1-600 Italian Fascist WWII Fin Flash Decals
These 1-600 Italian Fascist WWII Fin Flash Decals provide Italian Fascist WWII Fin Flash markings for 1-600 scale aircraft miniatures. Use them to reproduce the corresponding national, service, or recognition markings on aircraft appropriate to the design and period.
Decal Information
This sheet provides Italian Fascist WWII Fin Flash markings for 1-600 scale aircraft.
Royal Italian tail crosses and crests are provided in seven sizes for aircraft ranging from bombers to fighters.
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
Nation / Region: Italy
Service: Italian military aviation
Period: World War II
Marking: Italian Fascist WWII Fin Flash
Scale: 1-600
Historical Information
Before Italy entered World War II, Regia Aeronautica aircraft commonly displayed the Italian green-white-red tricolor vertically across the rudder, with green positioned toward the front of the aircraft. Shortly after Italy entered the war in June 1940, this arrangement was replaced because it could potentially be confused with the similarly arranged French national tail colors. Beginning on June 12, 1940, the Regia Aeronautica adopted a large white cross on the rudder and vertical tail instead.
The new marking was based on the Cross of Savoy, reflecting the ruling House of Savoy and the Kingdom of Italy. The royal Savoy shield—a red shield containing a white cross—was frequently positioned on or near the upper portion of the larger white tail cross. Because many markings were applied at unit level, the precise proportions and positioning of the cross could vary between aircraft and manufacturers.
It is worth noting that although this marking is commonly associated with Fascist-era Italian aircraft, the white tail cross itself was a royal Italian national marking rather than a Fascist fasces emblem. The actual Fascist insignia used by the Regia Aeronautica consisted primarily of stylized fasces markings on the wings and fuselage. Together, the white Savoy tail cross and fasces wing insignia created the characteristic appearance of Italian combat aircraft during much of World War II.
The white cross appeared on virtually every major Regia Aeronautica aircraft type, including the Macchi C.200 Saetta, C.202 Folgore and C.205 Veltro; Fiat G.50 Freccia and CR.42 Falco; Reggiane Re.2000-series fighters; Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero; Fiat BR.20; and Cant Z.1007 bombers, among many others. Contemporary photographs clearly show the marking on operational Italian fighters.
