Photo by Airman First Class Jayden Ford, 22SEP2020.
In September 2020, C-130s were painted in ‘heritage’ colors to represent some of the first aircraft flown by the U.S. Air Force’s 41st and 61st Airlift Squadrons. The paint schemes included a camo tail, a pre-World War Two yellow tail, and a Cold War dayglo orange/red tail.
Photo by Airman First Class Jayden Ford, 22SEP2020.
The paint-job was handled by the 19th Maintenance Squadron on Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas.
Photo by Staff Sergeant Jeremy McGuffin, 08OCT2020.
On 08OCT2020, USAF and Arkansas National Guard C-130s showed off their new paint jobs, en masse.
Video report by Airman First Class Jayden Ford, explaining the history of the 41st and 61st Airlift Squadrons:
65th anniversary video by Master Sergeant Jason Armstrong:
Photo by Airman First Class Isaiah Miller, 08OCT2020.
USAF photo by Photo by Airman Joshua Maund, 04SEP2015.
Dayglo paint/oil is not only used to make things like vehicles stand-out, it’s also used to make defects in structural components stand-out. It’s a type of non-destructive inspection (NDI).
U.S. Army photo by Ervey Martinez, 18SEP2020.
The ‘penetrant’ paint/oil soaks into any cracks revealing the defects.
Magnetic particle inspection using a black-light.
USAF photo by Master Sergeant Cecilio Ricardo.
This Airman is using a blacklight to inspect a bolt.
The term dayglo originates from the name of a paint company whose primary customers were retail advertisers, but that changed with a big boost from the U.S. Department of War (established 1789-1947) during World War Two, a military supply contract which lasted through the undeclared Cold War (and beyond). Ironically during the Cold War decades, the company was not only getting business from the U.S. National Military Establishment (1947-1949) and U.S. Department of Defense (1949-present), but from the hippie-dippie peace movement by selling its neon paints to producers of peace posters and music industry advertising. In 1969 the company first known as Fluor-S-Art, then as Switzer Brothers (in honor of the founders), changed its name to Day-Glo Paint Corporation. In 1985, Day-Glo was sold to Nalco Chemical Company, and today it boasts of being the world’s largest producer of florescent colors.
C-130J: ONCE A RED COAT, NOW A BLUE ANGEL
ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON BEGINS EARLY, AGAIN,1ST WC-130J HURRICANE HUNTER LAUNCHED!
Pandemic Overflight: HERKS FOR HEROES
Bare Metal: C-130 PAINT PREP, OR THE EMPEROR GETS SOME NEW CLOTHES
Vehicle I-D: NORMANDY PAINTED C-130 HERCULES
Neon in Plastic:
BLACKLIGHT REVELL DEAL’S WHEELS
