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F-16 "Have Glass" paint finish - what is it?


Graeme

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I've seen a couple of references to USAF F-16's having a new paint finish referred to as 'Have Glass'.

From the only photo I've seen, it appears to a sort of silvery grey colour =-is it the same as the F-22?

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I've seen a couple of references to USAF F-16's having a new paint finish referred to as 'Have Glass'.

From the only photo I've seen, it appears to a sort of silvery grey colour =-is it the same as the F-22?

G'day mate, Have Glass is the code name for a series of RCS reduction measures for the F-16 fighter. Its primary aspect is the addition of an indium-tin-oxide layer to the gold tinted cockpit canopy. This is reflective to radar frequencies, while it may seem odd, adding a radar reflective coating actually reduces the plane's visibility to radar. An ordinary canopy would let radar signals straight through where they would strike the many edges and corners inside and bounce back strongly to the source, the reflective layer dissipates these signals instead. Overall, Have Glass reduces an F-16's RCS (radar-cross section) by some 15 percent. Not sure if it's exactly the same stuff as the F-22 but it's applied with the same CASPER (Computer Aided Spray Paint Expelling Robot) system used for the F-22 so I’d be guessing yes.

The paint has a distinct metallic finish to it and has a dirty faded weathered appearance. Paint codes for this finish are:

Overall Aircraft - FS36270

Topsides - FS36118

Wingtip Missile Rails - FS36270

Underwing Missile Rails, Pylons & Drop tanks - FS36375 or FS36270

Here's what it looks like on a Viper

P6240035.jpg

Cheers

Edited by darson
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Not sure if it's exactly the same stuff as the F-22 but it's applied with the same CASPER (Computer Aided Spray Paint Expelling Robot) system used for the F-22 so I’d be guessing yes.

Do you get the feeling that they start with the acronym and then make a name up for it sometimes? :huh:

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  • 7 years later...
On 08/04/2009 at 1:07 AM, Mr Sworld said:

Do you get the feeling that they start with the acronym and then make a name up for it sometimes? :huh:

We call that a backronym.  

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On 07/04/2009 at 2:39 PM, darson said:

G'day mate, Have Glass is the code name for a series of RCS reduction measures for the F-16 fighter. Its primary aspect is the addition of an indium-tin-oxide layer to the gold tinted cockpit canopy. This is reflective to radar frequencies, while it may seem odd, adding a radar reflective coating actually reduces the plane's visibility to radar. An ordinary canopy would let radar signals straight through where they would strike the many edges and corners inside and bounce back strongly to the source, the reflective layer dissipates these signals instead. Overall, Have Glass reduces an F-16's RCS (radar-cross section) by some 15 percent. Not sure if it's exactly the same stuff as the F-22 but it's applied with the same CASPER (Computer Aided Spray Paint Expelling Robot) system used for the F-22 so I’d be guessing yes.

The paint has a distinct metallic finish to it and has a dirty faded weathered appearance. Paint codes for this finish are:

Overall Aircraft - FS36270

Topsides - FS36118

Wingtip Missile Rails - FS36270

Underwing Missile Rails, Pylons & Drop tanks - FS36375 or FS36270

Here's what it looks like on a Viper

P6240035.jpg

Cheers

 

 

 

Wrong, Have Glass is a single monotone paint scheme with the coating mixed into the paint with its own Federal standard paint code FS36170

 

edit: my mistake, didn't realise I was correcting a post from 09, when the details of have glass were barely known, apolgies if mr darson is still around to see this post

Edited by PhantomBigStu
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