ESzczesniak Posted September 23, 2022 Share Posted September 23, 2022 Does anyone have reference photos, or able to provider information, for the color of the engine compartment on SH-60's? I am having a hard time finding photos from a high enough angle to see the walls of the compartment and not just the engine. Best I can judge is a zinc-chromate primer, but I'm only pulling this off the edges of the doors in pictures and not feeling very confident. Thank you for any help! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fasteagle12 Posted September 25, 2022 Share Posted September 25, 2022 I don't know first hand, and I'm not sure why, but I thought the engine bays were a gray, much like the interior cockpit color of modern US jets. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hawkwrench Posted September 26, 2022 Share Posted September 26, 2022 (edited) Nope, the engine bay walls are an aluminum color. No chromate anywhere. Tim Edited September 26, 2022 by hawkwrench Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Glynn Jacobs Posted September 26, 2022 Share Posted September 26, 2022 1 hour ago, hawkwrench said: Nope, the engine bay walls are an aluminum color. No chromate anywhere. Tim Hmm.....looking at the fuselage color leads me to believe this is an Army Black Hawk, not a Navy SH-60. That being said, I can't see why an aircraft that would be exposed to salty sea air WOULDN'T have some kind of protective coating on those parts. WARDOG Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hawkwrench Posted September 26, 2022 Share Posted September 26, 2022 (edited) The type A/C shouldn't matter. I could be dead wrong, but all the engine compartments I've worked on were all the aluminum color. So I would think the Navy birds are no different. Tim Edited September 26, 2022 by hawkwrench Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fasteagle12 Posted September 26, 2022 Share Posted September 26, 2022 (edited) For corrosion protection all bare (not painted) aluminum components are anodized. Anodized aluminum has either a nickel acetate seal which is a light to mid gray color or a chromate seal which is a yellowish/gold color. From the photo it appears to be the former. I would think that all versions of the S-60 would have similar internal components. Edited September 26, 2022 by fasteagle12 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ESzczesniak Posted September 26, 2022 Author Share Posted September 26, 2022 After continued searching, I may have found some help in this build log from Flory models… https://www.florymodels.org/kitty-hawk-135-sh60b Under the finished photos and YouTube video are a series of in progress photos. Mixed in, about 1/3 of the way through, are a few photos that look to be 1:1 reference photos. An example… Here it appears to be a very dark gray, effectively black. In a couple photos it might have a slight metallic sheen. But…this may be a coast guard aircraft. This image looks more white than gray surrounding the open panel, and the air intake/transmission cover appears to be black… Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ESzczesniak Posted September 26, 2022 Author Share Posted September 26, 2022 Combined with the above replies, it seems less than clear. Dark gray, a metallic gray of anodized aluminum, or possible a chromate primer over aluminum. Perhaps the dark gray in the pictures I found is a weathered and darkened version of anodized aluminum. Or perhaps different t services don’t have the same coloring. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fasteagle12 Posted September 26, 2022 Share Posted September 26, 2022 Since photos can't get a definitive color, it would seem to be up to you to choose. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hawkwrench Posted September 26, 2022 Share Posted September 26, 2022 (edited) Huh, well wadda ya know. Aluminium colored firewalls. Who'd a thought! But then again, I did work on hawks for 8 years! Huh Tim Edited September 26, 2022 by hawkwrench Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tiger Tech Posted September 26, 2022 Share Posted September 26, 2022 5 hours ago, hawkwrench said: Nope, the engine bay walls are an aluminum color. No chromate anywhere. Tim Or could it even be titanium? I know the engine firewalls of the military helo I work on are made from this material. And then when we have to participate in a maritime environment, we coat the surface with a product called Bonderite which is similar in colour to Dk Dull Green or Bronze Green Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hawkwrench Posted September 26, 2022 Share Posted September 26, 2022 I know they are an aluminum COLOR, but I don't remember what kind of metal they are that withstands high heat. Tim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Winnie Posted September 26, 2022 Share Posted September 26, 2022 8 hours ago, hawkwrench said: I know they are an aluminum COLOR, but I don't remember what kind of metal they are that withstands high heat. Tim Titanium usually Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fasteagle12 Posted September 26, 2022 Share Posted September 26, 2022 Titanium is usually also anodized (tiodized) not so much for the traditional moisture corrosion prevention but to prevent galvanic corrosion. From my experience, It maintains the base color of the titanium which is still a grayish brownish color. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ziggyfoos Posted September 26, 2022 Share Posted September 26, 2022 Here's a USN example, rear wall here too looks (to me) to be a dark grey metallic. Also unlike the pics above of Army/USCG, for Navy the work platform interior is (usually) green/yellow, this specific one below including the front support edges, others like the second/third pics instead with black there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fasteagle12 Posted September 26, 2022 Share Posted September 26, 2022 Here's another photo of the open bay.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ESzczesniak Posted September 27, 2022 Author Share Posted September 27, 2022 Thank you all for the replies and further pictures! A medium to dark metallic gray seems pretty safe and defensible. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Winnie Posted October 19, 2022 Share Posted October 19, 2022 On 9/26/2022 at 3:24 PM, fasteagle12 said: Here's another photo of the open bay.. Thecolor of the rear bulkhead is dull metal, titanium likely since it is abutting the hot (VERY HOT) section of the engine. the work platform is cured fibreglass/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Romn60AE Posted November 27, 2022 Share Posted November 27, 2022 I was an Chief Aviation Electricians Mate on H-60B/F/H/R/S for 17 years and can tell you that all Navy H-60 engine bays are bare aluminum on the bottom and inboard side . The front is actually part of the intake and is part bare aluminum and part fiberglass. The aft part and the exaust itself are titanium, thats why the back part of the last pic poasted looks gray, Titanium is not coated on Naval aircraft as it forms an oxide on its surface that is tougher than any coating and gives it a dull aperance. The door is kevelar with a fiberglass honeycomb core. Hope that helps. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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