Book Description

Modellers, artists, photographers, and aircraft enthusiasts are continually surprised and confused by the U.S. Air Force's range of modern colour schemes - for example, military depots now stock twelve different grey paints for different aircraft and missions! For over twenty years author Dana Bell has been studying the evolution of American military colours, and this new book, USAF Colors and Markings in the 1990s now offers the subject's first complete and accurate accounting. The book is a first: prior to publication, no other source included all standard schemes and colours. USAF Colors and Markings in the 1990s is the first publication to reveal details of the paint scheme for "Air Force One", and the first publication to reveal the new monochromatic camouflages for bombers, tankers, and transports. Dana Bell contrasts text and drawings from unclassified USAF documents with explanations of variations in field, depot, and factory applications and includes standard data and safety markings. Schematic drawings depict the official schemes for current operational aircraft - some dating back to the 1960s (such as the T-38's all-white trainer colours and the F-111's Southeast Asia camouflage) and others developed in the last few years (including the Strategic Air Command's new camouflages, Pacific Air Forces' new F-15 colours, and Air Force Special Operations Command's Desert Storm camouflages). Appendixes list the Air Force's standard colours (by number, commonly used names and usage). An unique and valuable feature of the book is the inclusion of 30 exact colours as paint chips. USAF Colors and Markings in the 1990s is a standard reference that will find constant use in any aviation library.