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

1964

In 1964 it was decided that the rounder typeface which had since earlier been used for the tiny serial numbers and the like also be used for wing and individual numerals. On the fin it was to be painted in yellow and 630 mm high. Under a transition period, white numerals continued to be used.

The wing numerals were to be applied to the rear of the fuselage national insignia. Individual numbers within a wing 01-69 for jet aircraft, 71-99 for other aircraft and helicopters. The exception was F 5 with only trainers and both the army and navy which all could use 01-99.

The large wings F 5 and F 11 as well as the co-located F 16/20 each had two wing letters, and could therefore use the same numeral on two different aircraft.

The colours were black on light (aluminium) backgrounds and white (unusual later on) or yellow on dark background.

Draken

Early Drakens sometimes had a three figure code on the fin. This was the last three figures from the c/n. The type face with "gaps" in it was Saab's and used for the prototypes, and some fighters were delivered with them too. But fighters painted by the air force had the old style air force figures.

Even after 1964, some Drakens retained the old style numerals, especially that goes for some of the trainers, which being unpainted didn't have to be repainted, and thus retained the old type face a long time.

Friend or foe markings took several forms. During a large exercise in 1968 they got checker patterns of red or yellow dayglo tape. Later on, the most common one was geometric shapes like triangles, and rectangles on top of the wings, painted in white winter camouflage colour.

Towards the end of their life, dayglo numerals became more or less standard. (Presumably there's a technical order specifying their removal in case of mobilisation.) The national insignias also shrunk in the interest of low visibility.

Next: Current

Swedish military aircraft markings 1912-

Document last updated 1999 May 07, 1999 Sep 28, 2000 Feb 01, 2000 Apr 28, 2001 Sep 03 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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