USAF Europe in Color 1948-1965

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USAF Europe in Color 1948-1965 (Fighting Colors series 6504)

By Robert Robinson

Publisher: Squadron/Signal Publications 1981 36 Pages

ISBN: 0897471326

PDF 13 MB

In early 1950, while assigned to Shaw AFB, the 20th flew F-84D air­craft in rather strange markings. They carried their squadron colors on the nose, extending aft to the canopy and under the fuselage to just behind the nose gear doors, while the fuselage top decking behind the canopy and including the fin fillet and a band encircling the extreme rear of the fuselage were in the same colors. The squadrons assigned at this time were the 55th, 77th, and 79th, and their colors assigned were Dark Blue, Red, and Yellow respectively.

In late 1951, the group transferred to Langley AFB, where they aquired F-84Bs to be used until brand new F-84G aircraft were ready. These Bs carried the same colors for each squadron, but simplicity was the order of the day, as the colors were displayed on the intake lip and just over the horizontal stabilizer, with the point of the pen­nant towards the trailing edge of the fin. Buzz numbers on the nose were the factory style, except for a few aircraft flown by Commanders of the group and squadrons. The 20th badge was painted on both sides of the fin, just above the serial.

During the spring of 1952, the F-84Gs were delivered and markings became much more elaborate, with the squadron colors remaining the same. Each squadron had a colored nose band from which a lightning flash extended aft to the rear of the wing's leading edge root, and many aircraft also had color bands painted around the ex­treme rear of the fuselage under the rudder. Buzz numbers were behind the fuselage star insignia, and some were shadowed with tho squadron color. The Group/Wing insignia was carried on both sides of the fin, just over the serial and some aircraft carried the squadron insignia on the nose stripe, just ahead of the cockpit. The tip tanks also carried lightning flash markings. The squadron colors were sometimes outlined in black.