“Hill Gray” Camouflage

 Hill Gray camouflage 1978-1991

A three-color gray camouflage was developed specifically for the new F-16 Fighting Falcon . lightweight fighter, which entered service with the USAF in 1978. It was initially (and unofficially) known as the Egypt I scheme, most likely because F-16s participated soon after their introduction in the annual Bright Star exercises in that country. This consisted of two high-contrast topside grays which were FS 36118 Medium Gunship Gray for the upper wings and upper fuselage up to the canopy area The actual position varied but could be as far forward as mid-canopy, and FS 36270 Medium Gray for the upper forward fuselage, stabilizers, fin, and wing pylons. The lower fuselage color, which included all areas under the chord line, was FS 36375 Light Ghost Gray with the exception of the upper part of the intake which was left in FS 36270 since it could be visible from above. FS 36118, which going forward would be one of the most widely used USAF camouflage colors, is the direct successor to the wartime ANA 603 Sea Gray and is a darker gray with a noticeable blueish tone. FS 36270 is best known in naval circles as Haze Gray, the main color of US Navy ships since World War II. Its actual tone can be confusing given that many photos show it as being bluer than it actually is, but in reality is closer to a neutral gray and visibly warmer than either of the ghost grays.

A similar Project Hill Variable Gray Paint Scheme (usually shortened to just Hill Gray) was subsequently applied to existing USAF F-4E/Gs. The name of the scheme referenced Hill AFB which was the primary maintenance center for USAF F-4s. The original version of this scheme, later known as Hill Gray I, used the same three-color combination as the F-16 and was approved in November 1985. The pattern was similar to that on the F-16, though notably the FS 36118 did not extend to the outer dihedral section of the wings. Pilots soon found that the undersides reflected too much light during rolls and as a result, it was suggested to mirror the topside pattern on the undersides which had the additional benefit of confusing enemies as to the orientation of the aircraft. The darker grey was also to be extended forward of the canopy as an anti-glare panel. The resulting scheme was known as Hill Gray II and units began transitioning in 1986 with a further change being the adoption of semi-gloss paints, FS 26270 and FS 26118. After the 1991 Gulf War, USAF F-16s adopted similar coloring to Hill Gray II by replacing the FS 36375 undersides with FS 36270 but without the mirrored topside pattern. This change, which was also accompanied by a switch to low-visibility (low-vis) markings, was done at the depot level given that all USAF F-16s were delivered from the factory with FS 36375 undersides. Another aircraft that used the Hill Gray II colors, though not the pattern, was the A-7D which adopted a disruptive wraparound on some ANG units.

The color of F-16 radomes has been subject to much speculation given the wide variety of tones which have been observed. The F-16 was originally introduced with black radomes but this was quickly abandoned after pilots complained that this made their aircraft stick out during dogfights. As a result, FS 36270 has been adopted as the standard radome color to this day. The somewhat extreme color variations seen in service is largely due to radomes being built of dielectric material with a neoprene coating which fades differently from the rest of the fuselage. Additionally, the neoprene coating tends to get dirty much easier than the aluminum fuselage, which explains the usual darkening of radomes over time. Unlike the F-16, F-4s using the Hill Gray II scheme typically had only the tip of their radomes in black. For modeling purposes, it is recommended to darken FS 36270 or use another darker gray (preferably a warmer gray like FS 36251) to properly represent the color of F-16 radomes.

F-4E Phantom II SRA Hill Gray II

In 1990, in the context of reducing defense spending, the USAF proceeded to reduce its aircraft fleet and thus 28 F-4E aircraft of the Indiana National Guard were transferred to Greece under the name Southeastern Regional Agreement (SRA). These aircraft had recently been upgraded and had the advanced bombing and navigation system Navigation & Weapons Delivery System (NWDS), making them almost equal, in terms of capabilities to attack ground targets, with third-generation aircraft. These aircraft joined the 338th M.
With the upgrade of the electronics, which began in 1998. The prototype upgraded F-4E flew on 28 April 1999. and were renamed F-4E Phantom II AUP They brought the newest camouflage HAF Greek Aegean Ghost. With the new data, the PA proceeded to reorganize the F-4 fleet by gathering all the aircraft of the PI I&II programs at Andravida. The SRA were integrated in 1997 into the 337th All-Weather Squadron, flying in an interceptor role until 27 December 2005 when they were retired.