That French Flag thingy

[Lasiorhinus]

So I've searched high and low but still cant find the answer...

Why do the RAAF planes all have a reversed French flag painted on them?

[Like This - Do That]

That's been there since Adam was ab initio The RFC & AFC both had red/white/blue (red forward) on the fin in WWI. Same in various forms for RAF/RNZAF/RCAF/RAAF. Although during WWII it was blue & white only, same as the roundels, in the Pacific.

The French had a similar pattern but blue/white/red, blue forward on the fin or rudder.

That probably doesn't answer your question ... not sure why it done in the first place.

[Keg]

It does strike me as a historical thing. Not all nations have them. The resource I'm looking at lists them for us, the Kiwis, the poms, (all the same flash by the way although the poms are also depicted on Vulcans (its an old resource) with a bi-colour fin marking of just red and blue and a roundel of just red and blue!); no flash at all for the yanks, singaporeans, Koreans or phillipin Air Forces; with the TNI and the Malaysians having them.

All that said, a lot of the piccies I've seen recently of ADF aircraft (try the Defence Gallery) don't have it. I'm looking at one now of an F111, an F/A18 and a Hawk and only the Hawk has it. F111 is totally subdued roundels and relatively plain SQN markings on tail, 2OCU Hornet has red, white blue roundel and flash on tail with 2OCU colours, Hawk has subdued roundel but coloured 76(?) SQN markings. The P3C is totally subdued markings and no flash on tail as is the Caribou and the C130J that I'm looking at. All the VIP aircraft have it though as does the P3B but it's role isn't maritime patrol so no need for subdued markings.

Anyway, I've asked some people I know if they know the reason why it exists (or existed in the past). If they get back to me, I'll get back to you now that it's piqued my interest!

:}

[Obiwan]

Hi all,
There's some interesting history on roundels etc on this website
http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/hrafround.html

It doesn't explain where flashes come from, although I saw a documentary (Discovery channel?) that stated roundels were based on the flashes, which came first.

[Lasiorhinus]

It makes sense that its something to do with national identification... Red, White and blue being colours of the flag... (of numerous nations). I'm sure the French having it in the opposite order aids clarity :rolleyes:

Ok, I'm asking the RAAF. I'll let you all know what I find out.

[Keg]

This is what I got from one of my sources. He can't remember where his source was from so may not be true.


My understanding of the need for fin markings in WW1 was due to the mainplanes of a bi-plane depending on the angle viewed from obscured rondel markings on the fuselage. Also depending on the angle the aircraft was viewed from the roundels on the upper and lower wing surfaces may not be clearly visible.

The fin markings were adoted as red white and blue vertical stripes by the allies. The sequencing of the colours indicated the nationality of the aricraft but the vertical stripes made for a quick recognition of an allied aircraft.

Another example of how trigger happy some troops were, when the USA joined in to the war they initially had a roundel of a red circle on a white star on a blue circle. Because of identification problems and confusion of the star with the German cross, the USA dropped the white star in favour of a white circle until the end of the conflict.
The USA also had the allies fin markings added pretty quickly after joining the conflict!



I've also checked with a couple of former RAAFies at work and none of them had any ideas either! :E

[NAMPS]

The answer may lie in the website Obiwan posted...

the Union Flag was retained in miniature between the circles and the wing tips. This miniaturised Union Flag was also painted on the rudder.

then...

The Union Flag on the rudder was replaced by red, white and blue stripes in May 1915 and in June of the same year, the Roundel, or 'Target' as it was now known, was painted on the top surface of the upper wings. The Union Flag on the aircraft was abolished altogether.

Perhaps the flashes as we know them today evolved from the red, white and blue stripes??