Grey R-27s

[Force_Feedback]

Anyone knows why Russia has dark grey R-27 missiles now? And the paint is not shiny like that of white R-27s, it's non reflective.

May this be some kind of effort to reduce the missile's RCS by using RAM paint?

 

[britgliderpilot]

Anyone knows why Russia has dark grey R-27 missiles now? And the paint is not shiny like that of white R-27s, it's non reflective.

May this be some kind of effort to reduce the missile's RCS by using RAM paint?

 

http://pvo.guns.ru/images/expo/maks2005/other/IMG_2362.JPG

 

Not sure you could achieve much by painting a missile with RAM . . . . it's pretty hard to track one anyway.

Reducing the RCS of the aircraft carrying it is a decent reason, but in BVR combat you'll be head on (seeker not painted with RAM, obviously ;) ). SAM tracking maybe, but the reflection from the missile body will be many times smaller than the aircraft and if you're going to do the fins then why not make them radar-absorbent material and keep the colour?

 

 

It's an interesting question!

 

Camouflage/low-visibility scheme?

Drag-reducing paint (don't laugh, could be)?

Just the Russians being bored of having big white sticks on their jets, grey looks sexier?

[EvilBivol-1]

... just a mock up for export?

[Force_Feedback]

Well, white does make certain things look bigger, although the darker types have an actual size advantage, but that aside, the dummys are also painted white, shining white, so just saying that it's grey because it's a mock up is bit farfetched.

 

Maybe they're grey to reduce any reflections or maybe they ran out of white paint. The same applies to the Kh-31 as well, since the Kh-31 is quite big, I guess it would be logical if they painted it with RAM paint to reduce its rcs.

 

Also, the Su-34 appears to have a matte paintjob as well, maybe it's because of the reflective properties that could give it away.

[Guest EVIL-SCOTSMAN]

could it not be the fact that with the missiles on the aircraft it does indeed increase RCS of the AC, but if that is ram paint, it may help reduce the overall RCS of the AC that they are attached to ? so basically it would just look like a 29 with no missiles, instead of a larger rcs with a 29 with a full load.

 

also does that sound stupid on a 27 if they were for them aswell, when the RCS is the size of a skyscraper :D

[britgliderpilot]

could it not be the fact that with the missiles on the aircraft it does indeed increase RCS of the AC, but if that is ram paint, it may help reduce the overall RCS of the AC that they are attached to ?

 

does that sound stupid on a 27 when the RCS is the size of a skyscraper :D

 

Yes to the first, and . . . . . I wouldn't say it's stupid on an Su27, but it does seem rather weird on the second.

 

 

However, they're sitting next to a MiG29, and the Russkies are trying all sorts of things to sell airioplanes these days ;)

[Yellonet]

Well, an incoming missile that is shiny white and might give its position away by reflections is more likely to be detected - and avoided - than a non reflective missile. I think it's that simple.

[Gazehound]

Well, an incoming missile that is shiny white and might give its position away by reflections is more likely to be detected - and avoided - than a non reflective missile. I think it's that simple.

Yes I think doing it will at least help prevent visual acquisition of the missile, wether flying at your plane or sitting on an airfield/carrier. Anything about possible RCS efffect is anybodies guess - perhaps to increase the saleability of the stick.

 

Edit - obviously the white ends are to stop you tripping over it/ bumping your head/ losing it / wondering where your payload is :P

[Yellonet]

Another thing I noticed, the points on the four tubes on that Kh-31(?) are pointed outwards... I don't think they are in the game's model.

[Guest EVIL-SCOTSMAN]

However, they're sitting next to a MiG29, and the Russkies are trying all sorts of things to sell airioplanes these days ;)

 

 

i know its a mig, but i was wondering , cuz the 27 got huge rcs, if it was stupid to have ram coated missiles on a 27, as it aint gonna do much to reduce the rcs of a 27, when its fully loaded.

 

but as i aint no expert i couldnt say, but i know some aircraft especially the newer ones have internal bays as weapons on the outside affect its RCS.

[SwingKid]

Another thing I noticed, the points on the four tubes on that Kh-31(?) are pointed outwards... I don't think they are in the game's model.

 

Those are intake covers. They're designed to break off in the wind when the missile reaches enough speed to start the ramjet motor.

 

-SK

[Sinner6]

Missiles get rather hot while in flight, perhaps the new paint deals with heating better?

[Guest Jinker]

I'd say it's probably not ram paint at all. It's probably just painted gray to avoid contrast while the missile is on the aircraft. White on a blue, or gray background sticks out big time.

 

I'm sure it's also done to reduce visibility after the missile has been fired, so that the pilot that is in the aircraft it's been fired at can't track it as easily. If the missile is in the powered phase of course it's going to be well tracked because of the contrail it leaves behind, but if it's in the coast phase, it will be very hard to visually detect.

 

I doubt they'd spend money on RAM for a missile.

[bSr.LCsta]

Here are some pics I took from the same place showing white A2A missiles.....just to confuse things even more ;)

 

IMO: Any of those answers sound good, I suspect it is related to performance, cost, or looks. :P

 

 

This is the Su-34 with more reflective paint than the MIG series displays...

 

Some MIG variants (including the one from the original post) with various weapons. Notice the matte finish compared to the Flankers...

[Force_Feedback]

Ok, now good old Force is going crazy :p It might have something to do with heat resistance.

 

BTW, the intake covers on the four intakes are blown off during the solid booster phase, by bleed gas, so just when they leave the aircraft, those covers blow off outwards (hence the angle, to ensure proper separation) and then the ramjet comes up to speed.

There's a video of it here.

[Yellonet]

Those are intake covers. They're designed to break off in the wind when the missile reaches enough speed to start the ramjet motor.

 

-SK

Ah, would be cool to have in LockOn though...

[Yellonet]

Ok, now good old Force is going crazy :p It might have something to do with heat resistance.

 

BTW, the intake covers on the four intakes are blown off during the solid booster phase, by bleed gas, so just when they leave the aircraft, those covers blow off outwards (hence the angle, to ensure proper separation) and then the ramjet comes up to speed.

There's a video of it here.

Cool... :cool: