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Egypt: Aircraft markings

Roundel
Fin flash
History of Aircraft Markings

See also:

Egypt

Roundel

image by Željko Heimer

Red-white-black roundel.

Source: Album des Pavillons [pay00]

Željko Heimer, 21 July 2001

Fin flash

The national flag is painted on the fin.

Source: Album des Pavillons [pay00]

Željko Heimer, 21 July 2001

History of the Aircraft Markings

1932-1952

Al Quwwat Al Jawwiya Il Misriya was established in May 1932. Cochrane & Elliott (1998) reported the first marking (on the first machine) as Egyptian Army Air Force as a "waving" flag on the fuselage, square version of national flag on wing tips and vertical 2:2:3 green white green stripes on the rudder. See http://www.skytamer.com/roundels/egypt/01.htm. In the book the wing tips have 2 stars but the text is as shown in the website.

Same year - 1932 - a more conventional roundel was adopted - green-white-green with crescent and three stars inside. According to Cochrane & Elliott (1998) the crown on the outer ring was added in 1939. The previous rudder stripes became fin flash (see http://www.skytamer.com/roundels/egypt/02.htm (1922-1939) with a mistake since the crown shouldn't be there, and its replica in http://www.skytamer.com/roundels/egypt/03.htm (1939-1945)) Jane's 1945 show this roundel (with a crown) but a blank tail.

Photos show both possibilities even on the same type of plane: http://www.acig.org/artman/uploads/eb4.jpg with no tail stripes while http://www.acig.org/artman/uploads/eb3.jpg shows them. I figured out the the roundels are NOT mirrored as usual, but the same on both sides, crescent points to the right.

Cochrane & Elliott (1998) reported that in 1945, the crescent, stars and crown were removed from the roundel making it plain green-white-green as appear also on Air
Force ensign. See http://www.skytamer.com/roundels/egypt/04.htm, which also reports that in 1953 the crescent and stars were brought back into the roundel and a green-white-green fin flash was adopted.

Dov Gutterman, 15 June 2004

1952-1958

The only change with the revolution in 1952, was only to remove the crown and changing the tail insignia. Nevertheless, here is a Mig-15 with those marking http://www.acig.org/artman/uploads/suez006.jpg as well a photo of recovered ditched Mig-15 at http://www.acig.org/artman/uploads/suez016.jpg (this plane is now at Israel AF museum). See also http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_257.shtml.
Dov Gutterman, 15 June 2004

1958-1972

Forming the first UAR in 1958 brought to adoption on a new flag and new insignia, the black-white-red roundel charged with two green stars. The UAR flag was the fin flash (http://www.skytamer.com/roundels/egypt/06.htm). See http://www.acig.org/artman/uploads/eaf_mig-21pfm_6155.jpg and http://www.acig.org/artman/uploads/eaf_mig-21pfm_5072.jpg.
Dov Gutterman, 15 June 2004

1972-1984

Adopting a new flag in 1972 changed the markings by omitting the stars from the roundel (and, of course, changing the flag used as fin flash) . See http://www.skytamer.com/roundels/egypt/07.htm with a mistake (the flag is the 1984 flag).
Dov Gutterman, 15 June 2004

1984-

Changing the hawk into the Saladin eagle in 1984 brought the same change in the fin flash. This time http://www.skytamer.com/roundels/egypt/08.htm is correct.
Dov Gutterman, 15 June 2004