Aircraft Markings (Syria)

Last modified: 2013-12-05 by zoltán horváth
Keywords: syria | roundel | fin flash | stars: 2 (green) | stars: 3 (red) | eagle (golden) |
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Roundel	Fin Flash
image by Eugene Ipavec, 11 Jun 2007	image by Eugene Ipavec, 31 May 2007

• Description
• Air Force Roundel and Fin Flash 1948-1958
• Air Force Roundel and Fin Flash 1958-1961
• Air Force Roundel and Fin Flash 1961-1963
• Air Force Roundel and Fin Flash 1963-1972
• Air Force Roundels and Fin Flash 1972-1980
• Air Force Roundel and Fin Flash 1980-

See also:

• Military Flags (Syria)
• Syria

Other sites:

• Syria at Scramble.nl
• Syria at sheepo74
• Syria at Fighter-Jets.de

Red-white-black roundel with two green stars in the white part, one at either side of the black disk.
Source: Album 2000
Željko Heimer, 01 Feb 2003

Between 1949-1958 and 1961-1963, Syria used a 1:1 black, white and green horizontal stripes as fin flash. Between 1958-1961, 1963-1971 and 1980 onward, the appropriate national flag was used as fin flash.
Source: [Cochrane and Elliott 1998.
Dov Gutterman, 10 Feb 2000

So:

1948 – 1958 – black-white-green with three red stars
1958 – 1961 – black-white-red with two green stars
1961 – 1963 – black-white-green with three red stars
1963 – 1972 – black-white-red with three green stars
1972 – 1980 – black-white-red
1980 – today – black-white-red with two green stars

Dov Gutterman, 25 Jun 2004

Roundel 1948-1958	Fin Flash 1948-1958
image by Eugene Ipavec, 11 Jun 2007	image by Eugene Ipavec, 09 May 2007

Here are some facts about Syrian air markings. First... I am not at all comfortable with the [c2e98] report.
Al Quwwat al-Jawwiya al Arabiya as-Suriya was formed in 1946. [c2e98] reports its first roundel as of 1949 and as black-white-green roundel with the white charged with three red stars and vertical black-white-green fin flash. [c2e98] report those marking as used in 1949-1958 and 1961-1963 marking following the flag at those periods and the same . He also show the stars at 12/3/6 o'clock positions in the roundel.
However, AFAIK, the SyAF used those marking already in 1948, and at least then the fin flash was the national flag. Also the stars should be in conventional 12/4/8 o'clock positions.
Then I located the article "Syria's Fighting Texans" which confirm the use of marking already in 1948, show the national flag as fin flash and the stars in conventional positions. See ACIG website, here and here.
Moreover I also found a photo showing the same markings. Meteor F.8 was in use between 1952-1958.
Dov Gutterman, 25 Jun 2004

Roundel 1958-1961	Fin Flash 1958-1961
image by Eugene Ipavec, 11 Jun 2007	image by Eugene Ipavec, 31 May 2007

Roundel 1961-1963	Fin Flash 1961-1963
image by Eugene Ipavec, 11 Jun 2007	image by Dov Gutterman

Roundel 1963-1972	Fin Flash 1963-1972
image by Eugene Ipavec, 11 Jun 2007	image by António Martins-Tuválkin

In 1963 the flag was changed followed the Ba'ath coup d'état. Accordingly, the markings were changed to black-white-red with three green stars (12,4,8 position). (see here) For obscure reasons, [c2e98] shows images of those marking as "1963-1970." From 1980 onward, though, the text is correct. This is not the 1980 marking, as reported above.
Dov Gutterman, 25 Jun 2004

Roundel 1972-1980	Alternate Roundel c. mid-1970s	Fin Flash 1972-1980
image by Eugene Ipavec, 11 Jun 2007	image by Eugene Ipavec, 11 Jun 2007	image by Željko Heimer

[Current markings. See top of page.]