^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Polish Aircraft Markings

Airforce Markings: a survey
Air force roundels & fin flash 1918-1919
Air force roundel & fin flash 1919-1921
- Air force roundel & fin flash variant 1919-1921
Navy aviation roundel & fin flash 1919-1993
Air force roundel & fin flash 1921-1940
Air force in exile in France roundel & fin flash 1940-1945
Air force roundel & fin flash 1945-1993
Air force roundel & fin flash 1993-
Navy roundel & fin flash 1993-
Air force low visibility roundel
Polish Coast Guard (Border Guard)

See also:

Airforce Markings: a survey

Early days of Polish military aviation were in the chaotic situation of late 1918, and a situation in which each of three Polish airfield adopted its own marking. as reported by http://www.internetmodeler.com/cd-roms/RNP_CD/Poland/index.htm: " The national markings worn by the Polish aircraft went through many changes, in November and December 1918 had three different sets of markings? The first was the "Warsaw" (red/white shield) "Cracow" (red Z on white square) and "Lwow" (red/white tips of wing and tail). Each one had its own variations. "

[cos98] show 4 plates, one for each airfield and one without any text beside: "1918" [in fact it is variation of Warsaw)
Insignia in a abstract of "Early Polish Aircraft Markings" (http://www.insigniamag.com/pol.html) also show 4 images, one for each
airfield and one with no reference [also a variation of Warsaw in fact]

For Warsaw 1918, [cos98] show a diagonaly divided (top right to bottom left) white-red shield as wings, fusalage and rudder. The extra "1918" plate show black discs on wings, shield on fuselage (diagonaly devided from top left to bottom right) and diagonaly divided disc on rudder.

I suspect that the black discs are not marking but was painted to hide the former German markings.
Insignia (http://www.insigniamag.com/pol2.jpg) show for warsaw "Red and White shields are painted over the German fuselage crosses. The rudder carries a diagonally divided circle in Red and White" and in the other image (http://www.insigniamag.com/pol1.jpg) shields on fusalage and rudder on black plate [probably also to cover former marking). Note that both Insignia markings are diagonaly devided from top left to bottom right which doesn't mean neccesaraly the [cos98] is mistaken due the numerous variants that existed.

For Lwow 1918 [cos98] show a red over white rudder and white-red wing tips. Insignia add an eagle to the fusalage (http://www.insigniamag.com/pol3.jpg) and report: " Fin/ rudder is divided horizontally in Red and White. Eagle is Black and White. Red and White stripes are on all four wing positions, with Red to the left in all cases." Note that [cos98] show white on the left so it is a mistake.

For Cracow, [cos98] show red "Z" on white and this time Insignia agree (http://www.insigniamag.com/pol4.jpg) and report: "The insignia consists of a Red 'Z' on a White square, and appears on the fuselage, rudder and four wing positions"

This situation was over in 1919:
http://www.internetmodeler.com/cd-roms/RNP_CD/Poland/index.htm reports:
"Officially, the Polish red/white checkerboard marking was approved 1.12.1918 but up until the end of 1918 "old" markings were used. Add to this special markings used on planes in Silesian Uprisings 1919-1921 (blue square on left wing and white on right - both with black outline). Another set of marking was used in 'Zeligowski's revolt' in Lithuania in 1920-21 - red square with white outline on left wing and white square with red outline on right."

Those Silesian (1921) markings are reported also by [cos98] who adds a vertical blue-black-white rudder stripe. The 'Zeligowski's revolt' markings were already discussed under my LT review.

Nevertheless, the new markings were of a chequred square (red in 1,4, white on 2,3) as appear in our <pl-afs18.gif> without the red outline. See http://worldatwar.net/chandelle/v2/v2n2/lvg_cv.gif.

Year passed by and in 1920, the known Polish markings were adopted <pl-afs21.gif>. Red is in 1,4 and white in 2,3. In time and as rudders became thiner, the rudder marking became a fin flash.
See http://www.airliners.net/open.file/595537/L/.

The change in Poland in 1993 brought to change in the marking by mirror it. White was moved to 1,4 and red to 2,3 <pl-afs93.gif> . See http://www.airliners.net/open.file/600733/L/.

Somehow, [cos98] missed this evolution, and he show the two posibilities as "1920 onward".

All other air units beside the Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej using the same marking including naval air arm (Lotnictwo Marynarki Wojennej) and army aviation (Lotnictwo Wojsk Ladowych )

More information at:
Polish Air Service - The White Eagles: Polish Aviation 1918-1920 - Polish Air Force - Naval aviation - The Polish Airforce 1918-1939 - http://www.scramble.nl/pl.htm.
Dov Gutterman, 22 Jun 2004