| earntaz |
10-26-2020 12:22 PM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lee Stewart
(Post 1519690)
In the heat of aerial battle, simple visual cues can throw off pilots and make dramatic split-second differences. Any camouflage helps, but fighters need to be sleek and maneuverable so design solutions likewise have to be physically unobtrusive.
Working within this limitation, one particularly clever strategy for throwing off enemy planes involves painting a false canopy on the underside of an aircraft. Essentially: the transparent cockpit enclosure on the top of a plane is visually mimicked on its underside — a confused enemy pilot might thus mistake the bottom of a craft for its top in the heat of combat. Like many camouflaging strategies, this design approach borrows from precedents found in nature.
https://i.postimg.cc/02LQ0Rgj/a-10-Thunderbolt.jpg
It is a type of automimicry found, for instance, in fish and other animals. Unlike conventional camouflage, however, that blends with surrounding environments, automimicry involves self-imitation. In the case of creatures, similar markings on the head and tail can confuse a potential predator about the speed and direction of their target — like a fish with a pair of fake eyes toward its rear.
https://i.postimg.cc/9Mr0BWf4/fish-automimic.jpg
Likewise with aircraft, a fake canopy painted on the bottom can create confusion around the craft’s attitude and potential maneuvers.
https://i.postimg.cc/nVWcnbh2/false-canopy-top.jpg
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SP tail code F-4D/G/E, F-16C/D, F-15C/D, A/OA-10A…52 FW, Spangdahlem AB, Germany, USAFE |
