Last modified: 2004-07-31 by dov gutterman
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by Ferenc Gy. Valoczy, 2 July 2003
See also:
Aeronautica Militare Italiana was formed already in 1884 as
Servizio Aeronautico renamed Air Flotilla in 1911 and became the
first air force to operate planes in military use. Hopepage at
<www.aeronautica.difesa.it>.
According to [cos98], until 1914
it used the arms of Savoy on tail as its marking. [cos98] also report that in 1914 it
started to use roundels of (inside out) red-white-green (opposite
colors of today) with vertical rudder stripes of green-white red.
It also report that roundels were not alawys used and most planes
used only rudder stripes charged with the arms of Savoy. See also
<www.aeronautica.difesa.it/galVelSto4964-2.jpg>
and <www.aeronautica.difesa.it/galVelsto4936-2.jpg>
However, Insignia report that Between August 1914 and July 1915,
Aeronautica del Regio Esercito (as it called then) used official
national markings of the Black so-called 'circle and stripe'
(Black ring and black diagonal stripe) - see <www.insigniamag.com/ita18.html>.
[cos98] also reports that as the
Fascist took power in 1922, a roundel with the fasces (brown wood
and silver axe on blue disc) were added (1922 -
1940). See photos at <www.aeronautica.difesa.it/breda25.jpg>,
<www.aeronautica.difesa.it/galVelsto4910-2.jpg>,
<www.aeronautica.difesa.it/galVelSto4973-2.jpg>
and <www.aeronautica.difesa.it/galVelsto4924-2.jpg>.
[cos98] also reports that 1940 a
new black and white roundel of the fasces appeared (1940 - 1943) in two mirrored versions: black
fasces on white disc bordered by black ring or white fasces on
black disc bordered with white ring. A white cross was used as
rudder marking (usually charged with Savoy arms). See <www.aeronautica.difesa.it/galVelsto4925-2.jpg>,
<www.aeronautica.difesa.it/galVelSto4959-2.jpg
>.
Marc Pasquin reported here that "Off my memories, the
italian roundel identified as 1922-1940 was in use at the same
time as the one identified as 1940 - 1943 . The first one (single
on blue) on the nose and the second one on the wings."
Italy surrended in 1943. The south part, joining the allies,
adopted a new marking (appearntly, following Americans) with
green-white-red roundel with white bars bordered in red (1943), while the Italian Social Republic in the
north (1943-1945) adopted a sqare version of
the fasces accompaning with Italian flag on fusalage and tail.
[cos98] report that the bars were
droped in 1944 to create the known Italian
roundel, and in 1990, the white ring became thiner to create the
roundel as appear on top of the page. As appear from photos, the
1990 roundel applied only to combat planes (<www.airliners.net/597354>
) while non-combat planes continue to use the regular roundel
(<www.airliners.net/593886>
).
The "Marina Militare Italiana" (Naval air arm - formed
1912) use the same roundel (the regular - not the thin white
one). It also carry a white oval with black anchor as seen at
<www.airliners.net/589940>
and <www.scramble.nl/marina-main.htm>.
The "Cavalleria Dell'Aria" (Army aviation" -
formed 1951) use the same roundel (<www.scramble.nl/cav-main.htm>)
with ESERCITO inscription (See also <www.airliners.net/521449>
). So also do the Carabinieri (<www.scramble.nl/CC104.jpg>
and <www.aeronautica.difesa.it>)
, the Corpo Nazionale Dei Vigili Del Fuoco (Fire Fighters) (<www.scramble.nl/vf36.jpg>
and <www.airliners.net/589166>
) Corpo Forestale Dello Stato (Forest Keepers) (<www.scramble.nl/forestale-412.jpg>
and <www.airliners.net/502368>
) La Guardia Di Finanza (Customs) (<www.scramble.nl/gdf-ab412.jpg>
and <www.airliners.net/443913>
) and the police ( <www.scramble.nl/ps67.jpg>
and <www.airliners.net/283595>)
The Guardia Costiera (Coast Guard - formed 1982) uses the same
roundel with an anchor on white oval as done by the naval planes
(<www.scramble.nl/cos-ab412.jpg>),
however it seems that in some planes an anchor on white disc
replaced the roundel altogether (<www.airliners.net/596207>,
<www.airliners.net/576155>
and <www.airliners.net/596208>).
The Protezione Civile use national flag as fin flash (<www.scramble.nl/cl415pc.jpg>
and <www.airliners.net/560714>).
The roundel is also used to decorate the Jersey of Italian
football cup holder.
Dov Gutterman, 18 June 2004
Our national aircraft marking is also available in a low
visibility shade (this is the most common target for the Air
Force). Further, the roundel displays a thinner white ring, in
different proportion for the Air Force and the Navy, but this has
not substituted the marking shown on [pay00].
The Army for example is using this last.
Pier Paolo Lugli, 8 January 2001
by Ferenc Gy. Valoczy, 2 July 2003
Off my memories, the italian roundel identified as 1922-1940
was in use at the same time as the one identified as 1940 - 1943 . The first one (single on blue) on
the nose and the second one on the wings.
Marc Pasquin, 2 July 2003
See also: Kingdom of Italy (1848-1946)
by Ferenc Gy. Valoczy, 2 July 2003
See also: Kingdom of Italy (1848-1946)
by Ferenc Gy. Valoczy, 2 July 2003
See also: Kingdom of Italy (1848-1946)
by Ferenc Gy. Valoczy, 2 July 2003
See also: Italian Social Republic (1943)
by Ferenc Gy. Valoczy, 2 July 2003
