Anti-flash white
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Anti-flash white is a brilliant white color commonly seen on United States, British and Soviet nuclear bombers.[1] The purpose of the color was to reflect some of the thermal radiation from a nuclear explosion, protecting the aircraft and its occupants.
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[edit] United Kingdom
Anti-flash white was used on the Royal Air Force V bombers force and the Royal Navy Blackburn Buccaneer when used in the nuclear strike role. British nuclear bombers were given – though not at first, until the problem was considered – pale pink and blue roundels rather than the traditional dark red, white, and blue.
Anti-flash white was applied to several British prototype aircraft, including the British Aircraft Corporation TSR-2.
[edit] United States
Many Strategic Air Command nuclear bombers carried anti-flash white without insignia on the under side of the fuselage with light silver-gray or natural metal (later light camouflage) on the upper surfaces.
The United States Navy A-5 Vigilante carried anti-flash white without insignia on the under side of the fuselage.
[edit] Soviet Union/Russia
Like the United States, some nuclear bombers had the under side of the fuselage painted anti-flash white with the upper surfaces painted light silver-gray. The Tupolev Tu-160 of the 1980s was the first to be painted anti-flash white all over.
[edit] China
Some variants of the Xian H-6 had the under side of the fuselage painted anti-flash white.
[edit] Aircraft
Aircraft with at least part of the fuselage painted anti-flash white on nuclear delivery variants:
- V bombers
- Blackburn Buccaneer
- BAC TSR-2 prototype
- Saunders-Roe SR.53 interceptor prototype
- Convair B-36
- Boeing B-47 Stratojet
- Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
- North American A-5 Vigilante
- North American XB-70 Valkyrie prototype
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Anti-flash white |
- Gunston, Bill (March 1981). "The V-Bombers - The Handley Page Victor - part 3". Aeroplane Monthly.
- ^ "B36 in "anti-atom" finish over Kent" (PDF). Flight: 741. 11 November 1955. http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1955/1955%20-%201624.html.
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| Anti-flash white | Antique white | Beige | Blond | Cornsilk | Cosmic latte | Cream | Eggshell | Floral white | Ghost white |
| Honeydew | Isabelline | Ivory | Lavender blush | Lemon chiffon | Linen | Magnolia | Mint cream | Munsell | Navajo white |
| Old lace | Papaya whip | Pearl | Seashell | Snow | Splashed white | Vanilla | White | White smoke | |
| The samples shown above are only indicative. | |||||||||
