which gave a feint pinkish tinge to the light, thus blending the aircraft into the background. This is similar to the pinkish haze often witnessed just above brightly lit, or side lit snow. During the Gulf War, as Adler quite rightly stated, a similar, although darker hued pink finish was applied to RAF Jaguar, Buccanneer and Torndao GR1 aircraft, not only as a camouflage to blend with the desert landscape, but also to blend in with the heat haze or dust-tinged light at low level.
The original S.A.S. Series II Land Rover 'Pinkies' were painted in a pink-tinged, mid stone finish, which, after prolonged exposure to strong sunlight and wind, faded to an even 'pinker' tinge. Subsequent SF vehicles for desert ops have employed a colour scheme not dissimilar to that used on some WW2 British vehicles in the Western Desert, utilising sand, stone,browns, blues and grey colours, plus, in most cases, an infra-red absorbing coating, to provide a similar rate of IR refllectance as would be expected to be recorded from natural materials.

DerAdlerIstGelandet · 10-30-2009, 08:36 PM

When we were out in the desert we found that our company's aircraft which were painted standard OD greed stood out like a sore thumb. Even though we were 50 ft or less over the ground you could see us for miles. Gray and pink aircraft however blended in real nicely with the hazy horizon and were much more difficult to see.

Who cares how they are painted. A military aircraft is meant to survive and fight. If it has to be pink or gray for that matter, then so be it.

Colin1 · 10-30-2009, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DerAdlerIstGelandet

Who cares how they are painted. A military aircraft is meant to survive and fight. If it has to be pink or gray for that matter, then so be it.

Sorry
but if I'm bounced by a pink fighter I've got to assume the worst - I've got a homosexual on my six...

DerAdlerIstGelandet · 10-30-2009, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colin1

Sorry
but if I'm bounced by a pink fighter I've got to assume the worst - I've got a homosexual on my six...

Airframes · 10-31-2009, 01:11 PM

Or Barbie !!!

Geedee · 10-31-2009, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colin1

Sorry
but if I'm bounced by a pink fighter I've got to assume the worst - I've got a homosexual on my six...

And you aint gonna admit to that !!!!

10-30-2009, 01:21 AM	#1
Alban Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 10	Why the pink Spits? Hi, I was hoping you might help me out with a question. Why the pink spitfire camoflage scheme, I assume is was a lov-vis thing? Does anyone here at the forum know how this came about? Very British I'm sure, nobody had anything simmilar in any of the other nations I can find. It's bugged me for years how that came about. cheers Alban Last edited by Alban; 10-30-2009 at 01:23 AM. Reason: seperating words that got stuck together

10-30-2009, 07:24 AM	#3
B-17engineer Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 5,682	I think SAS use pink Land Rovers because it can 'absorb' light. Maybe the same reason ? __________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe36UMRkRbk

10-30-2009, 07:54 AM	#4
Gnomey "World Traveller" Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Royal Deeside/St Andrews, Scotland, UK Posts: 15,218	All about camouflage and what colours render the object least visible. In the conditions the PR Spits were flying in (and the SAS in the desert), the Pink was the colour that rendered them least visible and so they used it. __________________ "Success is not Final, Failure is not Fatal, it is the Courage to Continue that Counts" Sir Winston Churchill "To him the People of the World Largely owe the Freedom and Liberties they Enjoy Today" Enscription on Hugh Dowding's (AOC Fighter Command 1936-40) statue in London WW2 Talk: A WW2 Discussion Forum My Photo Collections on Flickr

10-30-2009, 09:03 AM	#6
DerAdlerIstGelandet Der Crewchief Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ansbach, Germany Posts: 33,152	Pink is used in the desert, because it makes the aircraft harder to see. Even today pink aircraft are sometimes used for desert ops. In Desert Storm the RAF used pink Jaguars. Also another color that is often used is grey for desert ops. __________________ fly boy:"isnt that the first jet bomber becasue i have flown one in a flight sim before and i know how it handles"[/I]

10-30-2009, 04:55 PM	#8
DAVIDICUS Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 819	"Why the pink spitfire camouflage scheme, ..." In the U.S. we currently have a don't ask don't tell policy. __________________ . -=DAVIDICUS MAXIMUS=- .

10-30-2009, 01:29 AM	#2
Milosh Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 101	Yes it was for visibility reasons. Can't remember the whole story but in certain lighting conditions the a/c would more or less disappear. The RN also had 'pink' ships. Google Mountbatten Pink.

10-30-2009, 10:43 AM	#7
stona Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 133	The pink Spits flew at a time of day when the sun was in the best position for photo reconnaisance. They also operated at lower level than their blue counterparts. Pink was indeed considered to give the best protection under these circumstances,hiding them against a haze or cloud base. It seems to have been very unpopular with the pilots who thought that they "stuck out like a sore thumb." I'm sure someone who is far more knowledgeable will come along but FWIW I have read that the colour often given as PRU pink nowadays is far too red and that the actual colour was very pale. Steve

10-30-2009, 05:11 PM	#9
vikingBerserker Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Carolina Posts: 3,732	Nice... __________________ "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it" "Those who dwell in the past, condemn the future"

10-30-2009, 07:44 PM	#10
Airframes Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 9,062	The PR Spits were indeed a much paler pink than has often been shown, particularly on some scale models. The colour was developed, after the greenish hued 'cammotint', to be effective, as already described, in certain lighting conditions against cloud or haze background, at medium level, as opposed to the PRU Blue used for high altitude operations. This was made more effective by the reflection of UV light off the clouds, which gave a feint pinkish tinge to the light, thus blending the aircraft into the background. This is similar to the pinkish haze often witnessed just above brightly lit, or side lit snow. During the Gulf War, as Adler quite rightly stated, a similar, although darker hued pink finish was applied to RAF Jaguar, Buccanneer and Torndao GR1 aircraft, not only as a camouflage to blend with the desert landscape, but also to blend in with the heat haze or dust-tinged light at low level. The original S.A.S. Series II Land Rover 'Pinkies' were painted in a pink-tinged, mid stone finish, which, after prolonged exposure to strong sunlight and wind, faded to an even 'pinker' tinge. Subsequent SF vehicles for desert ops have employed a colour scheme not dissimilar to that used on some WW2 British vehicles in the Western Desert, utilising sand, stone,browns, blues and grey colours, plus, in most cases, an infra-red absorbing coating, to provide a similar rate of IR refllectance as would be expected to be recorded from natural materials. __________________

10-30-2009, 08:36 PM	#11
DerAdlerIstGelandet Der Crewchief Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ansbach, Germany Posts: 33,152	When we were out in the desert we found that our company's aircraft which were painted standard OD greed stood out like a sore thumb. Even though we were 50 ft or less over the ground you could see us for miles. Gray and pink aircraft however blended in real nicely with the hazy horizon and were much more difficult to see. Who cares how they are painted. A military aircraft is meant to survive and fight. If it has to be pink or gray for that matter, then so be it. __________________ fly boy:"isnt that the first jet bomber becasue i have flown one in a flight sim before and i know how it handles"[/I]

10-31-2009, 01:11 PM	#14
Airframes Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 9,062	Or Barbie !!! __________________

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