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| BOS Insignia | Policy on use of insignia... bos.org.uk | Spa Provides Special Pricing for Military and Military Families -... pacificmedicalspa.com | Military Cooling Kits, military cooling vests, military cooling and... polarsoftice.com |
Military aircraft insignia are insignia applied to military aircraft to identify the nation or air force that the aircraft belongs to. Many insignia are in the form of a circular roundel or modified roundel; other shapes such as stars, crosses or triangles are also used. Insignia are often displayed on the sides of the fuselage and the upper and lower surfaces of the wings of an aircraft, although considerable variation can be found amongst different air arms. Insignia may also be displayed on the fin or rudder of an aircraft in addition to, or in place of the fuselage markings.   
[edit] History[edit] First World WarThe first use of national insignia on military aircraft was during the First World War by the French Aéronautique Militaire.[citation needed] The chosen design was the French national cockade, which consisted of a blue-white-red emblem mirroring the colours of the flag of France. In addition, the rudders of the aircraft were painted the same colours in vertical stripes. Similar national cockades were designed and adopted for use as aircraft roundels by the air forces of other countries, including the U.S. Army Air Service. The British Royal Flying Corps (RFC) abandoned their original painted Union Flags because they looked too much like the Eisernes Kreuz (Iron Cross) used on German aircraft. Instead, after the Naval Wing of the RFC used a red-rimmed white circle (resembling the roundel used to this day by Denmark) for a short period, British aircraft adopted roundels using the French colours in reverse, red-white-blue from centre to rim.[1] [edit] United StatesThe military aviation insignia of both the United States and Russia have had interesting "crossovers" early in the 20th century. The initial US Army Air Service insignia, used during the Pancho Villa punitive expedition just before World War I, used on the vertical tail and wings (as seen on early Curtiss biplane two-seat observation aircraft), was essentially the red star of the slightly later Soviet Union, without a red or white outline border. A tricolor roundel, similar to that used by Imperial Russia but in more evenly spaced proportions, was also adopted by the US Army Air Service in World War I air combat in Europe, because the then-recently adopted "star-in-circle" insignia could possibly be mistaken for a German or Austro-Hungarian Iron Cross insignia at some distance. The US roundel added a pair of white bars during World War II, becoming the famous "Stars and Bars" insignia; a red bar bisecting the white was added in 1947 when the United States Air Force became a separate service. [edit] United Kingdom and Commonwealth nations From 1923 onwards, a variant of the British roundel with the white ring omitted has been used on camouflaged aircraft. During the Second World War, the red inner circle of roundels on aircraft based in the Asia-Pacific region was painted white or light blue, so they would not be confused with the Hinomaru markings on Japanese aircraft (still used by the Japan Self-Defense Forces to this day). After the Second World War, the RAF roundel design was modified by Commonwealth air forces, with the central red disc replaced with a maple leaf (Royal Canadian Air Force), kangaroo (Royal Australian Air Force), kiwi (Royal New Zealand Air Force), and springbok (South African Air Force). [edit] Low-visibility insignia In recent decades, "low-visibility" insignia have increasingly been used on camouflaged aircraft. These have subdued, low-contrast colours (often shades of grey or black) or stencilled outlines, in order not to compromise the effectiveness of the camouflage. [edit] Fin flashes In addition to the insignia displayed on the wings and fuselage, a fin flash may also be displayed on the fin.[2] A fin flash often takes the form of vertical or slanted stripes in the same colours as the main insignia. Alternatively, a national flag may be used on the fin. [edit] Current insignia of national air forcesSee also: List of air forces
[edit] Former insignia of national air forces
[edit] See also[edit] References
[edit] External links |
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