Reflectors

Bretto · Post by **Bretto** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 9:44 pm

Are any of the 5 reflectors amber or are they all red? All the pictures I seem to see, they all look red. I thought though that one time, I had seen the 2 side ones in amber.

Bretto · Post by **Bretto** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 10:08 pm

Did some back peddling and found my answer but I'll leave this up. M38 parts manual shows 5 ruby or optional red lenses.

Post by **wesk** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 11:05 pm

All red.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:05 am

I read somewhere that these reflectors would not
reflect light from above, say from flares, so that
enemy aircraft could not spot them. If so, that's
really enhancing security, and there should be
some marking as to which way is UP.

Jim in Darkest Arkansas

Post by **wesk** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 9:06 am

Think about what you just said. Reflect = bounce back light. This is usually a two way thing. For the reflector or, any mirror for that matter, to reflect light from above or below the flat face of the reflector must be pointed at the source of the light. That is to say if you want a light from the sky to reflect off your reflector back into the sky the reflector has to be pointed at the sky!

There's no magic in these reflectors. They are the same reflectors used during the same period on civilian vehicles.

alpino · Post by **alpino** » Sun Nov 06, 2011 1:40 pm

We taped up every M151 and HUMVEE reflector & headlight on operations. We also removed the windshields from the vehicles and put our goggles on the back of our helmets.

Intersting enough at war we did none of this, and all the reflective stuff reflects IR quite spectacularly

Post by **wesk** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 1:15 am

We had air superiority and Charlie was hard pressed for IR and any nite vision gear.

Believe this! We pasted 6 and 8 foot stripes of white 3" reflective tape on all our Black sided and black belly B-52 drop tanks, wing tips, gear door leading/trailing edges and the entry hatch steps from 1967 thru 1973 over there..

whydahdvr · Post by **whydahdvr** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 6:53 am

Same in Iraq 2009-10. But the Haji's had started getting NVG's too. Russian mostly but some Chinese manufacture.

alpino · Post by **alpino** » Wed Nov 09, 2011 9:25 am

Thanks for the info whydahdvr & wesk!

What was the reflective tape for wesk?

and I remain suprised haji took that long to get NVGs. We were always waiting in 2004-2005... with all the hi-tech IED stuff they had. I suppose they would burn them out or break them; in contrast to our/my Joes who despite the expression "Joe-proof" took excellent care of our NVGs.

Post by **wesk** » Wed Nov 09, 2011 11:31 am

So you didn't run into the aircraft with ground vehicles on the parking ramp which usually had very inadequate lighting.

http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/2391252/hr ... 9/name/n_a
In the lower left photo you can see a strip on the back edge pf the gear door.

http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/2391252/hr ... 8/name/n_a
In the top left photo you can see the first foot or so on the external fuel tank

http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/2391252/hr ... 5/name/n_a
Lower left photo shows the Buff parking ramp and revetments and the upper left photo gives you an idea of the length of the external fuel tank and the stripe of tape went to withing a foot of each end.