Red Arrows Smoke

[Paul87]

Hello

I have various model planes and am experimenting with smoke system on them. However i want coloured smoke. Just wondering how you get coloured smoke.

At the minute i use diesel (what the arrows use) and get thick clouds of smoke when injected into the exhaust.

But the arrows put something else in to get colours, does anyone know what i can mix with the diesel to produce coloured smoke?

Any help would be useful

Thanks

Paul

[sddsddean]

Found this on the red arrows website, but it doesn't actually say what the dye is. Perhaps you could try the 'contact us' at the top of the page. http://www.raf.mod.uk/reds/dyeteam.html

[nickmo]

Speak to these guys re model smoke kits - may have an answer: http://www.brudenell.clara.net/index.html

[Gandy]

adding these chemicals to a flame or source of heat produces different coloured smoke and flame

* Green - Boric Acid
* Red - Lithium Chloride
* Lilac - Potassium Chloride
* Purple - Potassium Nitrate aka "Saltpetre" (*Warning* Burns VERY hot)
* Blue - Copper Chloride

[Mikeyd2]

I'm sure I read or heard at an airshow that it was either a vegtable or food dye they injected into the diesel.

The ones above seem a bit ....dangerous!

[NORMANTHEDOG]

well my friend,believe it or not a very good friend of mine used to be a blue on the red arrows team and he was in charge of the smoke machines for 6 yrs,but i cant get hold of him at the moment,but as soon as i do i will ask him and post the answer for you,ok

[Paul87]

Oh thank you that be a great help.

Thanks

[LotusEater]

Don't the 'Red Arrows' use dyed paraffin or similar with an added colourant for their smoke effects? You can smell the fuel when they go over. Separate tanks for each colour - one for red, one for blue and neat fuel for the white effect? It's added to the jet outlet and immediately is vaporised on contact with the flame..

[Paul87]

Right I have had some contact of the Red Arrows, Relations Officer. He wouldn't tell me the name of the dye.

But he narrowed it down a bit more, he said it was a type of "Organic Vegatable Oil"

Anybody got any ideas?

Thanks