Colour used to Camouflage Aircraft and for Squadron Markings

The movie opens showing 'Hawk One' a North American F-86 Sabre owned by Vintage Wings of Canada. Panning to the right, flying just above the hanger is an Avro Lancaster heavy bomber from the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. The first aircraft we see on the tarmac is the Supermarine Spitfire XVI owned by Vintage Wings of Canada. Next we see a Supermarine Spitfire IX belonging to the Russell Aviation Group. Just behind the people walking we see the red nose of Vintage Wings' Hawker Hurricane XII. The aircraft with the black nose is a privately owned Hawker Sea Fury. A Sea Fury was the last ever propeller-driven fighter to shoot down a jet-powered fighter. The props and yellow nose you see above the crowd beside Hawk One belong to the Vintage Wings of Canada, North American P-51 Mustang IV. The audio you hear is the P-51 Mustang Mark IV.

Vintage WWII aircraft were visiting Ottawa this weekend to commemorate the summer and autumn of 1940, Battle of Britain. This included a victory fly by that featured the Lancaster, Spitfires, Hurricane, P51 Mustang and Vintage Wings' Goodyear FG-1D Corsair.

Camouflage paint schemes involve patterns that disrupt the silhouette of the aircraft. Since World War One aircraft have used colour and paint schemes for camouflage and squadron markings that provide information about individual aircraft. The basic Canadian WWII scheme was a two-tone, dark green/dark earth, pattern applied in large, curved areas of the aircraft. Aircraft have been painted to blend into deserts, forests, oceans and the sky. The most unusual camouflage colour scheme may have been pink. Some Royal Air Force observation aircraft were painted pink to help them blend into the rising and setting sun. Camouflage schemes used by Canadian CF-18s include the painting of a false canopy on the underside of the aircraft to confuse enemy pilots. Modern aircraft camouflage schemes use a 3 colour pattern with blue, medium gray and light blue gray paint. These colours visually conceal aircraft operating over ground and sea in overcast and blue skies.

Vintage Wings of Canada is presenting Hawk One a Canadair CL-13 Sabre Mk 5 to the public for the first time today. Hawk One is now sporting the Vintage Wings of Canada, Hawk One Centennial of Flight logo and colour scheme. The silver Sabre jet will soon wear the metallic gold paint and the squadron markings of the RCAF's original precision aerobatic team the Golden Hawks. In 1959 the Golden Hawks celebrated the first 50 years of flight in Canada and 35th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force. In 2009 Vintage Wings of Canada will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Canadian aviation with Hawk One visiting events and air shows across the country.

The people standing around Hawk One are listening to Chris Hadfield a Canadian astronaut and soon to be F-86 pilot talking about the Canadaiir Sabre Mk 5, the 100th anniversary of flight in Canada and the significance of aviation to Canada's past and future. The first aircraft to fly in Canada was on 23 February 1909 at Baddeck, Nova Scotia.

The mission of Vintage Wings of Canada is to inspire and educate future generations about the historical significance of our aviation heritage and to demonstrate these aircraft are more than just metal, fabric and wood artifacts. View the collection

Information and history of the aircraft featured in this panorama;

Canadair Sabre 5 'Hawk One'

Supermarine Spitfire XVI

Supermarine Spitfire IX

North American P-51 Mustang Mk IV

Hawker Hurricane XII

Avro Lancaster

Hawker Sea Fury

For aircraft photos from the June and September 2008 Vintage Wings of Canada open house and a QTVR movie from inside the hanger visit Vintage Wings at Ottawa Panoramas

Thanks to Michael Potter, Dave O'Malley and Carolyn Leslie from Vintage Wings of Canada for their assistance and Tony Tapp for the North American P-51 Mustang Mk IV audio.

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USA-Canada / Canada-Quebec

Lat: 45° 31' 5" N
Long: 76° 34' 48" W

Elevation: 58 metres

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Precision is: High. Pinpoints the exact spot.

Nikon Coolpix 950, WC-E24, QuickTime Virtual Reality Studio, Photoshop