Roundel of the Aviação Naval (1918-1941).
Naval Aviation, 1918-1941
On aircraft of the Aviação Naval - AvN, the rudder was painted in three colours: blue (leading), yellow and green. The registration number and/or the word MARINHA were painted in the rudder in some aircraft.
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| Rudder colours on aircraft of the Aviação Naval (1918-1941). | |
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Roundel of the Aviação Naval (1918-1941). |
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Naval aircraft wore a roundel with three concentric rings of same width, in blue (centre), yellow and green; the roundel was painted in four positions in the wings. An anchor in black or white was painted together with the roundel.
The same insignia are used today on Brazilian naval aircraft.
Military Aviation, 1920-1941
Until 1934, Army aircraft from the Aviação Militar - AvM wore the same roundel as those of the Naval Aviation, and some aircraft had the rudder painted in the same colours, but in reverse order: green (leading), yellow and blue. Some aircraft had the type designation and registration painted on the rudder.
 Roundel of the Aviação Militar (1920-1934). |
Rudder colours on aircraft of the Aviação Militar (1920-1934). |
 Star of the Aviação Militar (1934-1941). |
Rudder colours on aircraft of the Aviação Militar (1920-1941). |
After 1934, the Army adopted a "gironny" star. Each arm of the star was in green (leading) and yellow colours, and a sky blue disc inside a white ring was placed in the middle. Some aircraft, however, retained the old roundel.
The stars were painted in four positions in the wings of monoplane aircraft; biplanes had the stars painted on the bottom of the lower wing and on the top of the upper wing.
Rudder colours were changed to green (leading) and yellow.
Brazilian Air Force, World War II
When the FAB was created, in 1941, the insignia to be worn on aircraft was based on the star of the AvM, but with longer arms and a thinner white ring in the middle. This star, which we refer to Type "A", was applied in four positions in the wings, and the rudder was painted in green and yellow. There was also a variant, Type "A1", which had a white ring as wide as that on the AvM star.
 FAB Star (Type "A"). |
 FAB Star (Type "A1"). |
In early 1942, the FAB started mounting anti-submarine patrols along its coast and US aircraft were received: Lockheed Hudson, NA B-25 Mitchell and Curtiss P-36A. The Brazilian stars were applied to these aircraft, and the rudder was also painted in green and yellow. There were at least two versions used on the B-25Bs, one with the FAB star painted over the US "Insignia Blue" disc or over a white disc.
 FAB Star painted on B-25B aircraft (Type "B"). |
 FAB Star painted on B-25B aircraft (Type "C"). |
A similar star was used on Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina aircraft; some PBY-5A and Lockheed B-34 Ventura received in 1944 and painted in the US Navy "Scheme II ASW" camouflage finish (upper surfaces in "Dark Gull Gray", sides in "Non-specular White" and lower surfaces in "Gloss White") wore a star similar to the US star, but painted in the Brazilian colours.s
 FAB Star painted on PBY-5 (Type "B"). |
 FAB Star painted on B-34 aircraft in "Scheme II ASW" (Type "I"). |
Brazilian Air Force insignia in the Italian Campaign, 1944-1945
The FAB deployed two units to the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations in 1944-1945, the 1º Grupo de Aviação de Caça - 1º Gp Av Ca employing Republic P-47D Thunderbolt fighters and the 1ª Esquadrilha de Ligação e Observação - 1ª ELO which used Piper L-4H liaison aircraft.
The FAB Star Type "D" was used in the fuselage sides of the 1ª ELO Piper L-4Hs. The US star-and-bar was painted in two positions in the wings (top left and bottom right). The rudder was not painted in green and yellow.s
 FAB Star painted on 1ª ELO L-4Hs (Type "D"). |
To allow easy recognition by other Allied pilots, the Brazilian P-47Ds wore variations of the US national insignia. As can be seen from the drawings below, made based on pictures taken at the time, there were several variations, some with a small Southern Cross in the central disc. At least one of the P-47Ds had a star with white borders, possibly to distinguish from the "Insignia Blue" disc.
The Brazilian national insignia were painted in four positions, in the fuselage sides and top left and bottom right wings. The rudder was painted in green (leading) and yellow.
 FAB Star painted on 1º Gp Av Ca P-47D (Type "E"). |
 FAB Star painted on 1º Gp Av Ca P-47D (Type "F"). |
 FAB Star painted on 1º Gp Av Ca P-47D (Type "G"). |
 FAB Star painted on 1º Gp Av Ca P-47D (Type "G1"). |
 FAB Star painted on 1º Gp Av Ca P-47D (Type "G2"). |
Brazilian Air Force national insignia (1945-2005)
After the end of World War II, FAB aircraft started using the stars in four positions (in the wings) and the rudder in green and yellow. There were however exceptions, as in some P-47D from the 9º Grupo de Aviação which had the stars painted in the fuselage in 1947-1949.
Transport aircraft were finished in white (upper surfaces) and grey (lower surfaces) with either a black or dark blue stripe along the fuselage sides. Training aircraft had the wings and stabilizers in orange and white fuselages. The rudder was painted in green and yellow.
 Tail of T-27 in T.O. 1-14 finish. |
 Tail of T-27 in two shades of grey finish. |
Aircraft camouflaged in a pattern similar to the USAF "Southeast Asia" (T.O. 1-14) finish had a small green-yellow fin flash. The stars were used either in four positions (on the wings) or in six positions (fuselage sides also), as in the Lockheed C-130 Hercules and EMBRAER T-27 Tucano. On Northrop F-5E Tiger II fighters the stars were painted in four positions only.
 Tail of F-5E in T.O. 1-14 finish. |
Tail of F-5E in air defence grey finish. |
Aircraft painted in air defence grey finish used the green-yellow fin flash and had the stars painted in six positions (Boeing KC-137, Learjet C-35 and T-27). The F-5E/Fs and Dassault F-103 Mirage III had the stars painted in four positions on the wings (but at least one F-103 had stars painted in the fuselage).
 FAB Star painted on an T-27 from 1º/14º GAV (Type "I"). |
There are also pictures showing aircraft using Type "I" stars, similar to the US white star, as seen on a T-27.
Brazilian Air Force national insignia (2005-today)
In 2001, a A-1 fighter-bomber from the 3º/10º Grupo de Aviação was painted in an experimental finish, a disruptive pattern in green (FS 34092) and grey (FS 36176) in the upper surfaces and fuselage sides, and light grey in the lower surfaces.
The trials were succesful and from it evolved the standard tactical finish to be worn in FAB aircraft, applied in wraparound form. The FAB star, now in low visibility (using the same colours of the camouflage pattern) is applied in six positions. The fin flash was dropped.
 FAB Star in low visibility. |
Tail of F-5EM in definitive tactical finish. |
 FAB Star in low visibility (grey aircraft). |
 FAB Star in low visibility (as used on Mirage F-2000 aircraft). |
Transport aircraft painted in grey use a variant of the star in low visibility, as well as the Mirage F-2000.
VIP transport aircraft maintained the same patten, however the stars are now placed in six positions.
 Tail of C-99A in grey finish. |
 Tail of C-99A in VIP finish. |
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