RAF Roundels

[Foxbat]

This being the centenary of the RAF, I became curious as to the origin of the roundel used. Apparently, in the earliest days of the First World War, when the need was recognised to put something on aircraft in order that ground troops would recognise them (and therefore not mistakenly fire on planes from their own side), the Union Flag was painted on aircraft. But there was a problem. From a distance, the St George's Cross part of the flag could be mistaken for the German Cross painted on enemy aircraft. The roundel was adopted in order to display the colours and eliminate possibility of error. Sometimes a white edge was painted around the exterior of the roundel to make it stand out against dark camouflage. In later years, when nightfighters became a factor, the white part of the roundel was done away with and only the darker red and blue parts were used.

The French also used a roundel but with the colours reversed (blue centre instead of red).

So there you go.

 

[Danny McG]

And it goes very nice on the back of a fishtail parka

 

[The Ace]

The British merely reversed the existing French colours, while the Americans in Europe used a red middle ring with a white central disc (the white star - at first with a red central spot and red-and-white alternating bars on the rudder came post-war). British aircraft also followed the French practice of equal stripes of red, white and blue on the rudder - a practise still fairly common with the AASF in France in 1939-40.

In WW2, the white was eliminated from the upper-wing roundels of all aircraft (and most aircraft in Europe had a thin yellow ring around the fuselage roundel, along with a fin flash (red stripe leading) replacing the rudder striping, night bombers gradually lost their underwing roundels, while aircraft in the Pacific Theatre eliminated the red disc (to avoid confusion with the Hinomaru). A two-tone blue roundel was used in Asia in WW2.

All RAF fighters from 1942 in Europe had Sky spinners (apart from the Gloster Meteor jet - no spinner) and yellow wing leading edges.

 

[Foxbat]

Some handy pics I came across.

 

[The Ace]

Ta.

(Smacks wrist) I completely missed the sky rear fuselage band, despite having a Meteor and Mosquito FB VI within feet of me as I type.

 

[BigBadBob141]

I see the Mustang is sporting black & white invasion stripes.
These were painted just before D-Day in 1944 as an easy way for troops to identify allied aircraft.
Of all of the allied fighters the North American P51D Mustang is by far my favorite.
A truly outstanding plane!

 

[The Ace]

I see the Mustang is sporting black & white invasion stripes.
These were painted just before D-Day in 1944 as an easy way for troops to identify allied aircraft.
Of all of the allied fighters the North American P51D Mustang is by far my favorite.
A truly outstanding plane!

Built to a British order, and an, "Also-ran," until fitted with a British engine.

 

[BigBadBob141]

It was a Rolls-Royce Merlin built under license by Alison.
I think Ford were offered the license but weren't interested.

 

[HareBrain]

I stood not far behind a P51 when it was fired up a couple of years ago. Amazing.

I think Ford were offered the license but weren't interested.

I think 5L is a plenty big enough engine for a Ford Mustang. I don't think it needs 27.

 

[Foxbat]

It was a Rolls-Royce Merlin built under license by Alison.
I think Ford were offered the license but weren't interested.

Interestingly enough, Rolls Royce and the British Government were a bit slack when it came to engines. The famous MiG 15 used an engine based on a reverse engineered Rolls Royce Nene. When it looked like the deal to buy some and copy them might happen, Stalin said to his air minister 'what fool will sell us his secrets?'.

A British fool, obviously

 

[BigBadBob141]

The MIG 15's engine was based on a Rolls-Royce Goblin jet engine used in the Meteor & Vampire.
The details of which were very foolishly sold to the. Russians by an extremely naive Labour Goverment.
So during the Korian War the fact that American F86 Saberjets had to face said MIGs was all our faulty!