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F-106A - External paint scheme


sloegin57

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Closest to a dark scheme I can see was on the F-106B that were passed on to NASA for various test programmes which had a very deep dark band running along the fuselage from just under the windshield to the tip of the airbrake but the remainder of the airfrake remained initially in ADC Grey and on at least one in white.

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16473 Aircraft Gray was the default colour for operational ADCom F-106s throughout its life.  I believe this was the only type in the USAF inventory to spend its entire operational career in that same colour.

 

Tony 

 

 

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What a good excuse to have a dig through the library! I found the D&S F-106 and had a quick flip through.

The a/c @Des refers to is N816NA and the band looks to be a very dark blue - certainly darker than the blue of the NASA badge on the tail. There's also a picture of the prototype B - looks to be a light gray and with lots of high viz red/orange.

The "City of Jacksonville" was probably the most colourful (colorful) Base white, front fuselage, spine and front of fin in dark blue (with loads of white stars) and much of the rest of the tail in red. (Florida ANG 150th FIS)

 

On the other hand the F-102 did carry SEAC camo in USAF, (and IIRC) Turkish and Greek service.

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12 minutes ago, iainpeden said:

The "City of Jacksonville" was probably the most colourful (colorful) Base white, front fuselage, spine and front of fin in dark blue (with loads of white stars) and much of the rest of the tail in red. (Florida ANG 150th FIS)

 

And do not forget the Red and White stripes on the undersides.

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Back in 1982 or early 83 i was doing a shift in the QRA at CFB Comox with 409 Squadron, CF-101, our aircrew were having a social event and the 318 TFS from McChord AFB with a pair of F-106s to hold down the Q that day. They stayed around to fly with the squadron the rest of the week. The one i helped park and refueled was not the ADC gray the other a/c was. The 318th did transition to the F-15 shortly afterwards so they painted at least one the F-106s in the F-15 scheme.

 

Jari

Edited by Finn
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1 hour ago, Finn said:

Back in 1982 or early 83 i was doing a shift in the QRA at CFB Comox with 409 Squadron, CF-101, our aircrew were having a social event and the 318 TFS from McChord AFB with a pair of F-106s to hold down the Q that day. They stayed around to fly with the squadron the rest of the week. I one i helped park and refueled was not the ADC gray the other a/c was. The 318th did transition to the F-15 shortly afterwards so they painted at least one the F-106s in the F-15 scheme.

 

Jari

I would like to see a photo of it!  That would be rather interesting.

Later,

Dave

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16 hours ago, f111guru said:

Dennis,

That question I have no answer for but this website may help. https://www.f-106deltadart.com/

All I had ever seen the F-106 wear was the ADC gray or FS 16473.

 

All The Best,

Ron VanDerwarker

That is one very useful web site, I can see myself spending a few hours going through it with a fine tooth comb ! - many thanks Ron

 

13 hours ago, tony.t said:

16473 Aircraft Gray was the default colour for operational ADCom F-106s throughout its life.  I believe this was the only type in the USAF inventory to spend its entire operational career in that same colour.

 

Tony 

 

 

Yes tony.t, I entirely agree with you.  That has been my belief as well ad it was not until I was going through some old Microscale Decals sheets in the stash for a forthcoming F-102A and F-106A build in 72nd that I came across the attached :-

 

spacer.png spacer.png

Covers :- 27FIS, 5FIS and 49FIS                                                                                                 Covers 84FIS, 318FISand 539FIS

 

 

spacer.png

Covers 177FIS (NJ ANG), 186FIS (Montana ANG), 194FIS (California ANG) plus the bonus T-33A shown. 

 

The decals themselves are in perfectly good, useable order despite having been in the stash for well over a quarter of a century and I have had no problem using them the past.  

Most of the Units covered I intend to build, and it was just the reference to "Dark Gull Gray" that caused me to query it.

 

Thank you for all your answers - you have confirmed my belief that they were all ADC Gray

 

Unless, of course, someone knows any different..........................

 

Thanks again

Dennis

 

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All the aircraft in those Microscale sheets are in the standard 16473, probably someone at Microscale misinterpreted pictures or some documents and then the error was retained for other sheets.

Don't think I've ever seen FS 36231 used on the exterior surfaces of any USAF aircraft, apart from maybe things like walkways

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23 hours ago, Finn said:

No cameras were allowed in the QRA, however going thru my notes it was a/c #60459, the history of it can be found here:

 

https://www.318fis.com/318TH FIS - AIRCRAFT - F-106-INVENTORY - 56-0459.htm

 

scroll down near the bottom, 1983, to see it isn't as shiny as it was in other times.

 

Jari

I understand about cameras in the Q.  It was the same way at Woodbridge.  From the base of the fin up past the serial number and encompassing the 60 of the serial number, it does look like a lighter gray than the rest of the fin and rudder, but to me it also looks like part of the fuselage is in natural metal.  Maybe some of this if from being prepped for painting prior to being put on display.  I would really love to see an F-106 in the first grey F-15  scheme, it would be something that would really stand out.  It may just be like the people who claim to have seen at least one B-58 Hustler in Vietnam colors with the gloss black undersides.  No photos, and despite some people claiming that they were confusing some Vulcans that happened to be at Little Rock AFB for an exercise at the same time, we will probably never know for sure.  Having seen B-58s in museums and Vulcans up close and personal (the crew even showed us around the cockpit one time when I was at Offutt), I doubt if anyone could confuse a gray and green Vulcan for an SEA Hustler.

Later,

Dave

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23 hours ago, sloegin57 said:

That is one very useful web site, I can see myself spending a few hours going through it with a fine tooth comb ! - many thanks Ron

 

Yes tony.t, I entirely agree with you.  That has been my belief as well ad it was not until I was going through some old Microscale Decals sheets in the stash for a forthcoming F-102A and F-106A build in 72nd that I came across the attached :-

 

spacer.png spacer.png

Covers :- 27FIS, 5FIS and 49FIS                                                                                                 Covers 84FIS, 318FISand 539FIS

 

 

spacer.png

Covers 177FIS (NJ ANG), 186FIS (Montana ANG), 194FIS (California ANG) plus the bonus T-33A shown. 

 

The decals themselves are in perfectly good, useable order despite having been in the stash for well over a quarter of a century and I have had no problem using them the past.  

Most of the Units covered I intend to build, and it was just the reference to "Dark Gull Gray" that caused me to query it.

 

Thank you for all your answers - you have confirmed my belief that they were all ADC Gray

 

Unless, of course, someone knows any different..........................

 

Thanks again

Dennis

 

Microscale, and their successor Superscale both had that innate ability to screw things up!  These sheets are just another example of it.  They also did thinks like put out decals for an F9F-6, for which there is NO kit and would require major surgery to try to convert the F9F-8 back to the -6.  The trailing edge extension ends at different places between the two and the wing slats were altogether different as well.

Later,

Dave

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On 12/01/2022 at 13:43, sloegin57 said:

Hi fellow BM'ers

 

Were F-106A's in service ever given an external paint scheme of FS595 36231 (Dark Gull Gray) - or 16231 for that matter ?, as opposed to the well known ADC Gray 16473 ?.

 

TIA

 

Dennis

I would have thought you would have a picture if it was! you certainly helped me out with a couple of 106 pictures

 

Julien

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14 hours ago, Julien said:

I would have thought you would have a picture if it was! you certainly helped me out with a couple of 106 pictures

 

Julien

Thanks Julian - only too pleased etc.....

It was the decal sheet mentioned that threw me but the possibly that the draughtsman had seen the same aircraft at Jacksonville that I did !! :-

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Dennis

 

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17 minutes ago, sloegin57 said:

Thanks Julian - only too pleased etc.....

It was the decal sheet mentioned that threw me but the possibly the draughtsman had seen the same aircraft at Jacksonville that I did !! :-

 

Dennis

 

Top notch Dennis as always. That has to be the grubbiest F-106 ive seen!

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