Suez Markings

Justo Miranda said:
There is some controversy among modelers about whether the Vickers Valiants that bombed Egypt in 1956 were painted with "Suez Stripes", does anyone have information about this?

https://aeropinakes.com/wordpress/1953/02/15/un-avion-construido-alrededor-de-una-bomba/
Click to expand...
Not according to this link:
https://www.militaryimages.net/threads/suez-crisis-1956-the-war-of-stripes-by-tom-cooper.9496/
"The original order for the application of the invasion stripes was for three yellow strips, with two black strips in the middle, each 1ft (33cm) wide – on smaller aircraft. Larger aircraft were to get the stripes in the same order, but 2ft wide. Helicopters and Valiant bombers were not to be marked in this way (although the Vickers Company later re-touched invasion stripes on several pictures of Valiants that took part in attacks against Egypt)."

It seems reasonable that Valiant didn't get stripes as the EAF had nothing remotely similar in its inventory, hence no risk of confusion. Whereas Canberra could, I suppose, be mistaken for Il-28.
 
Vickers Valiant with 'Suez stripes' FAKE retouched image, Royal Air Force Flying Review, December 1956
 

Attachments

  • FB_IMG_1635018404953.jpg
    FB_IMG_1635018404953.jpg
    19.7 KB · Views: 34
The Valiant bombers deployed during Suez DID NOT have the black and yellow ident markings applied having being deployed outwith theatre. RAF. Flying Review (presumably unaware of the lack of markings applied) posted retouched images of Hastings and Valiant aircraft said to be operational with added ident banding
 

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom