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Portuguese aircraft fuselage markings

Last modified: 2005-08-26 by antonio martins
Keywords: cross: christ knights | fin flash | roundel |
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Fin flash

[FAP fin flash]
image by António Martins, 06 Jul 1998

Fin flash of Força Aérea Portuguesa is as the general layout of the national flag without the coat of arms.
Dov Gutterman, 13 Oct 1999

The current fin flash was adopted in 1952.
Dov Gutterman, 22 Jun 2004

Passenger airliners has it also painted on the fuselage. The green part faces the nose, on both sides of the plane.
António Martins, 06 Jul 1998 and 23 Feb 2002

19XX-1952 version

[Portugal]
image by Vítor Luís and António Martins, 23 Sep 2004

It was later changed to national flag as fin flash (ex.: http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/9376/airacobra.htm).
Dov Gutterman, 22 Jun 2004

1916-19XX version

[Former fin flash]
image by Vítor Luís and António Martins, 07 Oct 2004

The 1916 marking included rudder insignia made of green-red stripes (1:1) charged with the arms (ex.: http://www.emfa.pt/galeria/Antigos/1921-1930/1924vickers-valparaiso-i/1924vickers-valparaiso-i-01z.jpg).
Dov Gutterman, 22 Jun 2004

1915-1916 version

[Former fin flash]
image by António Martins, 07 Oct 2004

[cos98] reports a vertical green-red-green marking as rudder stripes (see contemporary roundel). I could’t find any, and planes in the air museum from this era carry no markings or the 1916 markings.
Dov Gutterman, 22 Jun 2004


Regular roundel

[FAP roundel]
image by António Martins, 06 Jul 1998

The Portuguese Air Force roundel, based on the Order of Christ cross, widely used on portuguese ships since the 15th century.
António Martins, 06 Jul 1998

The Portuguese Air Force aircrafts show the cross sometimes a plain white roundel, other times with a green ring around it: See, at the FAP website, this plane with it, though