Try this link for a color example!

http://www.hmm-363.us/photo_0012.html

See if this link gives you a better idea.... yes, you are correct.... a dark Olive Drab.

darn it

I'm sorry, I meant the HRS-1 Chickasaw. I always get them confused.

HRS-1 Chickasaw was Glossy Sea Blue but FYI I have seen HRS SAR birds as International Orange

UH-34D was Field Green (FS14097)

HTH.

Semper Fi,
Ryan

Helo colors - 1950s

Helo colors - 1950s
-- This information comes from "The Official Monogram US Navy and Marine Corps Aircraft Color Guide", vols 2 & 3, by John M. Elliott, Maj. USMC (Retired). The numbers after the color names are the Federal Standard 595a
identifiers.

1947-55
Overall glossy Sea Blue (15042). A 33 inch wide gloss Orange Yellow (13538) warning stripe was to be painted around the tail in front of the tail rotor arc with warning arrow in gloss Insignia Red (11136) and DANGER/ KEEP AWAY in gloss Black (17038).

Main rotor blades glossy Sea Blue except for the tips. On matched sets of blades there was a 2 inch tip. One tip was to be glossy Insignia White (17875), one was Insignia Red (11136), the third was Light Green (14187). A 6 inch Orange Yellow warning stripe was to be painted inboard of the tip stripes and was to be on both sides of the blade. Unmatched sets of blades would have a outboard 6 inches painted glossy Orange Yellow.

Tail rotor was overall Sea Blue. Warning stripes: 6 inch Orange Yellow/Black/ Orange Yellow starting at tip. This was changed in 1953 to overall non-specular Black to within 6 inches of the hub. This area was painted Insignia Red. The color of the warning stripes was changed to Red/White/Red.

SAR aircraft were overall glossy International Orange (12197).

1955
All helos changed to overall non-specular Light Gull Gray (36440). Main rotor blade colors were unchanged.

1956
All Marine helos changed to overall Field Green (34097). Main rotor blade tops and hubs were to be Olive Drab (34087) if metal and Light Gull Gray if made of wood. The undersides were to be non specular Black (37038). Transmissions and rotor mechanisms were to be painted glossy Aircraft Gray (16473). Blade tip markings were unchanged.

1959
SAR coloring changed to overall glossy Seaplane Gray (26081). The nose and tail fin were painted Fluorescent Red Orange (28913).

The HRS 1, 2, and 3's we had in HMR 161 were a dark blue with white letters.I was with 161 both at Ascom City and up forward at Musan-ni from Jan 53 until Aprl 55.

hma1369 wrote: Helo colors - 1950s
-- This information comes from "The Official Monogram US Navy and Marine Corps Aircraft Color Guide", vols 2 & 3, by John M. Elliott, Maj. USMC (Retired). The numbers after the color names are the Federal Standard 595a
identifiers.

Main rotor blades glossy Sea Blue except for the tips. On matched sets of blades there was a 2 inch tip. One tip was to be glossy Insignia White (17875), one was Insignia Red (11136), the third was Light Green (14187). A 6 inch Orange Yellow warning stripe was to be painted inboard of the tip stripes and was to be on both sides of the blade. Unmatched sets of blades would have a outboard 6 inches painted glossy Orange Yellow.

I came across this in the past and think Paul Moore talked about it on here....

US Navy regs of the 1950's mandated black lower surfaces and Gull Grey upper surfaces. This was a visual aid to ground and aircrew that would clearly indicate if a blade had been installed the wrong way around.

Markings

Lettering (MARINES, Side No, etc.) was white on the Blue aircraft, black on Light Gull Grey, and white on the Field Green aircraft. National insignia was red, white, blue for all three camouflage systems.

hma1369 wrote: Lettering (MARINES, Side No, etc.) was white on the Blue aircraft, black on Light Gull Grey, and white on the Field Green aircraft. National insignia was red, white, blue for all three camouflage systems.

Good point also wasn't 67/68 that the lettering on Field Green aircraft changed from white to black.

It was before that. 161 went overseas from Hawaii in March, 1965, and we had field green a/c with white lettering, a bright orange diamond on the nose and bright orange on the transmission cooler cover. When we got to Okinawa, the orange areas were painted green and the white lettering was painted black before we headed south and went in country.

any dark color will suit. 😉

H-34 Colors

When I was crewing my first H-34 which we got back from Overhaul it was a nice Green color which we in HMM 263 tried to keep looking as good a possible by wiping down with a Avgas/ Hydraulic fluid mixture. This caused the paint to take on a darker green color and the white on the lettering went to a greyer color. But boy did it shine in the morning light. I still remember when they came out and changed our white to black. Messed with everyones head and no more white ( they said it was to easy to see from the ground)?? Never understood that.
PowerGlide 01
J. Lynch

Target!

I was always told it was because the white letters and the stars and bars would make good targets or "aiming points". When I did a "nose art" design I was told to remove it, same reason. This was in 1968 HMM-165. You could use small black letters for an aircraft "name" etc. but no designs.....Even fussed about some of our white painted wheels! As a minor protest I painted my helmet a burgundy color with my name in light yellow or cream. No body cared about that, since it was my noggin inside, lol! It was so old they didn't want it back in Flight Equipment at the end of my tour, plus it was a pretty big size anyway...I kept it! It is now in the HMM-363 UH-34D on the USS Hornet museum with a "Lucky Red Lion" painted on it. The helmet now continues to serve!
The photo is YW-11, where I wore the helmet during most of my RVN flights!

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Think Snow

My sister sent a "Think Snow" bumber sticker from a skiing resort in NH. I was told to remove it as I was not to Marine Specs.

Dick Haley
C/C YZ 19