AIRCRAFT COLOURS AND MARKINGS OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR ERA

Vickers FB.5 "Gun Bus"


The Vickers FB.5 was among the first aircraft designed to carry a machine gun aloft, and as such it was dubbed the 'Gun bus'. The first war flight was on Christmas Day 1914, when the pre-production FB.4 (later serialed 664) went aloft in search of an FF49 over the Thames Estuary. The first FB.5 to go to France was 1621 in February 1915. Eventually seven squadrons ( Nos. 2, 5, 7, 11, 16, 18 Sqn RFC and No.1(N)Sqn RNAS) were equipped with the Gun Bus, of which No.11 Sqn RFC, was the very first 'fighter squadron' to be equipped with a single type of armed aircraft.

The early FB5s were armed with Vickers machine guns before the Lewis gun was made the standard movable aerial gun. Early FB.5s had smaller, constant chord rudders which were replaced by the larger rounded one by mid 1915

Initially marked with just a serial on the rudder, a Union Jack was soon added to the rudder and below the bottom wings. The Union Jack was soon replaced by roundels and stripes added to the rudder. Roundels could also be seen on the nacelle side and/or the fin. Eventually they were also added to the top wing. Most FB.5s were in plain finish with CDL fabric and natural metal nacelle fairings. A few were given experimental camouflage schemes, the colours of which are unfortunately unknown.


 


Vickers FB5
Union Jack on bottom wing only
Late 1914 - early 1915

 


Vickers FB5
Roundels on bottom wing only
Early 1915


Vickers FB.5
Roundels on Top/Bottom wings
Mid 1915 on


Vickers FB5
No.5 Sqn RFC
Early 1915
Source: Datafile No.56

 


Vickers FB5 1623
-
No.5 Sqn RFC
April 1915
Source: Datafile No.56


Vickers FB5 1623
-
No.5 Sqn RFC
June 1915
Source: Datafile No.56



Vickers FB5 5074
Lt Gilbert Insall / AM H Donald
No.11 Sqn RFC
November 1915
Source: FMP VC Book research

 


Vickers FB5 1621
2/Lt Chidson / 2/Lt Sanders
No.16 Sqn RFC
February 1915
Source: Datafile No.56


Vickers FB.5 2883
-
No.18 Sqn RFC
August 1915
Source: Datafile No.56

 

 


Vickers FB.5 2345
-
No.18 Sqn RFC
Winter 1915/16
Source: Datafile No.56

Vickers FB5 863 (ex-1633)
-
No.1(N)Sqn RNAS
Spring 1915
Source: Datafile No.56

German Vickers FB.5