AIRCRAFT COLOURS AND MARKINGS OF THE FIRST
WORLD WAR ERA
French Aircraft Finishes
Duirng the course of WWI the French used a variety of basic factory finishes
on their aircraft. These included: plain, yellow painted, aluminum and
camouflage.
Initially their aircraft were most often seen in a plain finish of CDL
overall with natural metal panels. Later, the metal was paitned to approximate
the appearance of the fabric, this resulted in an over yellow appearance.
During 1916, the use of Camouflage was begun with what was believed to
be a two-tone sprayed pattern of brown and green, However evidence now
points towards it actually being in at least four colours - light and
dark green, dark brown and a red-brown. This is based on original colour
photographs as well as written descriptions.
By summer 1917, aluminum dope was used to cover all surfaces on Nieuports
and some other types, SPADs remained in Yellow finish or the about to
be introduced four and five colour patterns.
By the end of 1917, two new types of camouflage had been introduced,
these were four and five colours in set patterns, and not the haphazard
variety of the erlier 1916 ones. Each company used templates to apply
their colours and it is possible to tell the company by the pattern used.
The inital four collour patterns used dark brown, beige, light and dark
green. Later black was added in the shape of a blob on the wing and tailplane.
These splotches are the easiest way to tell the manufacturer.
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