IMAGE Wikimedia Commons
Because the color depended on the position of the plane in relation to the enemies. Ground attack or troop support planes flew close to the ground and were viewed from top to bottom by interceptor fighters, for example. Therefore, it made more sense to camouflage with the predominant color on the ground – green, if the area had a lot of vegetation. But other types of aircraft, under different circumstances, could have other colors, including blue. Thanks to advances in technology, today it is no longer necessary to “see” a target to shoot it down, so few planes need this disguise.
TONE ON TONE
There are camouflages for all tastes. Check out some
ILLUSTRATIONS Samuel Leme
Blue is the hottest color
TYPE Aircraft on board
MODEL Grumman F6F Hellcat
PERIOD WWII
“Aboard” means that it operates from an aircraft carrier. Therefore, the “belly” tries to simulate the color of the sky and the upper part, that of the sea.
Basic black
TYPE Night bombers
MODEL Heinkel HE-177
PERIOD WWII
To fade into the night, of course, the darkest paint possible was used. It is also the camouflage of modern models such as the F117 Nighthawk
Planet Earth
TYPE Hunting
MODEL SPAD S.XIII
PERIOD World War I
They were brown because they were more at risk of being destroyed when they were perched (on makeshift fields, made of dirt) than in the sky.
The rainbow is the limit
TYPE Attack or ground support
MODEL Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt
PERIOD Since 1970
It is adapted to the environment. In addition to green, it can have sand color (desert operations), green and brown (in the jungle) or blue at the bottom (imitating the sky)
SOURCESBooksMilitary Aircraft Markings and Profilesseveral authors, andAn Illustrated Guide to Aircraft Markingsby Barry C. Wheeler, and websitesRoyal Air Force Museum,Military Aviation Museum,National Museum of the Air Force,Boeing DefenseIt isLockheed Martin