AIRCRAFT COLOURS AND MARKINGS OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR ERA

94th Aero Sqn. USAS


More familiarily known as the "Hat-in-the-Ring" squadron, the 94th AS was one of those initially equipped with the Nieuport 28, an aircraft which over the years has developed a reputation as a 'bad' aircraft. Both Rickenbacker and Meissner had the misfortune to suffer upper wing fabric loss - however this wasn't due to any design fault, rather a sub-contractor decided they knew better than Nieuport and attached the fabric in a sub-standard manner. But the damage was done, and the 94th re-equipped with SPADs during July 1918.

The unit marking was 'Uncle Sam's Hat' being thrown into a ring .. signifying the US entry into the war. Later red/white diagonal stripes were added to the wings. This can be seen on Wentworth's Nieuport 28. Flight markings were cowls in white, red or blue. Their SPADs continued these markings. Postwar the pilots decided to try and outdo one another by painting their SPADs up in gaudy schemes. The resulting finishes led to their aircraft being dubbed "the Showbirds".

My thanks to Greg VanWyngarden for the loan of photos clearing up details of the Showbirds. OTF 6/2 contains an article on the markings worn by the 94th's Nieuport 28s.


 

 

94th Aero Sqn Markings

 


Nieuport 28 N6164
1/Lt Douglas Campbell
April 1918
Source: OTF 6/2

Nieuport 28 N6168
1/Lt John Wentworth
April-June 1918
Source: OTF 6/2


Nieuport 28 N6144
1/Lt James Meissner
May 1918
Source: OTF 6/2

 


Nieuport 28 N6144
1/Lt James Meissner
May 1918
Source: OTF 6/2

Nieuport 28 N6193
2/Lt Philip W Davis
May 1918
Source: OTF 6/2


Nieuport 28 N6189
Capt Kenneth Marr
May 1918
Source: OTF 6/2



Nieuport 28 N6153
Capt James Hall
May 1918
Source: OTF 6/2

Nieuport 28 N6169
Major John Huffer
May 1918
Source: OTF 6/2


Nieuport 28 N6149
-
May 1918
Source: OTF 6/2



Nieuport 28 N6159
1/Lt Edward Rickenbacker
May 1918
Source: OTF 6/2

Nieuport 28 N6180
1/Lt M Edwin Green
-
Source: OTF 6/2


Nieuport 28 N6179
1/Lt Reed M Chambers
-
Source: OTF 6/2



Nieuport 28 N6154
1/Lt Oscar J Gude
-
Source: OTF 6/2

Nieuport 28 N6181
1/Lt William F Loomis
-
Source: OTF 6/2


Nieuport 28 N6283
1/Lt Walter W Smyth
June 1918
Source: OTF 6/2

 


SPAD XIII S.4523
Captain Edward Rickenbacker
-
Source: Aircam SPAD VII-XIII

SPAD XIII S.15034
Lt Hamilton Coolidge
September / October 1918
Source: via GVW


SPAD XIII S.4505
Lt Alan Nutt

Source: via Mike O'Neal



SPAD XIII S.7777
Captain Cedric E Fauntleroy
October 1918
Source: via GVW

SPAD XIII S.7777
Captain Cedric E Fauntleroy
Postwar
Source: via GVW


SPAD XIII S.16546
Captain Reed Chambers
Spring 1919
Source: C&C(INT) 29/1



SPAD XIII
Lt Dudley Outcault
Spring 1919
Source: C&C(INT) 29/1


SPAD XIII
Lt Samuel Kaye
Spring 1919
Source: C&C(INT) 29/1


SPAD XIII
Lt Ben Jones
Spring 1919
Source: C&C(INT) 29/1



SPAD XIII
Lt Leo Dawson
Spring 1919
Source: C&C(INT) 29/1

SPAD XIII
Lt Robert Donaldson
Spring 1919
Source: GVW Photos


SPAD XIII
Lt John Jeffers
Spring 1919
Source: C&C(INT) 29/1

 


SPAD XIII
Lt Weir Cook
Spring 1919
Source: GVW Photos

SPAD XIII
Lt William Palmer
Spring 1919
Source: GVW Photos