Anti-flash white

Some variants of the Xian H-6 had the underside of the fuselage painted anti-flash white.{{cite web|url=https://www.airvectors.net/avtu16_2.html|title=[2.0] Reconnaissance & Special-Mission Tu-16s / Xian H-6|website=www.airvector|date=11 October 2022|language=en, zh}}

File:Russian Air Force Tupolev Tu-22M3 Beltyukov.jpg with anti-flash white on the underside]]

Some nuclear bombers had the underside of the fuselage painted anti-flash white with the upper surfaces painted light silver-gray. This was true for the specially fitted, single Soviet Tu-95V bomber that test-deployed the most powerful bomb of any kind – the 50+ MT-rating Tsar Bomba on 30 October 1961 – as it had the anti-flash white on all its undersurfaces and sides.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEPzKckopmE |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211214/YEPzKckopmE |archive-date=2021-12-14 |url-status=live|title=RDS 202: Tsar Bomb, The Biggest Bomb Ever |work=Youtube| date=17 July 2009 |time=1:15 to 1:50 |accessdate=20 November 2015}}{{cbignore}}

File:Tupolev Tu-160 in 2008.jpg in all-over anti-flash white with pale fin flash]]

The Tupolev Tu-160 of the 1980s was the first series-built Soviet/Russian bomber aircraft to be painted anti-flash white all over, leading to its Beliy Lebed ("White Swan") Russian nickname.{{cite web|url=http://www.moscowtopnews.com/?area=postView&id=903|title='White swan' – Russian supersonic aircraft|work=Moscow Top News|year=2009|accessdate=19 July 2009|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090602035032/http://www.moscowtopnews.com/?area=postView&id=903|archivedate=2 June 2009}}

File:Buccaneer 62.jpg at the 1962 Farnborough Airshow in anti-flash white with pale roundels]]

Anti-flash white was used on the Royal Air Force V bombers force and the Royal Navy Blackburn Buccaneer when used in the nuclear strike role. Nuclear bombers were given – though not at first, until the problem was considered – salmon pink and baby blue roundels and fin flash rather than the traditional dark red, white and blue.

Anti-flash white was applied to several prototype aircraft, including the British Aircraft Corporation TSR-2. Paint used on the Avro Vulcan was manufactured by Cellon, and that on the Handley Page Victor by Titanine Ltd.{{Cite journal

|title=Titanine aircraft finishes are used on the Handley-Page Victor

|journal=Flight

|page=1

|date=1 January 1954

|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1954/1954%20-%200003.html

}}

File:US Navy E-6 Mercury.jpg airborne, painted in anti-flash white]]

{{infobox color

| title=Anti-flash white

| hex=F2F3F4

| source=ColorHexa{{cite web |title=Munsell / #f2f3f4 hex color |url=https://www.colorhexa.com/f2f3f4 |website=ColorHexa |access-date=2021-11-14}}}}

Many Strategic Air Command nuclear bombers carried anti-flash white without insignia on the underside of the fuselage with light silver-gray or natural metal (later light camouflage) on the upper surfaces.Lake International Air Power Review Spring 2003, p. 121.

United States Navy E-6 Mercury remain painted in anti-flash white, as of October 2023.

{{More citations needed section|date=March 2019}}

In addition to these military aircraft, Concorde was painted white to reduce the additional heating effect on the aluminium skin caused by the sun whilst the aircraft was flying at high altitudes, the skin temperature already being raised to over {{convert|90|C}} at Mach 2 by aerodynamic heating.

Aircraft with at least part of the fuselage painted anti-flash white on nuclear delivery variants:

{{CAN}}

• CF-105 Arrow prototypes

{{CHN}}

• Xian H-6

{{USSR}}/{{RUS}}

• Myasishchev M-4
• Tupolev Tu-16
• Tupolev Tu-95
• Tupolev Tu-22M
• Tupolev Tu-160

{{UK}}

• V bombers
• Avro Vulcan
• Handley Page Victor
• Vickers Valiant
• Blackburn Buccaneer
• English Electric Canberra (experimental){{cite book|title=Bomber Squadrons of the R.A.F. And Their Aircraft|page=98|author=Philip J. R. Moyes|publisher=MacDonald|year=1964}}
• BAC TSR-2 prototype
• Saunders-Roe SR.53 interceptor prototype

{{USA}}

• Convair B-36
• Boeing B-47 Stratojet
• Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
• North American A-5 Vigilante
• North American XB-70 Valkyrie prototype
• Rockwell B-1 Lancer prototype

• Royal Air Force roundels
• List of colors
• The House in the Middle – film that demonstrates the thermal flash protective effects of the related white wash paint

{{Commons category|Anti-flash white}}

• {{cite journal

|title=The V-Bombers – The Handley Page Victor – part 3

|last=Gunston |first=Bill

|authorlink=Bill Gunston

|journal=Aeroplane Monthly

|date=March 1981

}}

{{reflist}}

{{shades of white|Anti-flash white}}

Category:Explosion protection

Category:Shades of white