"Flight" colours

[cmatthewbacon]

I've read in several places, relating to several different aircraft types and eras, things like "the propellor boss and wheel discs were painted in flight colours" or "The flight commander's aircraft had pennants flying from the struts in flight colours". Presumably this means that, within a squadron, "A" Flight's aircraft were marked with a different colour from "B" Flight and so on.

My question is: was there a standard set of colours (eg red, blue and yellow) used for this purpose? Was there a standard relationship between flight and colour (eg "A" = red). Or could each flight commander pick a colour he liked, and keep it for as long as he was flight commander?

Inquiring minds need to know...

bestest,

M.

[Robert Stuart]

At least a Wing-Commander

I'm not sure about the colours, but pennants were used to denote rank

I recall a story about an SE crashing after having it's tail-plane shot off - but still attached by the control cables.

The officer leading the rescue party remarked that he thought the pilot was at least a Wing Commander.

I haven't checked, but I think this was Cecil Lewis in 'Sagittarius Rising'

[Rowan Broadbent]

At least a Wing-Commander

I'm not sure about the colours, but pennants were used to denote rank

I recall a story about an SE crashing after having it's tail-plane shot off - but still attached by the control cables.

The officer leading the rescue party remarked that he thought the pilot was at least a Wing Commander.

I haven't checked, but I think this was Cecil Lewis in 'Sagittarius Rising'

I think that might be unlikely as the rank of Wing Commander was very much post WWI. I think I am correct in saying that Army ranks were still used following the formation of the RAF on 1st April 1918 until the current RAF ranks were established in August 1919.

Pennants in the RFC were not standardised in any way, as far as I can discover but were usually only worn by flight commanders, either attached to the rudder or interplane struts. Colours were not standardised, neither was the material - indeed certain ladies undergarments were used in at least one or two instances!!

As to the original query, there was not the standardisation of Flight colours that later became established post-war. Some squadrons used red for A flight, blue for B flight and white for C flight but others assigned the flight colours differently. The RNAS also used Black on occasion (ref Collishaw's "Black Flight" of 10 Sqn RNAS). In the RFC, 56 squadron's "B" flight used blue and white quartered wheel discs intermittently from their re-equipment with SE5s until the end of the war.

Flight colours, when worn (and that was by no means always the case) were usually applied to the wheel discs and occasionally to other areas - 56 squadron used different coloured "dumbell" markings during August 1918, for instance. Other squadrons - particularly in the RNAS, used coloured cowlings - the colour often being extended to other nose areas. More generally, the three component flights of a squadron, A,B and C were differentiated by the individual aircraft letter or number applied in white to the fuselage sides and often repeated above one wing in white and below the opposite wing in black - or occasionally in blue. The individual letters A,B,C,D,E and F usually denoted "A" flight - with the flight commander wearing "A". "B" flight used either the next section of the alphabet, F,G,H,I,J and K or numbers 1-6 (Flt Cmdr wearing "1"). It is also possible to see the other letters of the alphabet in use - L,M,N,O P Q R S T. "C" flight often worked backwards from the other end of the alphabet: Z,Y,X,W,V &U - "Z" being the flight commander's letter.

For a period each squadron was given a specific marking, such as a white circle, white bar or bars, Triangles, squares and dumbells - 87 squadron wore a white "S" on its side on their Sopwith Dolphins. During the German offensive of March 1918 these markings were changed to confuse the enemy and abolished completely shortly afterwards in most squadrons - it seems that some continued to wear them until the end of the war - 4SQN of the Australian Flying corps and the previously-mentioned 87 Sqn being two examples.

It is a complex area, as you can see and it is worth consulting references - particularly the various Albatros Publications - before deciding on a particular set of markings for your model. Of course a certain decal manufacturer has done most of the work for you for a number of RFC/RNAS/RAF aircraft.....

Edited April 23, 2010 by Rowan Broadbent

[cmatthewbacon]

As to the original query, there was not the standardisation of Flight colours that later became established post-war. Some squadrons used red for A flight, blue for B flight and white for C flight but others assigned the flight colours differently.

That’s brilliant Rowan, thanks - very detailed and helpful. Since the original reason for my question was the flight colours on the new Revell Fury, is there any chance you could expand a little on the “Standardisation of flight colours that later became established post war”? I’ve struggled to find the info on that!

bestest,

M.

[Rowan Broadbent]

That’s brilliant Rowan, thanks - very detailed and helpful. Since the original reason for my question was the flight colours on the new Revell Fury, is there any chance you could expand a little on the “Standardisation of flight colours that later became established post war”? I’ve struggled to find the info on that!

bestest,

M.

Well the between the wars period is little murkier for me than WWI but my understanding is that the flight colours were standardised as Red, Blue and Yellow for "A", "B" and "C" flights respectively. For the Fury Squadrons (and Gauntlets, as far as I can tell) I believe that the flight commander's aircraft generally had the flight colours on the fin, spinner and wheel discs, the rest of the flight had no colour on the fin. In some instances the flight colour also extended to the upper fuselage for the flight commander.

I'd recommend the Mushroom Models book on the Fury and Nimrod - some very nice info on there from Alex Crawford.

[cmatthewbacon]

Everything comes to he who waits! I found an article in the Journal of the RAF Historical Society, which is available for downloading here, about "Pre-War Squadron markings", which says:

"As an interim measure, the Air Ministry published a Weekly Order (AMWO 895 of 18 December 1924) which formally sanctioned the use of red, yellow and blue, for A, B and C Flights respectively..."

These colours were originally proposed (as a change from the former red, white and blue) by Air Cdr Charles Samson (AOC 6 Group) after the summer exercises of 1924, and endorsed by HQ Inland Area, Air Cdre Webb-Bowen.

So, now we know!

bestest,

M.