AML D72011 Ilyushin Il-4 over The III Reich

The nationality markings (hereinafter: insignia) on the planes of the Russian Air Force began to be used from their very inception, i.e. from 1912, when the Air Fleet of His Imperial Majesty was established. Emperor's Military Air Fleet). On the machines she uses, on the fuselages and wings, a uniform roundelle was most often used, consisting of three closely adjacent white, blue and red circles, the circle of which the largest diameter was red. It is worth adding that the largest area in such a roundelle was white. On the other hand, the stylized flag of the Russian Empire in the same colors as the roundelle with the following colors (looking from above): white, red and blue was used as the designation of the fin flash. Such markings were used until 1917 and partly during the Civil War (1917-1922). A specific successor of the air force of imperial Russia was the Soviet air force (rus. Voyenno-Vozdushnye Sily ), which were formed as early as 1918. In their case, a red, five-pointed star was used as a machine insignia, which was used both to mark the wings and fuselage of machines, but also to mark vertical fins (fin flash). In the interwar period and during World War II, a uniform red star or a red star with a white or gold border was most often used. After 1945, actually until now, the above-mentioned star with a white border is mainly used. It is worth adding that since 2010, theoretically, the official insignia of the aircraft of the Russian Federation is a red star with white and blue outlines, thus referring to the color of the Russian national flag.