Markings on fighter aircraft

The paired letters are codes for the Squadron. The individual letter is for the aircraft within the squadron and the number/letter combo is the aircraft's serial number assigned by the service.

plumline

For example Douglas Bader's hurricane has the markings VY the insignia and the letter U also on the same side the marking  V66ll. thanks

I'm not sure where you got that from, but I believe this is incorrect. "VY" denotes 85 Sqn RAF, and IIRC, Douglas Bader didn't fly with 85. He did fly with 222 ("ZD") and commanded 242 ("LE") early in the war before changing over to Spitfires in 1941 when he took command of the Tangmere Wing.

Douglas Bader  did fly spitfire  #  p7966 with the markings  D insignia the letter B November 1940 according to Revell. My guess the D is for Douglas and the B is for Bader. What about the # p7966.

As Commander of the Tangmere Wing, he broke convention and had his initials "DB" applied to his personal aircraft. P7966 was the serial number for that particular aircraft (Spitfire MkIIa, from what I can find). When shot down later and captured, he was flying a MkVa also coded "DB", Serial W3185.

The November 1940 reference in Revell's instructions is a little doubtful as various sources indicate that P7966 was delivered in early (March?) 1941.

Never believe the guy making the decals. usually their research involves 5 minutes on the internet looking at pictures, or a quick trip to wikipedia. If they cant find what they want they make it up. ok so not all kits are like this, some are quite good, but yeah.

On occasion there were aircraft painted with special lettering for special pilots. E.G Johnnie Johnsons Spitfire had the numbering JE J, His initials.  Can someone confirm why this was?

Didnt other RAF Fighter wing commanders do the same thing later in the war?

Yep, I believe Robert Stanford Tuck flew a Spit coded RS-T at some point (1942?) when he commanded the Biggin Hill Wing.

In a variation to the theme, Alan C. Deere flew a Spitfire IX coded "AL" (You should know this one Scorp, he was (is?) a Kiwi.. )

There are many more. It was a Wing Commander's privilege to personalise his aircraft.

High soring German aces and commanders also had the option to choose their own tactical number they wanted.  For example, Bar and Priller always used the number "13"...

According to Acepilots . com the markings for the Hurricane are correct and the squadron # is 242. Now I'm no expert that's why I come to you guys.

I think you'll find that "VY" were the code letters for 85 Sqn throughout the War. Additionally, 85's Hurricanes carried a white octagon as a squadron insignia.

Phil_H

Yep, I believe Robert Stanford Tuck flew a Spit coded RS-T at some point (1942?) when he commanded the Biggin Hill Wing.

In a variation to the theme, Alan C. Deere flew a Spitfire IX coded "AL" (You should know this one Scorp, he was (is?) a Kiwi.. )

There are many more. It was a Wing Commander's privilege to personalise his aircraft.

and Ian Gleed's IR G Spitfires...

USAF Korean War ace "Boots" Blesse had BB on his Vietnam F-4 but that was later taken off when the Air Force went to standardized tail codes across the service.

In the RAF, it was indeed ok for the Wing Commander (and ONLY the WingoCo) to use his own initials as the aircarft code letters..

Scorpiomikey

Never believe the guy making the decals. usually their research involves 5 minutes on the internet looking at pictures, or a quick trip to wikipedia. If they cant find what they want they make it up. ok so not all kits are like this, some are quite good, but yeah.

On occasion there were aircraft painted with special lettering for special pilots. E.G Johnnie Johnsons Spitfire had the numbering JE J, His initials.  Can someone confirm why this was?

 

 

To be fair to the kit makers, many of the errors in models and kits can be traced back to museum displays.

"To be fair to the kit makers, many of the errors in models and kits can be traced back to museum displays. "

True, that...  I recall my first trip APG way back in the 70s,and EVERY German Armored vehicle had a Afrika Korps Palm Tree painted on it...

And we cant discount many old warbirds either. Yeah the markings look cool,but until recent years many were not historically correct.

I always numbered my personal aircraft "229"...

So you are tell us you were a wing commander for what country.

Not a Geschwaderkommodore, a Field Marshal...I flew some unauthorized sorties in a 109 F2 over Kerch in the Crimea after Sevastopol fell in '42...bagged 3 Lagg's but "gave them" to my wingman...

Hans von Hammer

"To be fair to the kit makers, many of the errors in models and kits can be traced back to museum displays. "

True, that...  I recall my first trip APG way back in the 70s,and EVERY German Armored vehicle had a Afrika Korps Palm Tree painted on it...

bondoman

Hans von Hammer:

"To be fair to the kit makers, many of the errors in models and kits can be traced back to museum displays. "

True, that...  I recall my first trip APG way back in the 70s,and EVERY German Armored vehicle had a Afrika Korps Palm Tree painted on it...

 

Oh geez, the one time I went there, the jerrys were yellow housepaint, the brits were pink, the french were light blue and the US was sage green.  But all my shots are b/w. Hah!

lol. for many years, thanks to DC comics.. I thought all German Armor was purple or dark blue with red german crosses.. lol 

Scorpiomikey

On occasion there were aircraft painted with special lettering for special pilots. E.G Johnnie Johnsons Spitfire had the numbering JE J, His initials.  Can someone confirm why this was?