need color advice
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Indianapolis, In
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
need color advice
Im getting a SIG Kobra kit and I already have two of the colors in mind. I want a B/W checkerboard bottom wing and Black for the fuselage. I get the feeling though i should also add a bright color to help keep track of the plane in flight. Anyone have a good idea?
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: South West Rocks N.S.W., AUSTRALIA
Posts: 495
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: need color advice
Hi Ikerus,
You may find this information of assistance. http://www.ultimatecharger.com/color.html
Cheers,
Colin
You may find this information of assistance. http://www.ultimatecharger.com/color.html
Cheers,
Colin
#3
Senior Member
My Feedback: (4)
RE: need color advice
Contrary to popular belief, you don't need bright colors. What you need is good contrast, and there is no better contrast than B&W.
Now, having said that, a Checkerboard does not give a good contrast due to the fact that the squares are small. At a distance, they will appear gray.
By the same token, an all-black fuse can worsen the "Silhouette" effect.
So if you want to stick with B&W, that's fine, but maybe add a black band to the LE of the wing on the bottom, and a B&W Sunburst on top - Then some white along side the Fuse would be a plus.
One other thing worth mentioning... If you have a lot of trees or mountains in the background (Or anything else that is dark) Black will just about disappear when the plane is between you and the background
Now, having said that, a Checkerboard does not give a good contrast due to the fact that the squares are small. At a distance, they will appear gray.
By the same token, an all-black fuse can worsen the "Silhouette" effect.
So if you want to stick with B&W, that's fine, but maybe add a black band to the LE of the wing on the bottom, and a B&W Sunburst on top - Then some white along side the Fuse would be a plus.
One other thing worth mentioning... If you have a lot of trees or mountains in the background (Or anything else that is dark) Black will just about disappear when the plane is between you and the background
#4
RE: need color advice
I personally tend to keep my planes in solid colors but I fully admit that it takes a lot more effort to keep up with orientation. It can be done but be prepared for extra work. Minn has the right idea for the job. I'm just hard headed sometimes. [sm=bananahead.gif]
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Millington,
TN
Posts: 138
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: need color advice
Years ago, I covered a plane in multiple colors so that I would be sure to know the orientation when I looked at it. I don't remember the exact colors, but it was something like right 1/2 of wing orange and left 1/2 of wing light blue. I then made the tail yellow (or something). I made the bottom different colors too! So basically, every major area was a different color. This was supposed to help me determine the orientation of the plane at a glance.
2 problems:
1. There were so many colors, I could never remember which one was where. Is green bottom right?? hmmm.
2. It was the ugliest damn plane you ever seen. It looked horrible. People commented: "damn! that's ugly!" 8-)
Needless to say, after a couple of flights I recovered the whole thing with a design that looked similar to the box cover. Much better!
2 problems:
1. There were so many colors, I could never remember which one was where. Is green bottom right?? hmmm.
2. It was the ugliest damn plane you ever seen. It looked horrible. People commented: "damn! that's ugly!" 8-)
Needless to say, after a couple of flights I recovered the whole thing with a design that looked similar to the box cover. Much better!
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Nashville,
NC
Posts: 1,166
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: need color advice
ORIGINAL: campbec
Hi Ikerus,
You may find this information of assistance. http://www.ultimatecharger.com/color.html
Cheers,
Colin
Hi Ikerus,
You may find this information of assistance. http://www.ultimatecharger.com/color.html
Cheers,
Colin
Don't fly when someone with a plane identical to yours is already flying. ARFs and yellow Cubs are particularly susceptible to this problem. Several years ago two fliers were flying with identical ARFs. When one of the models landed, both modelers went out to get the plane. Much to the entertainment of the folks in the pits, one modeler discovered the his plane had crashed out in the field 5 minutes previously because he had lost track of which airplane was his, and he was "flying" the wrong one.
#7
RE: need color advice
Read a thread a while back about 3 students that were out flying with their instructors, all on buddy boxes. All of them were flying Nexstars. All 3 crashed. Now that is just plain STUPID. Come on folks, let's get some common sense out there. Those planes should all have been paid for by the instructors IMO. [:@]
#8
RCU Forum Manager/Admin
My Feedback: (9)
RE: need color advice
What was said above was great advice, contrasting colors. That's the key to being able to distinguish your plane in the air. But.......... Even with contrasting colors there are some colors that need to be mentioned because they have problems.
Black - Plain and simple, black can be hard to see in overcast conditions or if you are flying near dawn or dusk. They black has a tendency to "disappear"
White - White planes are hard to see when it's cloudy
Silver- silver colors disappear in a heartbeat in all colors
Blue - blue sky, blue plane, you do the math!!
Chrome- I've seen a plane covered in chrome monokote that looked great on the ground, but was really hard to see in the air. Imagine flying a plane that looks like whatever the background it's flying against. A true stealth plane if you ask me!!!
I have found that the colors I can see the best are Red and Yellow. If you work those colors into your color scheme it should be easier to see your plane in the air. I recently did a review on [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/article_display.cfm?article_id=745]Model Tech's Mach Racer[/link] (which by the way is an absolute BLAST to fly) and the yellow on the plane saves it every day at the flying field. This plane is the only plane I've ever seen that truly has "unlimited vertical", meaning that it will climb out of sight (and still be climbing). Anyway, I pull this plane into a climb and when I lose it I cut the throttle back, count to 5, and then give it full right aileron. I then watch for the flash of yellow on the top of the plane to find where it is!!!!!!!
Ken
Black - Plain and simple, black can be hard to see in overcast conditions or if you are flying near dawn or dusk. They black has a tendency to "disappear"
White - White planes are hard to see when it's cloudy
Silver- silver colors disappear in a heartbeat in all colors
Blue - blue sky, blue plane, you do the math!!
Chrome- I've seen a plane covered in chrome monokote that looked great on the ground, but was really hard to see in the air. Imagine flying a plane that looks like whatever the background it's flying against. A true stealth plane if you ask me!!!
I have found that the colors I can see the best are Red and Yellow. If you work those colors into your color scheme it should be easier to see your plane in the air. I recently did a review on [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/article_display.cfm?article_id=745]Model Tech's Mach Racer[/link] (which by the way is an absolute BLAST to fly) and the yellow on the plane saves it every day at the flying field. This plane is the only plane I've ever seen that truly has "unlimited vertical", meaning that it will climb out of sight (and still be climbing). Anyway, I pull this plane into a climb and when I lose it I cut the throttle back, count to 5, and then give it full right aileron. I then watch for the flash of yellow on the top of the plane to find where it is!!!!!!!
Ken
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Rowlett,
TX
Posts: 1,309
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: need color advice
I thought I would be able to see this green and yellow color scheme very well
http://www.rcuniverse.com/gallery/ga...memberId=24522
but it only shows up in bright sunlight, I think that since yellow is a component of green there is not as much contrast as I expected.
I can see red and white about as good as anything else.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/gallery/ga...memberId=24522
but it only shows up in bright sunlight, I think that since yellow is a component of green there is not as much contrast as I expected.
I can see red and white about as good as anything else.
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Austin,
TX
Posts: 1,333
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: need color advice
ORIGINAL: skiman762
this is funny from that website
Don't fly when someone with a plane identical to yours is already flying. ARFs and yellow Cubs are particularly susceptible to this problem. Several years ago two fliers were flying with identical ARFs. When one of the models landed, both modelers went out to get the plane. Much to the entertainment of the folks in the pits, one modeler discovered the his plane had crashed out in the field 5 minutes previously because he had lost track of which airplane was his, and he was "flying" the wrong one.
ORIGINAL: campbec
Hi Ikerus,
You may find this information of assistance. http://www.ultimatecharger.com/color.html
Cheers,
Colin
Hi Ikerus,
You may find this information of assistance. http://www.ultimatecharger.com/color.html
Cheers,
Colin
Don't fly when someone with a plane identical to yours is already flying. ARFs and yellow Cubs are particularly susceptible to this problem. Several years ago two fliers were flying with identical ARFs. When one of the models landed, both modelers went out to get the plane. Much to the entertainment of the folks in the pits, one modeler discovered the his plane had crashed out in the field 5 minutes previously because he had lost track of which airplane was his, and he was "flying" the wrong one.
Ah, the advantage of scratch building....you end up with a truly unique plane.
#12
RE: need color advice
Someone mentioned checkers for the wing. I tried them and it didn't help the visibility factor as I had hoped it would because as was mentioned the squares are too small to differentiate while in the air. [8D]
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Taipei, TAIWAN
Posts: 1,942
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: need color advice
minnflyer - i hope you get paid for doing that 3D rendering and animation! it's amazing the library of RC images you have or are making.
#14
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
RE: need color advice
Whoa boa! Thats some serious computer skills.
Heres what I do on most of my colors. As Minn Flyer so skillfully demonstrated. Most ARFS come in the most ridiculous color setups. Since i recover most everythng I have just for aggravation, I don't worry about it. However. Most all my planes are some solid color (other than white). But the underside of all my planes is solid white. Just stand out better for me rather than any checkers or anything else on the bottom.
Heres what I do on most of my colors. As Minn Flyer so skillfully demonstrated. Most ARFS come in the most ridiculous color setups. Since i recover most everythng I have just for aggravation, I don't worry about it. However. Most all my planes are some solid color (other than white). But the underside of all my planes is solid white. Just stand out better for me rather than any checkers or anything else on the bottom.
#15
Senior Member
My Feedback: (4)
RE: need color advice
ORIGINAL: forestroke
minnflyer - i hope you get paid for doing that 3D rendering and animation!
minnflyer - i hope you get paid for doing that 3D rendering and animation!
#16
RE: need color advice
ORIGINAL: MinnFlyer
Well, I do computer graphics for a living. These little illustrations I do are just my way of taking a break from the tough things I have to do on a regular basis. [X(]
ORIGINAL: forestroke
minnflyer - i hope you get paid for doing that 3D rendering and animation!
minnflyer - i hope you get paid for doing that 3D rendering and animation!