USAF A-37 Dragonfly in ADC Grey..?

[bluedot25]

Did the USAF operate any A-37s in overall ADC Grey..? 

Edited May 2, 2022 by bluedot25

[ST0RM]

I've only seen the US ones in the SEA scheme or the later overall Gunship Grey. Not ADC grey. 

[bluedot25]

Me too... but I never say never..!  I thought F-84Fs never wore ADC Grey either.... but turns out they did..!  Maybe someone knows of the exception on the A-37...

[Michael A.]

I seem to recall but cannot put my finger on it at this time, that some OA-37s were painted "Gunship Gray" at some point.  Perhaps it was an Air Force Reserve unit in the late 70s -early 80s-time frame.  

[Leon]

The only non-SEA painted USAF A-37B I know of is this one (caption says it's an OA-37B so probably after Vietnam).

 

[Cajun21]

On 6/10/2022 at 8:49 AM, Leon said:

The only non-SEA painted USAF A-37B I know of is this one (caption says it's an OA-37B so probably after Vietnam).

 

Appears to be a Edwards test a/c.

Cheers, 

Itch

[Da SWO]

On 6/10/2022 at 7:49 AM, Leon said:

The only non-SEA painted USAF A-37B I know of is this one (caption says it's an OA-37B so probably after Vietnam).

 

Test Pilot School had a couple.

[efd327]

Some A-37s from the from the 604th SOS, 3rd TFW were painted in a pale blue and light gray scheme in Vietnam.  Squadron's A-37 in Action book has 5 photos of them plus a color side view.  In black and white photos it looks like ADC gray.  Print Scale decals has a sheet with the markings for one of the aircraft.  OA-37s that were operated out of Osan, South Korea were painted in overall gunship gray.  Microscale had a sheet with these markings.  As a side note a good friend of mine was able to fly the A-37 when he was in test pilot school at Edwards.  He said it surprisingly had a lot of power and it could do a double Immelmann with ease.  Near the end of their service lives they got some from Howard AFB, Panama to bolster the fleet at Edwards.  One was lost in August of 1994, NA-37B 70-1310, when it was being used to train a SAAB Gripen test pilot in spin recovery. Fuel did not transfer out of one of the tip tanks (there was no fuel level gauge in the tip tanks) which caused an unrecoverable spin. The A-37 was the last USAF aircraft that could be used for spin training, as it could be put into a spin with control inputs ( my friend had to go to England to get spin training in the Hawk and Hunter when he was working on spin recovery methods for the f-15E).  They were quickly retired at Edwards when one A-37 was found to have severe corrosion in the vertical tail. Sorry if that is to much info.

[trietmcam]

Must have been a one off color scheme did not lasted very long. Thre's no mention of which gray FS number. I guess ADC gray would be close.

 

[bluedot25]

On 6/21/2022 at 2:39 PM, efd327 said:

Some A-37s from the from the 604th SOS, 3rd TFW were painted in a pale blue and light gray scheme in Vietnam.  Squadron's A-37 in Action book has 5 photos of them plus a color side view.  In black and white photos it looks like ADC gray.  Print Scale decals has a sheet with the markings for one of the aircraft.  OA-37s that were operated out of Osan, South Korea were painted in overall gunship gray.  Microscale had a sheet with these markings.  As a side note a good friend of mine was able to fly the A-37 when he was in test pilot school at Edwards.  He said it surprisingly had a lot of power and it could do a double Immelmann with ease.  Near the end of their service lives they got some from Howard AFB, Panama to bolster the fleet at Edwards.  One was lost in August of 1994, NA-37B 70-1310, when it was being used to train a SAAB Gripen test pilot in spin recovery. Fuel did not transfer out of one of the tip tanks (there was no fuel level gauge in the tip tanks) which caused an unrecoverable spin. The A-37 was the last USAF aircraft that could be used for spin training, as it could be put into a spin with control inputs ( my friend had to go to England to get spin training in the Hawk and Hunter when he was working on spin recovery methods for the f-15E).  They were quickly retired at Edwards when one A-37 was found to have severe corrosion in the vertical tail. Sorry if that is to much info.

Not too much info at all... its always interesting to hear tid bits of aviation history...!