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RNAS Markings


leyreynolds

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I picked this up from The Aerodrome web site a few years ago. The contributor was Steve Lawson. 

 

On 26 June 1915 the Joint Services Committee ordered that aircraft should employ fuselage roundels. The RNAS used red ring devices, with either CDL or white centres up to 1 November 1915 when red, white and blue were stipulated. Wing roundels followed the same patterns. The RNAS added a blue central ring in similar fashion to French aircraft and aircraft sporting these markings remained active well into 1916. There was a gradual change to the RFC type roundel of outer blue, white and red until it predominated as all new aircraft would have been so marked at the factory.

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Prior to 1915 and adoption of roundels.

When they arrived in France RNAS wore nothing except the airframe number. Then they had the Union Flag marked underneath the wings and the fuselage sides. If there was no linen on the fuselage the Union Flag was painted on the rudder. Because of too many 'friendly' fire incidents by ground forces due to the crosses in the Union Flag being mistaken for the German cross the British looked at adopting roundels as were being used by the French but in reversed colour order. By this time the RNAS had already adopted a red ring marking and just added a dark blue centre.

When the red (centre)/white/blue roundel became standard the RFC had a 1 inch wide border to it on PC10 coloured aircraft but the RNAS roundels did not have this. The RFC painted the rudder stripes, equal width, blue (leading)/white/red. The RNAS did the same but also painted the elevators the same way.

The markings were always changing, it was fluid. There were many differences and inconsistencies. Thus one needs to check a subject by a photo

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  • 2 weeks later...

Some other reference sources

    

articles on RNAS markings & camouflage                         No's. 61-63       AVIATION HISTORY COLOURING BOOK series

history of aircraft identity markings pt1                             AUG 05             SCALE AVIATION MODELLER INTERNATIONAL

history of aircraft identity markings pt2                             SEP 05              SCALE AVIATION MODELLER INTERNATIONAL

admiralty red ring marking article                                      JAN 80              SCALE AIRCRAFT MODELLING

WW1 RNAS camouflage and markings notes p35             BOOK                AIRCRAFT CAMOUFLAGE AND MARKINGS 1907-54

 

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 5/3/2021 at 1:40 AM, Black Knight said:

The RFC painted the rudder stripes, equal width, blue (leading)/white/red. The RNAS did the same but also painted the elevators the same way.

Tricolor elevator stripes (matching the rudder stripes) were a sign ofa  Beardmore-built aircraft, whether RFC (BE2Cs particularly) or RNAS (Pups, 2F1 Camels). I do not think other manufacturers perpetrated this non-standard affectation, at least, I have never encountered one. Just to be 'clear' (no pun intended), Beardmore's seemed to introduce this elevator striping after the introduction of PC10 upper surfaces, and not on earlier clear-doped production.

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17 minutes ago, alancmlaird said:

Tricolor elevator stripes (matching the rudder stripes) were a sign ofa  Beardmore-built aircraft, whether RFC (BE2Cs particularly) or RNAS (Pups, 2F1 Camels). I do not think other manufacturers perpetrated this non-standard affectation, at least, I have never encountered one. Just to be 'clear' (no pun intended), Beardmore's seemed to introduce this elevator striping after the introduction of PC10 upper surfaces, and not on earlier clear-doped production.

N6000, the RNAS  DH4 I just finished a model of had tricolour elevator stripes, and it was Westland built.

 

Paul.

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3 hours ago, Paul Thompson said:

N6000, the RNAS  DH4 I just finished a model of had tricolour elevator stripes, and it was Westland built.

 

Paul.

I knew someone would come up with the exceptions to my 'rule'! That's really interesting - I will be searching all my books and mags  for other occurences now. The converse might be true too - Beardmores without the elevator stripes. More research needed.

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