New helis - What colour schemes?

[Silver]

What colour schemes should the new EC-135's and AB139's have ?

(I would like to see both in a matt green finish).

[sealion]

Grey,same as the Pilatus,or dark blue like the CASA. Much more appropriate camoflage for our conditions.
Remember also that these aircraft will spend much of their time in non military tasks such as VIP transport,like it or not,and Air Ambulance..
Grey is functional,and practical. Green is overdoing it.


See what i mean?
Look out the window on any day this time of year...all you will see is grey. Green in this weather sticks out like dark black. '>

[IAS]

Surely the colour scheme reflects the role and as the ab139s will be used as troop transport machines (training or otherwise) they will be expected to fly close to the ground unlike the PC9s, therefore the colour scheme should help them blend with the scenery when you look down on them, also the should be able to use trees as cover and should be able to blend in. The USN machine above is, I believe, grey to blend with the sea not the sky and both the RAF and the BA use DPM schemes on their helicopters don't they? Therefore I would go for DPM, Dark Green or Dark Grey (like the US Blackhawks).

IAS

[Irish251]

All this talk of camouflage (or lack of it) may ignore the fact that in this country it is generally more important that an aicraft is easily seen by other aerial traffic.  With this in mind, with the exception of the leased Puma, previous Air Corps helicopters have been in grey (originally silver in the case of the Alouettes) with high visibility red (dayglo) panels.  

Unless people expect the new equipment to be potentially involved in operations in combat zones I doubt whether we will see Irish aircraft in the sort of camouflage or low-visibility schemes worn by choppers of the major powers.

[clan]

Why not green, why do they have to be seen easily by other air traffic. Do we not have the same rules in the air as other countries that use Green Helicopters. There is an A109A in Galway painted in camo colours, and it is a civilian heli.

[Silver]

I reckon things have moved on quite a bit since the days of the first Alouette's which, to my mind, recieved something of a 'compromise' colour scheme because of it's many roles - and the fact that painting them green would probably have been very dangerous because of the Northern conflict (i.e. too easily confused with BA helis).

The Dauphin colour scheme reflected it's main role when it was introduced in 1986, namely SAR.

As it has been publicly stated, the new helis main role will be troop movements, so their colour schemes should reflect this i.e. Green (as Army jeeps, trucks, etc) OR Camo (as Army Mowag APC's).

Ok, so the EC-135's are to be mostly used for pilot training, but I reckon for uniformality they too should be painted in 'Army' green (perhaps with some red stripes on the tail booms to reflect their training role).  

I also believe that a green/camo colour scheme would perhaps foster a somewhat closer relationship between Air Corps and Army personnel.


(I also reckon that it is time for the AC to start placing the words "AIR CORPS" (in black writing) on their heli tail booms).

[Turkey]

The EC-135's are also supposed to be used in a command and control role, as far as I know, so lose the red strips on the tail please.
Matt green, or the PC-9 light grey should be quite suitable.

The A111's carried at least 2 liveries, as far as I can remember,
I think they were silver  '>  from 1963 to the mid, or late '70's.

[sealion]

British Army Helis are green and grey. Dark grey blends in perfectly with the miserable irish countryside.
At risk of repeating myself,dark green or disruptive pattern would look a bit out of place when the Heli is doing its other roles of air ambulance and VIP transport.

[irishsamourai]

sealion ireland hasn t a miserable countryside

ireland is a nice green and blue country '>

[Silver]

yes sealion, Ireland has miserable weather 'on occassion' but our countryside is far from 'miserable' !


Sweden uses green helis for air ambulance and SAR ops.

Injured people won't mind what coulour the helis are........in fact most would probably think it was 'cool' to be carried in a military heli - and don't forget, air ambulance will be a secondary role for the helis.
PLUS, it is expected that a privately-run air ambulance service will be in place within the next few years, therefore relieving the AC of this role almost entirely !

As for politicans, I recall (for example) seeing Blair dismount from a green BA heli on many occassions (and I am sure VIP's in other countries do likewise).

Yet again I stress the AB139's primary role will be troop transport so it's colour should reflect this - matt green or camo !

Grey alone would not look right - it's associated with naval helis.

[Hi Bypass]

In an ideal world I think they should be finished in the same pattern as the MOWAGS(How cool would their first joint exercise look!)

In reality,I would imagine a comprimise scheme for the numerous roles that will be expected of them.

[sealion]

IMO has a few ideas about colour schemes...anyone able to steal them?

[Imshi-Yallah]

I think dark grey would probably be a good compromise colour, high vis is almost inevitable though.

[sealion]

I think I saw the new French CSAR Cougars wearing a grey colour scheme in AFM or some similar publication recently...