Recently, after looking up various fighter squadrons from the USAF, US Navy, and US Marine Corps, I've realized why I never really cared much for the F-35: it looks dull.Military jets that don't use just grey as a color immediately catch my eye.This is a problem, since without a cool paint job, how are we supposed to inspire the next generation of fighter pilots?Here's pic related as proof. Its an F-35 from the Alabama Air National Guard, and I think it looks infinitely more cool than any other F-35 out their, simply because its not just grey, but red too!Why can't all F-35 squadrons field neat or cool paint jobs?Also, post some of your favorite jet camos and liveries.
Here's another example, a F-35B from the Marine Corps. The blue adds a lot to the plain's overall looks.
>>65185355>painted for a special event >immediately stripped once event is donePerhaps the gray has a function in regards to its stealth?
>>65185475>stealthWhy does stealth need to be dull grey?Also, why does a national air guard fighter jet need stealth? Assuming they're defending the US from attack, it seems a little pointless at that point, no?
>>65185355Why is he wearing an ankle monitor that high
SHINY AND CHROME
>>65185502Everything in the USAF, USN, and the RAF is grey, the fighters, bombers, tankers, drones, etc. Part of it is stealth coating (hard to make it colorful and radar absorbing), the other part is that experiments since the 70s has shown grey hard to see in day or night.
>>65185355he's a big guy
>>65185746That's ear pro anon
>>65185355US military fighters had been largely grey for decades before the F-35 due to the fruit of boring but important research on the matter and cost benefit analysis that's frankly above our pay grade. Hell, most modern jet fighters the world over have been some kind of grey for about as long, especially in the west but the exceptions seem exotic so they stick in our minds.Now I do admit it does look cool to see a normally grey plane painted up
>>65186253That, and gray can be accomplished on pre-specialty coating aircraft by simply scuffing the metal surface, which saved a non-insignificant amount of weight versus painting them.
WW1 had a lot of brightly colored planes. Camo was not considered a worthy trade-off at that time and plane designs were so similar that you had to put on livery to ensure you were not shooting your own planes. Hell in Korea and Vietnam planes were either chrome or camo painted for some reason.
Stealth fighters, and stealth fighter threads suck
>>65186987Agreed.
The 65th Aggressor Squadron got F-35s not too long ago, so I hope that someday we get one painted like an SU-27 someday
yeah
>>65185355>Looks dullCompass Ghost works in regards to being harder to acquire with the Mk1 Eyeball when in the sky.
>>65187804My first thought was that "isn't 99% of modern air combat BVR" but I guess the point is that the radar stealth stuff makes it harder to do that. Is the expectation that with modern ECM/stealth tech making BVR engagements impossible, most encounters would happen at guns range where visual ID is more important?
>>65187827Gunfighting in modern air combat is kind of like a seatbelt. Statistically you can drive a lot of your life and not get into a serious car accident but not having a seatbelt will lead to statistical death on the spot. Paint schemes (with integral/baked in RCS) is kind of a cheap thing to implement and if it means the guy in a dogfight tracking you genuinely loses sight easier it kind of is a no brainer to implement right?
What would you paint on top of your AWACS dish?
