USAF colors post WWII to present “Aggressor” Squadron Part III Set

The blue series of training opponents

Blue finishes are among the most striking patterns ever to fly over training areas. They arose from the observation that against the sky a machine disappears in pale blue tones sooner than in any other key, and in the role of a simulated opponent that could be put to use. The patterns ranged from uniform pale areas to multi-field schemes with sharp breaks, where a more saturated and a lighter blue sit side by side.

The make-up of the package

Inside are Pale Blue, Intermediate Blue, Light Blue, USAF Light Blue, the faded Underside Blue, plus Aggressor Gray, Pinkish White and USAF Medium Gray. The five blue tones form the core of the palette, the two grays serve for transitions and for the lower surfaces, and the pinkish white for the lightest fields of a pattern.

Of those eight, two shades come only in this set. Anyone who wants to top up the palette with individual bottles can do so without trouble for the remaining six.

Recommendations for application

The blue tones have less covering power than the grays, so count on a higher number of coats or on a light base beneath them. Over a white primer the blue comes out more saturated and cleaner; over a gray one it reads muddier. Thin the paint gradually, because over-thinned acrylic runs into the engraved lines and draws an outline around them that is then hard to remove. Once the areas have dried, they benefit from a hint of a lighter tone toward the middle of the panels. The machine thereby stops reading as flat and gains depth without your having to reach for further aging techniques.