Page 1 of 1
RAF P-8 colour question
Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 2:06 pm
by Unknown74
Hi all got a small question regarding the colour of the RAF P-8 Poseidons, Have seen the pictures in Magazines and footage on TV News and You Tube and I thought it was white when I saw them but when I saw ZP801 earlier this Week on approach to Edinburgh it looked Dusky/ Hempy/ Deserty coloured which got me confused, is it a trick of the light?
Re: RAF P-8 colour question
Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 2:18 pm
by Spitfire88
They are grey
Re: RAF P-8 colour question
Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 4:23 pm
by lardyboy999
Shiney, shiney, grey.
Re: RAF P-8 colour question
Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 4:38 pm
by Vulcanone
Presumably its a shade of Light Aircraft Grey. The colour that has been used on the Fighters since they started going grey in 1980
Re: RAF P-8 colour question
Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 7:04 pm
by Thunder
FS16440, commonly known as Light Gull Grey. Same colour as the USN P-3’s.
Re: RAF P-8 colour question
Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 7:25 pm
by somerset
If only they were nimrod green

Re: RAF P-8 colour question
Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 9:14 pm
by iainpeden
Thunder wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 7:04 pm
FS16440, commonly known as Light Gull Grey. Same colour as the USN P-3’s.
If you are modelling one, light aircraft grey and light gull gray are the same shade. At least 1 producer of model paint sells the same paint under both labels.
Re: RAF P-8 colour question
Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 9:15 pm
by Dave Smith
Does anyone have the know how to produce an impression of one wearing hemp via Photoshop or some other dark art?
Re: RAF P-8 colour question
Posted: Thu May 14, 2020 1:30 am
by T_J
somerset wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 7:25 pm
If only they were nimrod green
Better than Nimrod Brown. Nimrod XV246 during 1977.

Re: RAF P-8 colour question
Posted: Thu May 14, 2020 7:43 am
by Vulcanone
One of the occasional series of Oh @hit we got it a bit too dark .....
Re: RAF P-8 colour question
Posted: Thu May 14, 2020 7:46 am
by Agent K
somerset wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 7:25 pm
If only they were nimrod green
Green? never seen a green one, any photos?
Re: RAF P-8 colour question
Posted: Thu May 14, 2020 8:09 am
by roger4
Although lardyboy is correct that the P-8s / Poseidons are very shiney, there is a distinct matt Light Gull Grey area around the refuelling socket above the cockpit.
Image here (scroll down the page):
https://www.raf-ff.org.uk/news/first-po ... o-the-raf/
Re: RAF P-8 colour question
Posted: Thu May 14, 2020 8:16 am
by Vulcan74
Never liked it when the RAF decided to go all hemp on most of their aircraft. Seeing the camouflaged Victors when I was at Marham then going hemp did not look right to me.
Re: RAF P-8 colour question
Posted: Thu May 14, 2020 8:55 am
by thevulcan
Better get used to the colour as it's being hinted more might be ordered to replace the sentinels.
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/analyst ... -aircraft/
Re: RAF P-8 colour question
Posted: Thu May 14, 2020 9:19 am
by Vulcanone
Vulcan 74
Hemp was rather good, when the airframe was on the ground (if looking from an attackers point of view).
Just as likely as good in good old english claggy weather, like grey is hard as hell to find when at altitude in a clear blue sky. I know as I tried to find the pair of Typhoons out of Warton circling over Blackpool one summers day last year....
Black training aircraft stick out better.
On the other side of the Fence the 29 Sqn boss did say the WW2 painted Typhoon was a B@@@er to find when it was at low level
So maybe the boffins were right !!?
Re: RAF P-8 colour question
Posted: Thu May 14, 2020 10:26 am
by reheat module
T_J wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 1:30 am
somerset wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 7:25 pm
If only they were nimrod green
Better than Nimrod Brown. Nimrod XV246 during 1977.
Ah yes, remember it well, aka 'The Flying Turd'...
Re: RAF P-8 colour question
Posted: Thu May 14, 2020 1:56 pm
by Bushpilot
If they wanted a really effective camouflage then Ryanair colours would be best, hiding in plain sight
