Colorful F-16

The original from the Air Force Website without the added spam...

The caption from the photo -

An F-16C Fighting Falcon from the Texas Air National Guard's 111th Fighter Squadron
flies with a special paint job in honor of the squadron’s 90th anniversary. All the
colors and markings have specific meanings, reflecting the unit’s nine-decade
history. The rudder is painted like a JN-4 Jenny, which the squadron flew in the
1920s. The schemes for the wings and flaps recall the paint schemes of the pre-World
War II era. The blue fuselage represents the Korean War, in which the squadron earned
credit for two air victories. The gray underside represents the jet age. The "N5 A"
was the insignia the squadron’s P-51 Mustangs sported during World War II, in which
the squadron claimed 44 air victories. Also representing World War II is the star on
the fuselage, while the star on the wing represents the pre-World War II era. "Ace in
the Hole" and the star on the tail replicate the markings of the squadron’s F-84s
during the Korean War. The ventral fin, partially obscured, reads "Est. 1917." Today
the 111th FS is part of the 147th Fighter Wing, based on Ellington Field in Houston.
(Photo courtesy of John Dibbs)

Tom

Cool! But the rudder stripes should be Blue-White-Red (Front to Back). I
can not connect the light blue fuselage with any aircraft operated in the
Korean War. It would seem to date from the 1930's when it was used on
P-6E's and P-26's among other types...
Jack G.

Jack G wrote:
Cool! But the rudder stripes should be Blue-White-Red (Front to Back). I
can not connect the light blue fuselage with any aircraft operated in the
Korean War. It would seem to date from the 1930's when it was used on
P-6E's and P-26's among other types...
Jack G.


You are right you can read about it on the Airforce site the jet
represents the Squadron from the date of its inception to today so the
tail is right for the timeperiod it represents. Each color and each
style from the first to today is on he jet I love it.

http://www.af.mil/photos/media_searc...G.x=0&btnG.y=0

No, the tail is not right for the post WW I time period.

United States Army aircraft had tail stripes standardized with the blue
stripe closest to the rudder post, followed by white in the center and red
at the trailing edge. In 1926 this was changed to a single blue stripe 1/3
of the rudder chord in width with 13 alternating red and white stripes (7
red, 6 white), as used on the flaps of the F-16.

The link to the Airforce site only shows the picture and a very short
description concerning the colors. After searching on the Airforce site I
couldn't find any description of the used colorscheme.
I tend to believe several other guys here who state the colors are wrong for
the rudder. It could have probably been a misinterpretation of black & white
pictures from that era in which red would have been mistaken for blue.
But still it remains quite a colorful plane. :-)

"Maple1" schreef in bericht
news:Cvq4j.84104$cD.16075@pd7urf2no...
Jack G wrote:
Cool! But the rudder stripes should be Blue-White-Red (Front to Back).
I can not connect the light blue fuselage with any aircraft operated in
the Korean War. It would seem to date from the 1930's when it was used
on P-6E's and P-26's among other types...
Jack G.


You are right you can read about it on the Airforce site the jet
represents the Squadron from the date of its inception to today so the
tail is right for the timeperiod it represents. Each color and each style
from the first to today is on he jet I love it.

http://www.af.mil/photos/media_searc...G.x=0&btnG.y=0

On Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:19:36 -0500, Tom wrote:

Before moving away (and "progress" killing our access to it) I used to
haunt Ellington often.

This bird ROCKS!

I have lots of pics taken at Ellington over the years but they are all
35MM as I never had a digital camera worth a flip. Still don't!

THANKS for this shot!!!!

PBJS

The original from the Air Force Website without the added spam...

The caption from the photo -

An F-16C Fighting Falcon from the Texas Air National Guard's 111th Fighter Squadron
flies with a special paint job in honor of the squadron’s 90th anniversary. All the
colors and markings have specific meanings, reflecting the unit’s nine-decade
history. The rudder is painted like a JN-4 Jenny, which the squadron flew in the
1920s. The schemes for the wings and flaps recall the paint schemes of the pre-World
War II era. The blue fuselage represents the Korean War, in which the squadron earned
credit for two air victories. The gray underside represents the jet age. The "N5 A"
was the insignia the squadron’s P-51 Mustangs sported during World War II, in which
the squadron claimed 44 air victories. Also representing World War II is the star on
the fuselage, while the star on the wing represents the pre-World War II era. "Ace in
the Hole" and the star on the tail replicate the markings of the squadron’s F-84s
during the Korean War. The ventral fin, partially obscured, reads "Est. 1917." Today
the 111th FS is part of the 147th Fighter Wing, based on Ellington Field in Houston.
(Photo courtesy of John Dibbs)

Tom