I had an idea of a dio with a Huey dropping troops in ´Nam. It could be maybe in 1/72 scale, to make a small quick scene. I would like to try to present signal smoke in the dio, the chopper blades would spread it around...
What smoke colours were used? Is there a strict guide what the different colours mean?
If the chopper is bringing reinforcements, what should the colour be? What if it´s a medic chopper?


Toni

I've heard of red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple smoke. As far as I know, there was no set assigned meaning for different colors except maybe right before an operation. This was to prevent the bad guys from finding out the color in use through radio intercepts, popping smoke themselves to spoof incoming choppers, and then suckering them into machine gun traps

100% correct, the signal smoke was only agreed prior to the operation or before the drop in order to avoid enemy for sucker the choppers into a trap.

How would you do the smoke thing, Toni, very interested to know.

By the way, who is this guy with the wicked gun? You?

He he. I will tell you...afterwards!
Ok ok. I thought I could try it out with multiple layers of cotton, some added feel of depth with airbrush...it means a lot of experimenting. Quoting myself, "clumsy effects can ruin a good diorama".




Yes.

Toni

Oh, and thanks for the input! It seems the smokes were used as I thought they would.

I believe there is white too. Iv'e got the Grenade Tm @ home. I'll check tonight.

HTH

Matt

...Violet

Oh, and don't pop white for the chopper pilots as they will avoid it due to the similarities with CS gas.

Thanks,
Kevin Keefe
Mortars in Miniature

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.....
Colors don't seem to be in there
(FM 23-30)

Matt

The "purple" BlueBear lists is actually violet likes Kevin says.

In peacetime, red is the color used to call in real world MEDEVAC. Wartime color would be based on the operations order for that mission.

When red is used in training, it is to identify a real emergency that requires medical attention.

Yellow in training usually represents use of chemical weapons against friendly troops to train them in donning their chemical suits and protective masks and take necessary steps to identify the chemical agent and begin decomtamination procedures.

White is used to mask movement by creating smokescreens.

I don't recall ever seeing blue smoke grenades, but I do know there is green smoke.

Yellow or violet followed by red for VN.