RAF Hercules Camouflage?

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Member for

16 years 5 months

Posts: 48

I wonder if anyone can help me. Whilst researching the different schemes worn by the RAF C-130, I found a picture of XV300 wearing a light grey/dark grey/dark green upper surface camouflage -

http://www.airliners.net/photo/UK---Air/Lockheed-C-130K-Hercules/0580955/&sid=7abb7c86e59a68da71db4d410775b6a7

Does anyone know the history of this scheme and whether it was applied to any other RAF Hercules?

Thanks

Original post

Member for

16 years 7 months

Posts: 10,647

In that picture it looks like paint wear from wethering and usage, it is odd how the nose area appears to have remained in better condition, but the other darker grey areas and panels (engine nacelles and fin leading edge) all look changed over to me, something which is common on the Hercules fleet.
It looks like the standard dark sea grey and dark green scheme to me.

PS, I wonder if the cockpit area was so worn that it was felt necessary to respray that area?

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 1,707

You can see the fading from top to bottom of the grey - it does weather badly. Given the location and date of the shot (Marshalls, 1984) maybe it had just had the refuelling probe fitted and the local area painted.

Member for

17 years 1 month

Posts: 1,263

Yep, the clue is in the location. It's the standard dark grey and dark green paint scheme but the forward section has been resprayed so it contrasts with the heavily-faded grey on the rest of the aircraft. I guess it had probably been "patched up" whilst at Teversham.

Member for

18 years 5 months

Posts: 198

Yep you are right, I was based at Lyneham in the 80,s and quite often they just sprayed up an area after repairs/refits. the black number and lettering was started about 1984

Christian

Member for

16 years 5 months

Posts: 48

Thanks chaps! Much appreciated. And there was I beginning to wonder if this was an early attempt at a 'special forces' scheme!