Paint Set 5005: U.S. Air Force – Vietnam War

In 1966, under Technical Order TO 1-1-4, the United States Air Force introduced a new camouflage scheme for TAC (Tactical Air Command) aircraft operating in SEA (Southeast Asia). This paint scheme later became known as TAC SEA — named after the command and the combat region.

U.S. Tactical Aircraft Camouflage in Vietnam

The upper surfaces of the aircraft were painted in FS 34079 Forest Green, FS 34102 Medium Green, and FS 30219 Dark Tan; the lower surfaces were painted FS 36622 Camouflage Gray, or FS 17038 Black for night missions. By the late 1970s, the lower surfaces were also painted in camouflage colors — the so-called wraparound scheme, which eliminated light undersides for full-body camouflage.

The camouflage was designed to match the conditions of South Vietnam: dense jungles, hilly terrain, and red soil. Aircraft wearing this scheme included the Douglas A-1 Skyraider, Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, Convair F-102 Delta Dagger, General Dynamics F-111, LTV A-7 Corsair II, McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, McDonnell F-101 Voodoo, North American F-100 Super Sabre, Northrop F-5, Republic F-105 Thunderchief, among others. These aircraft carried out strikes on rear-area targets, close air support, attack missions, and evacuations. The camouflage was heavily employed during Operation Rolling Thunder (1965–1968), a large-scale air campaign against North Vietnam where U.S. aircraft operated at low altitudes under intense anti-aircraft fire.

Post-War and International Use

The TAC SEA camouflage scheme remained in use until the early 1990s, making it one of the longest-serving schemes in U.S. Air Force history. Thanks to its effectiveness, it was also applied to aircraft exported by the U.S. to countries like Brazil, Greece, Turkey, Iran, South Korea, and others, where it served as the basis for local camouflage adaptations.

About the Paint Set

This paint set allows for the precise recreation of the camouflage used on U.S. tactical aircraft during the Vietnam War. It includes all the colors that met the TO 1-1-4 standard and were used in both the basic TAC SEA scheme and the later wraparound variation.

Set Contents:

• 597 FS 34079 Forest Green – upper aircraft surfaces.
• 598 FS 34102 Medium Green – upper aircraft surfaces.
• 599 FS 30219 Dark Tan – upper aircraft surfaces.
• 596 FS 36622 Camouflage Gray – lower aircraft surfaces.
• 595 FS 17038 Black – lower aircraft surfaces for night missions; also used for radomes and cockpits.
• 527 ANA 611 Interior Green – aircraft interiors (until the 1960s).

Collection:

• Modern U.S. Air Force Aviation
• Modern Hellenic Air Force Aviation
• Modern Brazilian Air Force Aviation

Recommended for:

• Cessna A-37 Dragonfly
• Convair F-102 Delta Dagger
• Douglas A-1 Skyraider
• General Dynamics F-111
• LTV A-7 Corsair II
• McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II
• McDonnell F-101 Voodoo
• North American F-100 Super Sabre
• Northrop F-5
• Republic F-105 Thunderchief and others

Paint Type:

• Acrylic A5005
• Enamel E5005

Finish:

• Semi-gloss

Volume:

• 6 x 0.33 fl oz (10 ml)