The main problem with a chrome colored airplane in the daytime is that it reflects EVERYTHING from every direction. Unfortunately, 99% of everything it reflects is the sky. It's a nearly perfect cloaking device (at least it was on my airplane).
Rick Wardrop wrote: > > Very interesting. > > This closely resembles one (of many) techniques used in modern stealth > aircraft like the f-117. Extensive use of angled flat panels to reflect > radar energy anywhere BUT back to the radar site that is looking for it. > > Rick, > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Dick Williamson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Monday, March 11, 2002 12:43 PM > Subject: Re: [RCSE] Color/Visibility & WWII > > Brett Jaffee noted: > > >The worst, of course, is chrome. I have a small T-6 Texan power > >plane which has wings covered in chrome monokote. The wings are > >almost completely invisible 90% of the time, except when they catch > >the sun at just the right angle and the flash blinds you. > > I did a thesis under a professor who had been heavily involved with > visibility/camouflage studies during World War II. One problem he > addressed was that of a bomber that got into the beam of a search > light. There were many attempts to make the world's flattest black > paint with the lowest reflectivity. However, a plane in a search > light beam glowed against the background (black night sky) even with > the best paints. The solution was to go the opposite direction and > use highly reflective paints or polished metal (specular as opposed > to diffuse reflection). The most visible part of an aircraft is the > wings which act very much like flat mirrors. Unless the wing was > perpendicular to the beam of the search light, the reflected beam > went off at a angle and formed a spot on the ground far removed from > the searchlight. Visible detection of such planes, even with search > lights, became very difficult. > > For sailplanes, I put a strip of chrome on the leading edge. When > maneuvering the plane, I get an intermittent flash from the reflected > sunlight. This flash has often saved me when the plane otherwise > disappeared. > > Dick > -- > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > Dr. Richard C. Williamson Phone: 781-981-7857 > Room C-317 FAX: 781-981-0122 > Lincoln Laboratory Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Massachusetts Institute of Technology > 244 Wood Street > Lexington, MA 02420-9108 > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and > "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and >"unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- _____________________________________________________________ Brett Jaffee [EMAIL PROTECTED] R/C Slope and Power Homepage http://home.earthlink.net/~jaffee The Unoffical Extra 300 Home Page http://members.nbci.com/bjaffee/extra300/ OnTheWay Quake 3 Server Utility http://www.planetquake.com/ontheway _____________________________________________________________ RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
