1-300 French Naval Aviation Roundels Decals
These 1-300 French Naval Aviation Roundel decals reproduce the distinctive national marking of the Aéronautique Navale, the aviation branch of the French Navy (Marine Nationale). The marking combines the traditional French blue, white, and red tricolor roundel with a black naval anchor, immediately distinguishing French naval aircraft from those operated by the French Air Force.
Decal Information
The sheet includes French Naval Aviation Roundels markings suitable for use on 1-300 scale aircraft miniatures.
They are printed on clear-background waterslide decal paper. They need to be individually cut out. Apply over a properly prepared and gloss-coated model surface using normal waterslide-decal techniques.
Key Historical Details
Region / Nation: French Service: Naval Aviation Time Period: Period Appropriate to the Marking Primary Marking: National Aircraft Roundels Scale: 1-300 Application: Historically appropriate aircraft and aviation subjects
Historical Information
French naval aviation has a history stretching back to the earliest days of military flight. The French Navy acquired its first aircraft in 1910, and the Service de l’aviation maritime was formally created on March 20, 1912. The anchor was associated with French naval aircraft almost from the beginning: a Farman aircraft was photographed in 1912 carrying a naval anchor marking, while the familiar combination of the French roundel and anchor gradually developed as a distinctive identification marking for naval aviation.
By World War II, the tricolor roundel with a black anchor was widely carried by French naval aircraft, appearing on the fuselage and wing surfaces. The marking continued to evolve after the war while retaining its defining anchor, becoming one of the most recognizable naval aviation insignia in the world. French records distinguish pre- and postwar versions, with the postwar form developing into the familiar modern Aéronautique Navale roundel.
The marking has appeared on an exceptionally wide range of French naval aircraft, from carrier fighters and strike aircraft to maritime patrol planes and helicopters. Depending upon the period being represented, it is appropriate for aircraft such as the F4U-7 Corsair, Aquilon, Étendard IV, F-8E(FN) Crusader, Super Étendard, Alizé, Atlantic, Rafale M, and numerous French naval helicopters and support aircraft.
