U.S. Navy Harpoon Missile Colour(s)?

[Jamie Cheslo]

Hi folks. Can anyone tell me what the proper colour(s) for the U.S. Navy Harpoon missile is? It is to go on an A-6E Intruder from the late 1980s, I guess. If it is white, is the warhead a different colour? Are there any other special markings to go on it?

TIA!

:blink:

[GGoheen]

Just white in most cases. However, some seem to have a radome tan (MM FS33613) color to the tip like on this A-4 Skyhawk.

Edited July 2, 2007 by GGoheen

[Jamie Cheslo]

Thanks! There also seems to be a black band around the body on the front half, as well as some stenciling.

Just what I needed.

:)

[David Walker]

I found this photo on another thread. Hope it helps some:

[Jamie Cheslo]

That's an excellent photo, David. Thanks! The nose/warhead? does indeed appear to be radome tan. And there looks to be three bands on the body. One in black and two in grey? I'll have to pick up some of that radome tan. Thanks for the help guys!

[Karl Sander]

I found this photo on another thread. Hope it helps some:

Of note, the brown band on the one in david's picture means live rocket motor (which you could probably deduce), the blue band up front means an inert warhead. No earth-shattering kaboom, in other words.

For a live weapon, you'd see the brown band for live motor and a yellow band instead of the blue for a real warhead.

Two blue stripes would be a CATM.

[Jamie Cheslo]

Of note, the brown band on the one in david's picture means live rocket motor (which you could probably deduce), the blue band up front means an inert warhead. No earth-shattering kaboom, in other words.

For a live weapon, you'd see the brown band for live motor and a yellow band instead of the blue for a real warhead.

Two blue stripes would be a CATM.

Okay, thanks Karl. What does the wider grey band in front of the blue band signify? Would it be there regardless?

[David Walker]

Here's a clearer shot of an A model:

[Karl Sander]

Okay, thanks Karl. What does the wider grey band in front of the blue band signify? Would it be there regardless?

:D

Honestly not sure. The yellow/brown/blue striping is pretty standard across different flavors of missiles - beyond that I'm not much of a Harpoon expert. I suspect it's part of the missile and would be there regardless in some flavor or another... perhaps some sort of radar altimeter designed to work regardless of the missile's attitude (hence the ring all the around it) - but that's a total stab in the dark.

[Jamie Cheslo]

David, Karl, thanks again. I definitely have enough to go on. I'll post some pics of the Intruder when it is done.

:)