How did the ace "custom paint schemes" work for the French?

[Ryan H 0]

Hey all!

 

Just a question about how the custom paint schemes went for the French side (in real life). My most recent adventure finds me flying for Esc 3 in a Nieuport 16. After a few months of flying I'm up to 19 kills and I figgure I've earned myself a custom paint job (might as well look the part right?). I like to keep the realism going as much as possible and try to do things as they were done in real life; but that got me to thinking: I'm not sure how that worked back then. I know the Germans more or less would go to town on their craft in very bright colors, but that doesnt seem to be the French way. Did the French have more regulations on what was or was not allowed? Thanks for any feedback guys, like I said, just want to keep the realism going. I dont want to fly around a red Nieuport when such a thing would have never been allowed in real life!

[rabu 9]

19 confirmed kills? If you've reached ace status, you would have been able to paint your plane, maybe early one. The early planes had more leeway, like Esc N3 Guynemer's all blue N11, Esc N3 Bucquet's all red N11 and Esc N68 Navare's all red N11 and N16, and Esc N48 Turenne's tri colored N11. By the time they got to the Noop 17's the main difference was the logos used by each different Escadrille, the aces adding smaller identifying marks or names, in most cases, although Esc 67 Maurice Boyau's N17 with it's huge, fuselage length dragon/snake certainly stood out from the rest.

 

 

 

I would imagine that most wouldn't want to stand out from the rest that much, or were proud of the group logo, team effort ID.. it would have to take a pretty strong ego to think that you are invincible and taunt the enemy by shoving your identity in their face!

Shredward can probably add a lot more information to all of this.

Edited May 20, 2010 by rabu

[Ryan H 0]

Thanks for the info! Thats pretty much what I figgured was the case.

[Rickitycrate 10]

LOVE that skin Rabu!

[rabu 9]

LOVE that skin Rabu!

 

Thanks!

 

I hope Shredward can add some more to this subject, it's interesting. The British were really strict about allowing almost no "decorating" while the Italians seemed to have been more open.

[shredward 12]

Thanks!

 

I hope Shredward can add some more to this subject, it's interesting. The British were really strict about allowing almost no "decorating" while the Italians seemed to have been more open.

 

As Rabu noted, early on there were a few colourful individual schemes, later not so much. By the Noop 17 era, individual markings were mostly limited to the individual numbers, and perhaps a personal emblem. Later, even the emblems mostly disappeared. There were a few exceptions - for instance the beautiful spider web on a SPAD XIII - look for it in your skins folder.

Cheers,

shredward

[Velvet 1]

Check out the Winter issue of "Over the Front" the cover features a Nupe 16 painted like a cow. Flown by Paul Pavelka of Escadrille Americaine N.124.

[sandbagger 1]

As 'Shredward' said - Spad XIII of Esc 112, 1918, flown by Fernand Henri Chavannes.

[Barkhorn1x 14]

EXCELLENT skin. Look at the colors, the spider/web, the panel work. Really top notch.

[rabu 9]

As 'Shredward' said - Spad XIII of Esc 112, 1918, flown by Fernand Henri Chavannes.

 

Really nice work on that one, SB

[Flyby PC 23]

Thanks!

 

I hope Shredward can add some more to this subject, it's interesting. The British were really strict about allowing almost no "decorating" while the Italians seemed to have been more open.

 

 

The habit stuck. Until I saw this pic, I just assumed that camouflage markings were painted with a fair degree of licence, but it would seem this wasn't the case. Every one of these Mosquitos is painted exactly the same.

 

There's lots of speculation about the reasoning, but it would be good to get an authoritative answer why the RAF did this. RAF uniform corporate identity? You fight one of us you fight us all?

 

Perhaps it was just the German squadrons looked like an explosion in a paint factory, and the stuffy old Brits decided we're having none of that carry on here in Blighty!

 

Or the equally British "Just remember sonny Jim, it's not your aircraft. You've only signed for it, and RAF wants it back".

Edited May 22, 2010 by Flyby PC

[sandbagger 1]

Even during WW1, manufacturers of the same aircraft used their own versions of the 'official' basic camouflage. If you see enough Spad XIII's in OFF, for example, you'll see slightly different base schemes between manufacturers SPAD, Bleriot, Kellner and Bernard. During WW2 the camouflage of aircraft types were delivered according to the official scheme for that type or its operating role.

[rabu 9]

The habit stuck. Until I saw this pic, I just assumed that camouflage markings were painted with a fair degree of licence, but it would seem this wasn't the case. Every one of these Mosquitos is painted exactly the same.

 

There's lots of speculation about the reasoning, but it would be good to get an authoritative answer why the RAF did this. RAF uniform corporate identity? You fight one of us you fight us all?

 

Perhaps it was just the German squadrons looked like an explosion in a paint factory, and the stuffy old Brits decided we're having none of that carry on here in Blighty!

 

Or the equally British "Just remember sonny Jim, it's not your aircraft. You've only signed for it, and RAF wants it back".

 

Ho-ho.. good comments and probably true. What's interesting to me is that where it was allowed, like with the French, only a few aces really went over board with paint schemes that made them really stand out from the rest of their units, while the Germans, even the non aces seemed to do it a lot more. Does that mean the Germans were more egotistical.. braver.. were they just brainwashed into thinking they were invincible? Seems like it would be an interesting comparison based on written bios, etc., to see if there is any trend that can be seen.

[Hasse Wind 46]

Well, at least the French pilots wore quite colourful uniforms, depending on the branch of service they came from to join the air force. Blue, white, brown, red, and various combinations of different colours seem to have been common among them. Not at all as uniformly dressed as the British airmen.