1-300 USA White Star & Bar with Red Outline 1943

1-300 USA White Star & Bar with Red Outline 1943
These 1-300 USA White Star & Bar with Red Outline decals reproduce the short-lived American national aircraft insignia introduced in June 1943. The familiar white star on a blue circular field was expanded with white horizontal bars on each side and surrounded by a distinctive Insignia Red outline.
By 1943, U.S. authorities had concluded that the overall shape of an aircraft marking was more important for long-range recognition than its colors. To make the national insignia more immediately recognizable, white rectangular bars were added to the sides of the existing star-and-circle marking.
The red-outlined star-and-bar became official on June 28, 1943. Its use was brief, however, because some units objected to the prominent red border in combat theaters where red was strongly associated with enemy aircraft markings.
Despite its short service life, the marking appeared on a wide range of Army, Navy, and Marine aircraft. Representative types included the P-38 Lightning, P-39 Airacobra, P-40 Warhawk, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-51 Mustang, F4F/FM-1 Wildcat, F6F Hellcat, SBD Dauntless, TBF Avenger, B-24 Liberator, and B-25 Mitchell.
In August 1943, the red outline was officially replaced by an Insignia Blue border, with field implementation following shortly afterward. The red-outline version therefore represents one of the briefest standardized U.S. national aircraft markings of World War II.
Product Features
Designed for 1-300 / 6mm WWII American aircraft miniatures
Reproduces the June–August 1943 red-outline star-and-bar insignia
Features the white star, horizontal bars, and distinctive Insignia Red border
Suitable for Army Air Forces, Navy, and Marine aircraft during the brief 1943 transition period
Appropriate for P-38, P-40, P-47, P-51, F4F, F6F, SBD, TBF, B-24, and similar aircraft
Printed on thin waterslide decal paper
Decals must be individually cut from the sheet before application
For wargamers representing U.S. air operations during the summer of 1943, the red-outline star-and-bar is an especially distinctive choice, accurately capturing the brief transition between the earlier plain white-star insignia and the blue-bordered marking used for the remainder of the war.