aircraft painting

Just a few questions about the practice of painting aircraft during WW1.

1) Was it only the German air force who did this, or did the British and French do it aswell?

2) Did German squadrons have their own colour schemes or was it up to the individual how he painted his aircraft?

3) Who started doing this first, and when and why?

4) Are there any sites anyone can suggest that show what some of these colour schemes were?

Thanks in advance.

Just a few questions about the practice of painting aircraft during WW1.

1) Was it only the German air force who did this, or did the British and French do it as well?

All nations painted thier aircraft. Most developed squadron insignia. There was preprinted fabric but in the main paint (dope - you will see it referred to) was used.

2) Did German squadrons have their own colour schemes or was it up to the individual how he painted his aircraft?

Many german pursuit squadrons had markings to identify them. I.E. - yellow noses, striped tails etc. Individuals were often allowed to then individualize on another part of the plane - often on the fuselage between the cockpit and the tail. Some squadrons though went with the factory finish with little or no embelishment - especially early in the war. The variation was enormous.

3) Who started doing this first, and when and why?

If you mean individually marking your plane ? Someone may have more details but I have seen photos from 1914 with small personal names or markings on aircraft. Seems like human nature - they all did it though the practice became more and more widespread as the war went along.

4) Are there any sites anyone can suggest that show what some of these colour schemes were?

A great one with TONS of color profiles of planes from all nations is Bob Pearsons page - http://members.nbci.com/Sopwith_5F1/ then go to the Profile page......you'll find plenty. Also the WW I modelers page http://www.wwi-models.org/Images/index.htm...tml contains hundreds of beautiful models filled with great color schemes. Just click on any modelers name and it will take you to the plane.

Thanks in advance.

I think his first question referred not to the practice of painting the aircraft (as noted, they all did, it was required to protect the fabric and therefore the structure) but that of personal markings.

The Germans were the most active in terms of personal markings, with many squadrons entirely overpainting the factory camouflage with colorful squadron markings, with each pilot further embellishing their aircraft with personal markings. If not overpainted, the standard camouflage (later war) was a printed fabric called lozenge, which consisted of randomly shaped polygons of various colors.

The British were pretty boring in this regard- personal markings were few and far between, while squadron markings were pretty much limited to simple white geometric shapes on the fuselage sides (with some repeated on the top wing, no?), otherwise the planes were PC10 khaki/drab topside with clear-doped linen undersides.

The French and American squadrons tended to use various standard camouflage schemes (most being 3-color) with fairly extensive squadron and personal markings.

That's a massively simplified answer, of course

Weggie:
The French introduced a green -brown camouflage on the upper surfaces and sky blue on the undersides and this was painted on the Nieuport XI and Nieuport XVI in early 1916. Later the Nieuport XVII was painted all over with aluminum dope, this was a form of sky camouflage. The French, in late 1917 developed the 5 color scheme of light green, dark green, biege, chocolate brown and black with pale yellow undersides. This was a very effective camouflage schem, the colored dopes included aluminum powder comprising 40% by weight. This made the colors reflective and matched the reflectance of plants, and it continued in use to the end of the war.
The RFC commenced using a terrain camouflage of PC10 which was a brownish color, (this will evoke a few threads) with clear doped under surfaces. This scheme was in use to the end of the war. On some aircraft the plywood fuselage surfaces were painted a light grey.
The German Fliegertruppe (Aviation Troops) prior to the war painted the entire aircraft a grey as were all other transport equipment. After the war began, The grey paint was eliminated and the aircraft were delivered in clear dope finishes. In early 1916 sky camouflage was introduced. Some manufacturers used clear doped fabric finishes with the plywood and metal parts painted to match ( Halb.D.II & D.III). Other painted the aircraft a pale sky blue (Rol. C.II and Ru. CI). In the fall of 1916 terrain camouflage of green and brown with sky blue undersides was introduced. Very shortly the 3 color scheme came into universal use of light green, dark green and reddish brown with clear doped or sky blue undersides. This camouflage scheme continue until May-June 1917 when the reddish brown was eliminated and replaced by lilac/mauve. (not purple).
In October 1916 linen fabric pre-printed in an irregular polygon pattern of 5 colors was introduced. It became available around June 1917 and first appeared on the Alb. D.V. In March 1918 the 4 color pattern became used on the Fok. D.VII.
All three of these schemes continued until the end of the war.
Unit markings started in late 1915 and personal markings at the same time. In early 1917 the German staffeln began more organized patterns. early marking were colored wheel covers, later colored bands on the fuselage, On the sky camouflaged Gotha G.IV machines of KG.III the initials of the a/c commander and the pilot were painted on the sides of the fuselages. With Jasta formations came in 1917 the riot of color, the black and white of Jasta B, black and white strips taiplanes of Jasta 6, black fuselages of Jasta 7, yellow noses of Jasta 10, the red of Jasta 11, green fuselages with yellow and black tailplanes of Jasta 28, pick a color and one of the Jastas used it in some form. Individual marking was some device painted on the fuselage near the cockpit.
The RFC / RAF used white geometric figures for squadron recognition, bars, dumb bells, discs, band(s) hexagons, triangles painted in white on the sides of the fuselage. Individual aircraft were identified with letters or numbers painted on the sides of the fuselage and the wings in white on the top surfaces and black on the under surfaces. Flight were identified with whell covers painted red, blue and yellow. The aircraft indentity letters would also identify the flight, generally were:
"A" Flight , A -F; "B" Flight , G - L; "C" Flight M - T. X, Y and Z were often by the C.O.
The French used animals, birds, and various devices for Escadrille insignia. Individual pilot's markings, were girl's names, symbols elaborate designs. Aircraft were numbered 1 - 18 on the wings and fuselage and were not as far as I know divided into flights. The American Air Service followed the French practice with the exception of the two British trained Camel Squadrons.
I hope this fills in a few questions.
Blue skies,
Dan-San Abbott