Help an old fixed wing crew chief out. The main and tail rotors on MH-6/MD500’s look to be a really dark gray to black but I’m not sure, anybody know? Do they still have warning stripes painted on them? While I’m here, are the passenger cabin windows all painted over, just tinted, or what? I know it depends on the reference but I’m building a generic one and accuracy isn’t a must but I’d like to know anyway.
Thanks
Howdy Chas!
I’m not sure about the REAL THING but I have always painted my roters a very dark grey…( almost black )
The larger the scale the lighter the black tone.
Thats my 2 cents.
Good luck!
Charles,
Most Army rotor blades are black. My references show the MH-6 blades as black and the cabin upper windows are not transparent.
Hope that helps.
Paul
Thanks guys.
When I was in the Army (during the OH-6, but before the MH-6), the upper rotor surfaces were generally the same color as the aircraft, and the lower surface, anti-glare Flat Black. Rotor blades are replaced after a certain number of hours used, if nicked/damaged, or as perscribed by the TM, so sometimes the colors were off by a few hues from the fuselage.
We used some anti glare black one time on the bottoms of our Chinook blades, and that stuff took on the appearance of velvet! No reflection, period! The deep black obsorbed reflection from ground lights better than any I’d ever seen, but after extended use in sand/dust/rain, etc. , the outboard leading edges started showing noticible wear… and the LAST thing we wanted was aluminum or chromate rotor tips yelling out; “Here we are, HERE WE ARE!!!”
Take care,
Frank
That’s a good point of clarification Frank,
My old Hueys were the same … OD green so the time frame is an important point. Seems black became more common in the more recent years. Again … just Army a/c we’re talking about.
Paul