Colour Options
Every mast, positioner and tripod tube leaves the shop with a surface treatment on it. Which one is a configuration choice, and it changes corrosion life, abrasion resistance, electrical bonding and infrared signature — not only colour.
Finish
Ordering
The finish code is an order suffix. Append it to the part number of the item being finished — a part number ending FA03 is hardcoat anodised, one ending FT21 carries camouflage green chemical agent resistant coating. Applied to a top-level assembly number, the suffix sets the finish on every sub-component that receives one. Not every finish suits every part: anodising applies to aluminium, the plating options to steel and stainless hardware, and each coating system has its own substrate requirement. Confirm the combination at quotation.
No finish
Bare machined aluminium, supplied unprotected. Specified when the part is finished in your own facility, or when it sits inside a sealed assembly and is never exposed.
Anodising
Anodising converts the surface of the aluminium itself into a hard oxide layer, so nothing is added that can chip or peel. Type II is the commercial thickness and is the standard finish on aluminium tube; Type III is hard anodising, several times thicker, and is what a telescoping section needs where the seals run against it for years. Class 1 is undyed, Class 2 is dyed. Where a mast raises and lowers under load, the abrasion resistance of Type III is the reason for the choice, not the colour.
Chemical conversion coatings
A conversion coating grows a thin chemical film on aluminium that protects against corrosion and, unlike anodising, stays electrically conductive. That makes it the finish under a bonding strap, a connector flange or an earthing point — anywhere the assembly has to carry a bonding path as well as survive weather. It is used either as the final finish or as the pre-treatment under paint.
Plating and passivation
These apply to the steel and stainless parts in an assembly rather than to the aluminium tube: fasteners, pins, brackets, shafts and machined hardware. Where an aluminium mast meets a steel fitting, the two metals form a galvanic couple, and the plating on the steel side is what decides how long that joint survives in salt air.
Colour coatings
Four coating systems carry colour, and they are not interchangeable. Polyurethane enamel is the general-purpose low-gloss topcoat and gives the widest colour range. Powder coat is thicker and tougher against handling damage, and suits base tubes and fittings that get dropped and dragged. Paint to MIL-PRF-85285 is the qualified aerospace topcoat and is where the infrared-reflective options live. Chemical agent resistant coating (CARC, MIL-DTL-53039) is specified when the surface has to survive decontamination after chemical exposure; it is the most durable of the four and the least forgiving to touch up in the field. All three go over a conversion coating, never over bare aluminium.
| Code | Colour | Finish | System | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
FN00 | No finish appliedSupplied as machined. Specify only when the part will be finished elsewhere or is fully enclosed. | No finish | ||
FA01 | Clear anodiseThe standard commercial finish on aluminium tube. Hardens the surface against dust, grit and precipitation. | Anodising | MIL-A-8625, Type II, Class 1 | |
FA02 | Black anodiseThe economical colour option. Same level of protection as the clear commercial finish. | Anodising | MIL-A-8625, Type II, Class 2 | |
FA03 | HardcoatHard anodising, charcoal grey, undyed. Standard on pneumatic masts: increased durability and corrosion protection under extreme conditions, and a longer service life on sections that telescope. | Anodising | MIL-A-8625, Type III, Class 1 | |
FA04 | Hardcoat with PTFEHardcoat with a permanent PTFE lubricant impregnated in the oxide layer. Reduces seal wear and the need for routine maintenance. | Anodising | MIL-A-8625, Type III, Class 1 | |
FA05 | Black hardcoatHard anodising dyed black. Meets the salt fog requirement of MIL-STD-810 Method 509 for marine environments. | Anodising | MIL-A-8625, Type III, Class 2 | |
FA06 | Black hardcoat with PTFEBlack hardcoat with a permanent PTFE lubricant in the finish. Salt fog qualified to MIL-STD-810 Method 509. | Anodising | MIL-A-8625, Type III, Class 2 | |
FA07 | Bronze anodiseTwo-step anodise dyed bronze to sit alongside desert sand topcoats. Hardened surface, same protection as the clear commercial finish. | Anodising | MIL-A-8625, Type II, electrolytic colour | |
FA08 | Black anodise, electrolytic colourTwo-step process. Deeper, more stable black than a dyed Class 2 finish, at the same protection level. | Anodising | MIL-A-8625, Type II, electrolytic colour | |
FC01 | Chromate conversion, Class 1AThe thicker film: maximum corrosion protection, painted or unpainted, at a higher electrical resistance than Class 3. Not RoHS compliant. | Chemical conversion coatings | MIL-DTL-5541, Type I, Class 1A | |
FC02 | Chromate conversion, Class 3The thinner film: good corrosion protection at low electrical resistance, so it is the one to specify under a bonding path. RoHS, ELV and WEEE compliant. | Chemical conversion coatings | MIL-DTL-5541, Type II, Class 3 | |
FP01 | Cadmium plate, electrodepositedA good paint base that also raises corrosion resistance. Type II adds a supplementary chromate treatment. Used in harsh and aerospace environments. | Plating and passivation | SAE-QQ-P-416, Type II, Class 1, minimum 12.7 µm | |
FP02 | Black oxideA conversion coating for steel, stainless, copper and copper alloys, zinc, powdered metals and silver solder. Adds mild corrosion resistance and minimises light reflection with almost no dimensional buildup. | Plating and passivation | MIL-DTL-13924 | |
FP03 | Electroless nickelPlates a wide range of metals — aluminium, titanium, mild and stainless steels, hardened steel, copper, brass, zinc diecast — with a hard, wear-resistant surface that also improves resistance to galling. | Plating and passivation | 12.7 µm | |
FP04 | PassivateThe standard chemical passivation for stainless steel. Removes foreign metals and oils left by machining, raising corrosion resistance without changing dimensions or appearance. | Plating and passivation | ASTM A967 | |
FP05 | Black zincSacrificial zinc with a black passivate. The usual choice for exposed fasteners and brackets where a black finish is wanted. | Plating and passivation | ASTM B633, Type II, 5–15 µm, passivated to ASTM A967 | |
FP06 | Zinc without chromatePlain zinc with no chromate. Specified where hexavalent chromium is not permitted. | Plating and passivation | ASTM B633, ASTM A591 | |
FT01 | Desert TanThe standard arid-theatre tan. The most requested colour on masts and tripods that travel with sand-coloured vehicles. | Polyurethane enamel | AMS-STD-595 33446Flat | |
FT02 | Desert SandLighter and pinker than desert tan. The two are often ordered together so the mast matches the vehicle it rides on. | Polyurethane enamel | AMS-STD-595 30372Flat | |
FT03 | Camouflage GreenThe common temperate green. The default where the equipment works in vegetation rather than desert. | Polyurethane enamel | AMS-STD-595 34094Flat | |
FT04 | Untinted WhiteGloss white. Used where solar gain matters, and as the base coat when a customer colour is applied over it. | Polyurethane enamel | AMS-STD-595 17925Gloss | |
FT05 | BlackSemi-gloss black. The usual finish for hardware that must not draw the eye, and for surfaces inside an enclosure. | Polyurethane enamel | AMS-STD-595 27038Semi-gloss | |
FT06 | Dark SandstoneA deeper, warmer tan than desert tan. Reads darker in low light without moving to a green. | Polyurethane enamel | AMS-STD-595C 33510Flat | |
FT07 | Seafoam GreenThe palest of the greens. Chosen where a light interior colour is wanted rather than a camouflage tone. | Polyurethane enamel | AMS-STD-595 24533Semi-gloss | |
FT08 | Yellow-OliveThe European olive. Where a fleet is specified to RAL rather than to the AMS-STD-595 numbers. | Polyurethane enamel | RAL 6014Semi-gloss | |
FT09 | Yellow-Olive, infrared reflectiveMatches the visible colour of the standard yellow-olive while reflecting in the near infrared, so the surface does not read as a cold flat panel to a thermal or image-intensified sensor. | Polyurethane enamel | MIL-PRF-85285, Type II, Class H, RAL 6014-F9Semi-gloss | |
FT10 | Olive DrabA darker, browner olive than yellow-olive. The two are not interchangeable; check which the fleet standard names. | Polyurethane enamel | RAL 6022Semi-gloss | |
FT11 | BlackGeneral-purpose black in powder. Tougher against handling and transit damage than the enamel in the same colour. | Powder coat | Semi-gloss | |
FT12 | GreyGrey aluminium. Sits close to unpainted aluminium hardware, so a painted part does not stand out beside a bare one. | Powder coat | RAL 9007 | |
FT13 | Desert TanThe same desert tan as the enamel, applied as powder. Specified on base tubes and fittings that get dropped and dragged. | Powder coat | AMS-STD-595 33446Flat | |
FT14 | Textured BlackA coarse textured finish. Hides handling marks on base tubes and transit fittings better than a smooth coat. | Powder coat | ||
FT15 | Signal WhiteClean white for installations that are not camouflaged: fixed sites, masts on buildings, commercial work. | Powder coat | RAL 9003 | |
FT16 | Camouflage GreenThe same camouflage green as the enamel, in the qualified aerospace topcoat. Specified when the coating itself has to be qualified, not only the colour. | Paint to MIL-PRF-85285 | MIL-PRF-85285, Type I, Class H, AMS-STD-595 34094Flat | |
FT17 | Dark GreenA darker temperate green than camouflage green. Used where the equipment sits against tree line rather than open ground. | Paint to MIL-PRF-85285 | MIL-PRF-85285, Type I, Class H, AMS-STD-595 34052Flat | |
FT18 | NATO GreenThe British Standard NATO green. Named by the fleet standard rather than chosen by eye; confirm the standard before ordering. | Paint to MIL-PRF-85285 | BS 381C No. 285 | |
FT19 | Desert TanDesert tan as a decontaminable coating. The colour matches the enamel; the difference is that the surface survives chemical decontamination. | CARC | MIL-DTL-53039, AMS-STD-595 33446Flat | |
FT20 | Desert SandDesert sand as a decontaminable coating. Ordered alongside desert tan when a fleet uses both. | CARC | MIL-DTL-53039, AMS-STD-595 30372Flat | |
FT21 | Camouflage GreenCamouflage green as a decontaminable coating. The most commonly specified of the resistant coatings. | CARC | MIL-DTL-53039, AMS-STD-595 34094Flat | |
FT22 | BlackSemi-gloss black as a decontaminable coating. Note the gloss: the other resistant colours are flat. | CARC | MIL-DTL-53039, AMS-STD-595 27038Semi-gloss | |
FT23 | Earth YellowAn earth yellow between desert sand and camouflage green. No measured colour block is published for it. | CARC | MIL-DTL-53039, AMS-STD-595 33245 | |
FT24 | NATO GreenNATO green as a decontaminable coating, to the RAL designation rather than the British Standard. | CARC | MIL-DTL-53039, RAL 6031-F9Flat | |
FT25 | BlackFlat black as a decontaminable coating. Two numbers are authorised for it; either satisfies the specification. | CARC | MIL-DTL-53039, AMS-STD-595 37038 or 37030Flat |
About the Colour Blocks
The colour blocks below are a guide, not a colour match. They are reproduced from measured coatings, but shade varies with your display, ambient light and the substrate under the coating. Match against the standard designation — AMS-STD-595 or RAL number — never against a screen.
Standards
The current revision of each standard applies. Where MIL-DTL-64159 or MIL-DTL-53039 calls for aircraft black 37038, black 37030 is authorised in its place. RAL designations are assumed flat unless a gloss level is stated.