Painting and markings
of Swedish military aircraft
Since the beginning in 1912, up to the present time
- a brief overview

1940: m/40

The best was deemed as m/37 with a yellow ring and none on the wing upper surfaces. m/40 was adopted in June 11:th, and would be done my July 6:th 1940.

What was adopted was a system where each squadron got its series of tactical numbers, 1:st sqn 1-15, 2:nd 16-30, 3:rd 31-45 and 46- for other aircraft.

F 5 numbered its aircraft in a single series, as did F 2 and F 3 as they weren't organized in squadrons in the same way as the other wings. In some places the series for "other" aircraft didn't start with 46, but with 70, 71, 90, 91, 100 or 01.

1944: m/44

On Dec 21:st 1944, after some trials and discussions, a system with aircraft identification letters was adopted. (A system of the kind had been used since 1942 at F 4 and 1943 at F 7.)

The letters would be painted in the squadron colours, 1:st red, 2:nd blue, 3:rd yellow, white or black for the wing staff. This colour was also repeated on the spinner and in some cases the front edge of the engine cowling.

The national insignias were the same as m/40, but also painted on the wing upper surfaces. (But regulations said that upon mobilization, they were to be removed from the upper surfaces. I don't know how long this was in force.)

The wing numeral was painted in yellow behind the fuselage insignia.

Non-combat aircraft, including reconnaissance aircraft, were to have yellow numbers on the fin, and sometimes on the nose, instead of letters.

1955

>From 1955 the outlines on letters became mandatory for or colours and backgrounds. It was also decided that the letter should also be placed somewhere where it was easily seen on the ground, typically either on the squadron colour band on the nose or the nose gear door.

The squadron colour was to be painted as a 240 mm wide band on the nose, with a 200 m high letter on either side of the nose, on the fin it was 600 mm high.

1959 (?)

Number codes are introduced on the J 32B Lansens at F 1 before many got letter codes. This typeface was F 1-specific, 200 mm on the nose, 600 mm on the fin, in "neon yellow" (approximately as in the national insignias).

At F 12 they didn't place any individual numerals on its J 32B Lansen noses, and used 800 mm high white numbers on the fin, of the same type face as used on trainers. F 11 started to use white numerals, of the type face used for the wing numeral, on its S 32C Lansens in 1963.

Next: 1964 -

Swedish military aircraft markings 1912-

Document last updated 1999 May 07, 1999 Sep 28, 2000 Feb 01, 2000 Apr 28 by Urban

Photos used in this document are either by myself, Bernt Törnell or by various photographers and provided by Saab.

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