Davide Calzolari Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 when i was younger,on italians aviation enthusiast magazines,i'm sure to have seen pictures of the MH-53 helo with the camo in two tone of blue grey as that one seen on Ef-111 and some Ec-130, but today dotn find pictures of them my memory made me joke, or some of you rember the giant helo in that camo?yes,more often they had olive green,3 tones europe one,and some experimental in two tone of red-sand in gulf war 1,but,god,i remember that camo with horizontal lineof separation beetween the lighter grey and the blue grey above at the height of the motor complex any help appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziggyfoos Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 (edited) Do you mean the CH-53E? It's standard camo colors are the blue-greys since the 1990s when it replaced the previous grey/green/black "lizard" camo. Edited May 17, 2017 by ziggyfoos 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davide Calzolari Posted May 17, 2017 Author Share Posted May 17, 2017 no i've said Mh-53 and the camo with two tone as that one of Ef-111 .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 If you mean the MH-53H/J/M Pave Low , it only wore the Euro 1 scheme then transitioned to overall grey (gunship grey I think) apart from the two tone desert scheme worn temporarily during Desert Storm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziggyfoos Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 35 minutes ago, italian intruder said: no i've said Mh-53 and the camo with two tone as that one of Ef-111 .... Sorry for trying to offer answer. I thought wrongly maybe the two tone blue-grey EF-111 you mentioned maybe was the CH-53E two tone blue-grey that you were thinking of or meant. Stephen addressed the USAF MH-53 variants, and if you meant the USN MH-53E, they only are overall 36081 grey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Des Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 I do recall seeing a couple of images in a magazine a long time ago of a two-tone grey colour scheme with a straight horizontal demarcation just as you describe but I am almost certain that it was only ever carried at most by a few USMC H-53 for a short time. I have had an interest in the USAF 'Super Jolly' and Pave Low variants for many years and am quite sure that I would have taken greater note had it involved one of them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziggyfoos Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 Japanese MH-53Es have a hard straight demarcation line but it's low and white upper surfaces so I imagine that's not the one either being described? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Dot Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 hi there, JMSDF MH-53Es have light gull grey undersides extending to partway up the sponsons and white tops with a soft demarcation line Andy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziggyfoos Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 (edited) 51 minutes ago, Red Dot said: ...with a soft demarcation line Oops! thanks for correction Edited May 17, 2017 by ziggyfoos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sky dancer Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 Hi Italian Intruder, This may not be much help, but back in 2004 the 160th SOAR ( The famous "Nightstalkers") experimented with two or three tone grey schemes on some of their helo's in an attempt to lessen their visibility during daylight ops. A YMH-47E, a MH-60K and a MH/AH-6 were painted up in a scheme that looked similar to the USMC two tone grey or USAF "Compass Call" schemes used on the EF-111 and EC-130. I think only single examples of each airframe were repainted for the trial. As far as I am aware, these were the only Special Ops hello's painted in this scheme. It was judged not to be a success and all went back to their standard black. A few AH-64's in "ordinary" US Army units were painted in a similar grey scheme, but again only experimentally. I am not sure exactly which greys were used by the 160th SOAR, it appears never to have been confirmed, but Werners Wings (who rank amongst the very best experts on the 160th) have made a "best guess" - http://www.wernerswings.com/NightStalker2.html Here are some links to photo's:- 1. YMH-47E 88-0264 http://www.thenorthspin.com/photos_people_dan_s/31.jpg 2. MH-60K 91-26377 http://www.thenorthspin.com/photos_people_dan_s/32.jpg As far as the Pave Low was concerned, I have never seen any photos of either it, or any other AFSOC helo painted in a "Compass Call" type camouflage. That does not mean it didn't happen; no one knew that a MH-6 "Little Bird" had been repainted in a two tone grey until a single semi-official photo was released several years after the test. As others have said, Pave Lows appear to have gone straight from "European 1" to the Gunship Grey scheme. All the best, M 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haydn Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 Hi Italian Intruder, Are you thinking of the Pave Low prototype - HH53B 66-14433 which had a two tone grey camo ? (probably gunship grey and maybe light ghost grey). I can email you a photo but I will have top scan it from a book first. Cheers, Haydn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huvut76g7gbbui7 Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 Could it have been this HH-53C you saw : 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davide Calzolari Posted May 17, 2017 Author Share Posted May 17, 2017 hi guys some data: -the picture ive saw at end 80's were (if my memory works properly)of at least one MH-53J, probably picture shot in airbase of USAFE as Aviano(north east italy) and /or Alconbury (Uk) or perhaps southern germany -the camo was in ALL and FOR ALL identical at the one EF-111 RAVEN had: one very light grey and a blue gray (gunship grey,ok)with the demarcaiton line,neither so soft,til soon under the line of the motor complex:but the tones were for all and at all those of the EF111 i cant say more,but for god,in my memory tha tpic remained if u all think to the type of weather there's in the north eastern italy (and Aviano afb is few dozens of miles from the former jugoslav border:forgot the sunny climate of sicily.. )and in gb/uk (i mean,very continental weather in both areas)the two tone grey of Ef-111 cmao type even if on a big helo as the Mh-53 ,was not so off site i mean, at least,if ever appeared, the concept was good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davide Calzolari Posted May 17, 2017 Author Share Posted May 17, 2017 only for the chronicles (for some newbies)et voilà what the Ef-111 was as colors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davide Calzolari Posted May 17, 2017 Author Share Posted May 17, 2017 sky dancer,thnx:lack only the mh-53j but we r gonna near to the mistery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Monday Posted December 10, 2022 Share Posted December 10, 2022 Is this the MH-53 you were thinking of? This video only has a few shots of the helicopter's exterior but it sounds like the helicopter you are referring to. It is 66-14433, the Pave Low III prototype pictured in the late 1970's. I am looking for decent photos of this helicopter in this paint scheme myself. BM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janneman36 Posted December 10, 2022 Share Posted December 10, 2022 On 17/05/2017 at 20:48, Davide Calzolari said: hi guys some data: -the picture ive saw at end 80's were (if my memory works properly)of at least one MH-53J, probably picture shot in airbase of USAFE as Aviano(north east italy) and /or Alconbury (Uk) or perhaps southern germany -the camo was in ALL and FOR ALL identical at the one EF-111 RAVEN had: one very light grey and a blue gray (gunship grey,ok)with the demarcaiton line,neither so soft,til soon under the line of the motor complex:but the tones were for all and at all those of the EF111 i cant say more,but for god,in my memory tha tpic remained if u all think to the type of weather there's in the north eastern italy (and Aviano afb is few dozens of miles from the former jugoslav border:forgot the sunny climate of sicily.. )and in gb/uk (i mean,very continental weather in both areas)the two tone grey of Ef-111 cmao type even if on a big helo as the Mh-53 ,was not so off site i mean, at least,if ever appeared, the concept was good Like this one? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_CH-53E_Super_Stallion#/media/File:A_CH-53E_Super_Stallion_with_the_22nd_Marine_Expeditionary_Unit.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jens Posted December 11, 2022 Share Posted December 11, 2022 16 hours ago, janneman36 said: Like this one? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_CH-53E_Super_Stallion#/media/File:A_CH-53E_Super_Stallion_with_the_22nd_Marine_Expeditionary_Unit.jpg Can't really be a picture from 2016 when OP states late 1980s, can it? Jens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janneman36 Posted December 11, 2022 Share Posted December 11, 2022 3 hours ago, Jens said: Can't really be a picture from 2016 when OP states late 1980s, can it? Jens I know but this a kind of the colors the electric F111’s used to have! And he wasn’t shure about his memory😉 cheers, Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElectroSoldier Posted December 11, 2022 Share Posted December 11, 2022 (edited) On 5/17/2017 at 12:52 PM, Davide Calzolari said: when i was younger,on italians aviation enthusiast magazines,i'm sure to have seen pictures of the MH-53 helo with the camo in two tone of blue grey as that one seen on Ef-111 and some Ec-130, but today dotn find pictures of them my memory made me joke, or some of you rember the giant helo in that camo?yes,more often they had olive green,3 tones europe one,and some experimental in two tone of red-sand in gulf war 1,but,god,i remember that camo with horizontal lineof separation beetween the lighter grey and the blue grey above at the height of the motor complex any help appreciated It wasnt paint, it was the same colour it was just dirty on the upper surfaces. Are you sure it was an MH-53 and not an HH-53? Edited December 11, 2022 by ElectroSoldier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davide Calzolari Posted December 11, 2022 Author Share Posted December 11, 2022 9 hours ago, Jens said: Can't really be a picture from 2016 when OP states late 1980s, can it? Jens jens ,please i'm speaking of Mh 53 pave low(special force) of 80s, not of ch 53 E ive written it many times Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davide Calzolari Posted December 11, 2022 Author Share Posted December 11, 2022 plz gently stop to speak of ch53 E, no the pic i m searching for(thnx for the effort of everyone)is related tyo a mh 53 pave low of usafe,probably,in , mid or end 80's with the same camo that Ef 111 had Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davide Calzolari Posted December 11, 2022 Author Share Posted December 11, 2022 On 10/12/2022 at 19:39, janneman36 said: Like this one? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_CH-53E_Super_Stallion#/media/File:A_CH-53E_Super_Stallion_with_the_22nd_Marine_Expeditionary_Unit.jpg no tags: usafE mh 53 probably 80's pave low same camo of ef 111 raven nuttin to do with maritime ch 53 or similar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davide Calzolari Posted December 11, 2022 Author Share Posted December 11, 2022 people, the pic fo the mh 53 i saw was 100% the same camo of ef 111 raven nuttin to do with usmc sh 60 ch 46 or ah1w or uh1y in the famous two tone of blue gray-but this one is another camo,different.. perhaps memory has made me some jokes but in the 80's the camo i say (ef 111,some c130)was enough popular and doesnt seems to me so strange that at least one was paint with the same camo altough be a huge helo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElectroSoldier Posted December 11, 2022 Share Posted December 11, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, Davide Calzolari said: people, the pic fo the mh 53 i saw was 100% the same camo of ef 111 raven nuttin to do with usmc sh 60 ch 46 or ah1w or uh1y in the famous two tone of blue gray-but this one is another camo,different.. perhaps memory has made me some jokes but in the 80's the camo i say (ef 111,some c130)was enough popular and doesnt seems to me so strange that at least one was paint with the same camo altough be a huge helo Im finding it hard to believe that the scheme as used on the EF-111A and the EC-130E/H was used on an HH-53H or later named MH-53H let alone an MH-53J as it was not a popular scheme at all, it was to my knowledge only ever used on electronic combat aircraft. Not even the MC-130s or HC-130s wore that scheme, they had one which was similar but used different colours. The scheme you are talking about is called "Grey" and used 36320/36492. Im not 100% sure on this however. The HH-53C wore two schemes which were similar to the "Grey" scheme and they could have been wearing them after they were upgraded to HH-53H standard (which would put the nose radar and FLIR turret on it), but I personally have no photos of that. The "Grey" scheme could have been applied as a trial to an aircraft in its early days of upgrade, maybe in Pave Low I or Pave Low II standard. As far as I am aware the MH-53J wore the Euro 1 then Gunship grey, then for ODS a desert scheme and that was it. I would be interested to see a photo of it in the "Grey" scheme though. Edited December 11, 2022 by ElectroSoldier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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