What intake color of this U-2C do you see?

[Rob de Bie]

What do you make of the intake color of this U-2C?

 

Ebay: Lockheed U-2A N801X pilot MC-3

 

I *think* I see yellow zinc chromate.

Rob

 

[Creepy Pete]

Looks a bit like it, yeah.

 

 

[janneman36]

Hi Rob, came across this one ..

https://airandspace.si.edu/media/NASM-A19820380000-NASM2018-10711-000001

 

cheers, Jan

[TheyJammedKenny!]

I painted my dark blue CIA U-2A's intakes chromate yellow, with a narrow blue intake lip and nobody seemed to mind.  That seems the most likely.

[sroubos]

For what it's worth, chromate yellow is what Italeri states for those areas on their 1/48 TR-1.

[Rob de Bie]

Thanks all for your posts, with some interesting links! Four 'votes' for zinc chromate then 🙂

 

I made a second version of the photo with increased color saturation. And I still see yellow, whereas the canopy cover remains white. But if you actually sample the intake area, it's brown. Hmm..

 

Also, I hadn't noticed the sweet Lockheed logo so far. It's the first time I've seen that on a U-2.

 

 

 

Rob

[Spad]

There is a logic to plain zinc chromate as well - why top-coat paint an intake when all it does is add weight to what is designed as a very light airframe. That's 5 votes you have there now, Rob!

[Sabrejet]

Present-day U-2s also have chromate yellow intakes

[Work In Progress]

10 hours ago, Rob de Bie said:

And I still see yellow, whereas the canopy cover remains white. But if you actually sample the intake area, it's brown.

It's yellow in deep shadow. What do you think yellow in deep shadow / near darkness looks like?

[Rob de Bie]

15 hours ago, Work In Progress said:

It's yellow in deep shadow. What do you think yellow in deep shadow / near darkness looks like?

It was mostly my amazement how the eye sees yellow when the real colour is brown. And I measured the colour as much forward in the intake as possible, where it was the lightest.

 

Rob

[Work In Progress]

It's still yellow

[e8n2]

7 hours ago, Rob de Bie said:

It was mostly my amazement how the eye sees yellow when the real colour is brown. And I measured the colour as much forward in the intake as possible, where it was the lightest.

 

Rob

I was stationed at Beale AFB and got up close and personal with the U-2Rs and TR-1As, as they were then known, on a regular basis.  The intakes and E-bay (not the web site!) were definitely done in zinc-chromate yellow.  If you believe it is otherwise, please come up with a TO reference that states it is a brown.

Later,

Dave

[Rob de Bie]

5 hours ago, e8n2 said:

I was stationed at Beale AFB and got up close and personal with the U-2Rs and TR-1As, as they were then known, on a regular basis.  The intakes and E-bay (not the web site!) were definitely done in zinc-chromate yellow.  If you believe it is otherwise, please come up with a TO reference that states it is a brown.

 

Ah, no, misunderstanding! When I wrote 'the real color is brown' I meant the sampled color in the JPG! I was amazed that the eye still 'sees' a yellow.

 

Rob

[e8n2]

18 hours ago, Rob de Bie said:

 

Ah, no, misunderstanding! When I wrote 'the real color is brown' I meant the sampled color in the JPG! I was amazed that the eye still 'sees' a yellow.

 

Rob

The eyes can play all kinds of tricks on you.  As others have mentioned, there are a lot of variables, especially when you are looking at something on your monitor.  Remember that thing going around about a year or two ago as to what color was the woman's dress in the picture?  I could have sworn it was white and then it turns out to be black or some other dark color.  Have a good day, or evening, whatever it is where you are at when you read this!

Later,

Dave