RAF Roundels 1939 - 1945

 

RAF roundel size and colour have changed many times since 1918. The 1939 to 1945 period was especially confusing with aircraft sporting standard patterns known as Type A, Type A1, Type B and Type C. The roundels shown below are those of the above types that I discovered so far, with dimensions supplied where known. Estimated figures are extrapolated from photographs.

Any confirmation of the data - or any amendments would be appreciated.

Note: The roundel types were not painted on aircraft as a set. After Type A there was a mixture of types painted on individual aircraft surfaces and some common patterns are illustrated by the aircraft examples at the bottom of the page. By May 1942, with the introduction of the Type C pattern, matters became more standardised - but aircraft retained Type B upper wing markings until April 1945.

Fin flashes are shown as viewed from the port side.

 

 By Roundel Type

Dimensions in YELLOW are approximate.

Type A

Roundel Diameter
Ratio 5:3:1

WING UPPER

{short description of image}

Type A  
Ratio 1:3:5

Blue 55"
White 33"
Red 11"

WING LOWER

{short description of image}

Type A   
Ratio 1:3:5
Blue 50" - also a 40" version
White 30"
Red 10"

FUSELAGE

{short description of image}

Type A   
Ratio 1:3:5
Blue 35" - also a 25" version
White 21"
Red 7"

FIN

{short description of image}

Type A
Ratio 1:1:1

Blue 8"
White 8"
Red 8"

 

Type A1

Roundel Diameter
Ratio 7:5:3:1

WING UPPER

Type A1  
Ratio 1:3:5:7

Yellow 56"
Blue 40"
White 24"
Red 8"

WING LOWER

{short description of image}

.

FUSELAGE

{short description of image}

Type A1  
Ratio 1:3:5:7

Yellow 35" - also a 49" version
Blue 25"
White 15"
Red 5"

{short description of image}

Type A1 Var.(Fighter Sqns)
Ratio 3:6:10:14
Yellow 35" - also a 49" version
Blue 25"
White 15"
Red 7"

{short description of image}
  Not yet confirmed

Type A1 Var.
Approx 3:10:12:16
Yellow 36"
Blue 32"
White 20"
Red 6"

FIN

{short description of image}

Type A
Ratio 1:1:1

Blue 8"
White 8"
Red 8"

 

Type B
April 1938

Roundel Diameter
Ratio 5:2

WING UPPER

{short description of image}
May 1942

Type B   
Ratio 2:5
Blue 56" - also a 40" version
Red 22"

WING LOWER

FUSELAGE

{short description of image}

Type B    
Ratio 2:5
Blue 35" also 25" and 15" versions
Red 14"

FIN

 

Type C

Roundel Diameter
Ratio 9:8:4:3

WING UPPER

{short description of image}
  Introduced in 1945

Type C
Ratio 3:4:8 (but white thinner on many a/c)
Blue 56"
White 26"
Red 22"

WING LOWER

{short description of image}

Type C    
Ratio 3:4:8

Blue 32"
White 16"
Red 12"

FUSELAGE

{short description of image}

Type C1   
Ratio 3:4:8:9
Yellow 36" - also 18" and 54"
Blue 32"
White 16"
Red 12"

{short description of image}
  Dark Red from May 1942

Type C1   
Ratio 3:4:8:9
Yellow 36"
Blue 32"
White 16"
Red 12"

{short description of image}

Type C1 Bomber Var.

Yellow 36"
Blue 32"
White 16"
Red 13"

FIN

{short description of image}

Type C
Ratio 11:2:11

Blue 11"
White 2"
Red 11"

 

Type D
 1947-

Roundel Diameter
Ratio 3:2:1

 

Type D   
Ratio 1:2:3
Blue 33"
White 22"
Red 11"

 

SEAC

 

SEAC    
Ratio unknown

 

Recent RAF Markings

 

Gulf War
Ratio Unknown

Standard Roundel

 

Gulf War - Local Variant
Ratio Unknown

Applied in field

 

Front Line Fighter and Patrol Aircraft
Ratio 1:2

Tornado F3s, Eurofighters and Nimrod

 

Front Line Attack Aircraft
Ratio 1:2

Tornados and Jaguars, Chinooks, Pumas and Merlins of the Support Helicopter Force and Hercules transports.

 

Transport and Training Aircraft
Ratio 1:2:3?

Thin white outline

VIP aircraft (BAe 125s and BAe146s of No 32 Squadron), Tristars and training aircraft.

 

 By Aircraft Surface

Roundel
Type (Figures in red are approximate)

WING UPPER

{short description of image}

Type A
Blue 56"
White 34"
Red 11"

{short description of image}

Type A1
Yellow 56"
Blue 40"
White 24"
Red 8"

{short description of image}
May 1942

Type B
Blue 56" - also a 40" version
Red 22"

{short description of image}
Introduced in 1945

Type C
Blue 56"
White 26"
Red 22"

WING LOWER

{short description of image}

Type A
Blue 50" - also a 40" version
White 30"
Red 10"

{short description of image}

Type C
Blue 32"
White 16"
Red 12"

FUSELAGE

{short description of image}

Type A
Blue 35" - also a 25" version
White 21"
Red 7"

{short description of image}

Type A1
Yellow 35" - also a 49" version
Blue 25"
White 15"
Red 5"

Type A1 Var.(Fighter Sqns)
Yellow 35" - also a 49" version
Blue 25"
White 15"
Red 7"

{short description of image}
Not yet confirmed

Type A1 Var.
 Yellow 36"
Blue 32"
White 20"
Red 6"

{short description of image}

Type B
Blue 35" also 25" and 15" versions
Red 14"

{short description of image}

Type C1
 Yellow 36"
Blue 32"
White 16"
Red 12"

{short description of image}
Dark Red from May 1942

Type C1
 Yellow 36"
Blue 32"
White 16"
Red 12"

{short description of image}

Type C1 Bomber Var.
 Yellow 36"
Blue 32"
White 16"
Red 13"

FIN

{short description of image}

Type A
 Blue 8"
White 8"
Red 8"

{short description of image}

Type C
 Blue 11"
White 2"
Red 11"

 

Examples

The examples are intended to show the diversity of markings - especially in the period up to 1942. It is not uncommon to find formation photographs showing quite different markings on individual aircraft.

Wing Upper

Wing Lower

Fuselage

Fin

June 1936
K5054 Spitfire Prototype

{short description of image} A

{short description of image} A

{short description of image} A

No flash

1938
K9794 Spitfire I

{short description of image} A1

{short description of image} A

{short description of image} A1

No flash

June 1939
K9906 Spitfire 1

{short description of image} B

{short description of image} A

{short description of image} B

No flash

Feb 1940
L1257 Blenheim 1

{short description of image} B

{short description of image} A

{short description of image} A

No flash

July 1940
N3287 Spitfire III

{short description of image} B

None

{short description of image} A1

No flash

Sept 1940
X4178 Spitfire I

{short description of image} B

{short description of image} A

{short description of image}A1

{short description of image}

April 1941
AH767 Tomahawk

{short description of image} B

{short description of image}A1

{short description of image} A1

{short description of image}

April 1941
AK185 Tomahawk

{short description of image} B

{short description of image} A

{short description of image} A1

{short description of image}

May 1942
BM144 Spitfire VB

{short description of image} B

{short description of image} C1

{short description of image} C1

{short description of image} C

The Type C scheme was almost universally standard from 1942 to 1945.

There were exceptions!

 

Transfers

Steve White has been kind enough to send me photographs of a transfer used by the RAF in WW2. Click on each image for a full size version.

9" transfer - front 9" transfer rear 92 transfer - front uncovered

The transfers are only 9" diameter and have Type D dimensions (colour diameters are in the ratio of 3:2:1).

From viewer feedback it would appear that such transfers were primarily used on MT equipment such as the vehicle shown below.

Photo courtesy of Keith Webb.