This is one of those questions where you think you know the answer, but can’t find anything to back it up. I’m doing a section of carrier deck as the display base for a 1/144 Hornet (VFA-86 off the Enterprise in 2006) with the jet blast deflector raised - it’s from the old Dragon F-14A kit.
I’m assuming the deflector isn’t coated with the same non-skid material as the deck, but in the few photos I’ve found it seems to be about the same shade of dark gray, and without any soot stains at all. I thought they would look like, well, burned steel, with scorch marks and blackened areas, etc. Can any of you former carrier guys chime in?
I’m not a “carrier guy” but an ex Boatswain’s Mate.
With all those “deck apes” on a carrier with nothing to do most of the time, there would be work details to keep the deflector clean. The discoloration might be from the heat of the exhaust.
Rember “if it moves, salute it; if it doesn’t move, paint it.”
not sooty,slight oily residue,deck crews and the airwing wash the flight deck down every chance the get,helps prevent corrosion and slipping accidents.yes there is non skid applied but the deck still gets slick.
It’s a mixture of jet exhaust, hydraulic fluid, JP-5, tire rubber, and just about anything you can imagine. If you fly 8 cycles ( 1 cycle=launch and recovery) a day, that’s hundreds of uses a day for extended periods. We got the opportunity for flightdeck wash downs whenever dictated, usually when the deck got as slick as ice.[;)] I spent a few years in flightdeck Crash and Salvage and here are a few photos I took that might be of use to you. A few front and back. To be honest, I only saw the JBDs clean in port and then they were a dark gray. Hope this helps.[:)]
