British tail bars

[Naharaht]

Does anyone know when and why the vertical tail bars on British planes were switched from (left to right) Blue, White, Red to Red, White, Blue, please?

[Baldrick62]

I'm away from the library so can't give you a reference, but I believe the change occurred in about 1930, to assist in differentiation between British and French aircraft.

[Naharaht]

That is what I am guessing, too. From pictures, it seems to have happened about 1928-1932.

[Baldrick62]

Still trying to track down an original reference however, from another forum:

'15 Aug.30 Notification that R.A.F. aircraft would have the order of rudder striping changed from blue, white and red from the rudder post to red, white and blue. Contractors notified that this would be effected from 29.Sep.30. Aircraft in service were to be re-painted with two coats of bright red and bright blue, on the existing blue and red stripes respectively, and finished with one coat of clear dope by 31 Oct. 30.'

[Rabbit 3]

Actually what happened was that from 1930 onwards the use of vertical bars was dropped from most RAF aircraft completely and didn`t reappear until after the outbreak of war in 1939.
Then some RAF Hurricanes in France had their rudders painted like French aircraft(with the reversed colours) as an IFF measure.
This then became official in 1940 but with the stripes being painted on the fin rather than the rudder.

[Baldrick62]

Actually what happened was that from 1930 onwards the use of vertical bars was dropped from most RAF aircraft completely and didn`t reappear until after the outbreak of war in 1939.
Then some RAF Hurricanes in France had their rudders painted like French aircraft(with the reversed colours) as an IFF measure.
This then became official in 1940 but with the stripes being painted on the fin rather than the rudder.

Actually, I think you'll find the decision to drop tail flashes didn't occur until 1934 which was then amended, as you've said, when the BAFF needed to cooperate with the Armee de l'Air in 1939-40. I assume the 1934 edict came after the camouflage trials conducted in 1933.

'In 1930, the red-white-blue order was promulgated, but the stripes were dropped in 1934.' [‘Aircraft Camouflage and Markings 1907-54’ Bruce Robertson, Harleyford, 1956]

AMO A.154/39 (27 April 1939) ‘Identification Markings on Aircraft of Operational Commandsand Marking of Unit Equipment ’ makes no mention of tail flashes.

DOR Minute (16 April 1940) - '... adopting striping on rudders as already carried out by some (BAFF) Air Component fighter units cannot be further tolerated, and this marking must be applied to the fin'. The Minute was apparently ignored by 67 Wing BEF.

AM Signal X.485 (1 May 1940) added the fin flash to the fins of all a/c.

AMO A.926/40 (12 December 1940) ‘Aircraft Colouring and Recognition Markings’ - ‘Fin markings.-Vertical red, white and blue stripes (with red stripe leading). These stripes are to be 8 in. wide and 27 in. high, forming a rectangle of 27 in. by 24 in. or an area conforming to this as nearly as the size and shape of fin permits. The marking is to he placed on the fin against the hinge post immediately above the tail plane.’

[Naharaht]

Thank you for your help, Robert and Baldrick.