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CVN-72, the USS Abraham Lincoln, recently visited Perth, Western Australia on her way back to the US after completing WESTPAC 200. Embarked on her were the aircraft of CVW-14. As an enthusiast of US naval aviation I was keen to go aboard and photograph the changes in the markings of CVW-14's aircraft since her last visit Down-Under in November 1998. Changes there were, and the following are observations of the current tail markings of the nine squadrons that make up CVW-14.
Click on the thumbnails below to
view the images full-size
CAG Aircraft The inner and outer faces of the Fisters' CAG aircraft's vertical stabilizers were painted gloss black (including those pesky little strengthening blocks that are a real pain to mask off!) The squadron insignia is painted on outer surfaces only in full colour with the "NK" in yellow on the rudders. The leading edges of the vertical stabilizers were painted yellow graduating in thickness from the base to the top. The tops of the vertical stabilizers bore the same multi-coloured stripes as the Tomcatter's CAG and has the lettering CAG in black painted across the middle of the coloured stripes. Note that the rear ends of the lower two antenna fairings have not been painted.
CO's Aircraft The CO's aircraft's vertical stabilizers are finished in the standard TPS grey with the black fist of the squadron insignia and the three stars in black with the lightning bolt in red. The "NK" and the 401 modex are stylized and painted on the outer faces of both rudders in black. The fist, modex and "NK" are all shaded with dark grey to the rear and below of the designs.
Lo Viz Aircraft The remainder of the Fisters aircraft were marked the same as the CO's aircraft with the exception that the lightning bolt is painted in black rather than red
Click on the thumbnails below to
view the images full-size
CAG Aircraft The Stingers CAG was parked in the hangar bay so getting a reasonable photo of her tail with my definitely pedestrian flash unit was hard! The last time the Stingers visited the aircraft in the hangar bay as well. The Stingers have maintained the same CAG markings for a long time now and they are basically the same as the markings provided in the Hasegawa 1/48 scale kit. The inner and outer surfaces of the vertical stabilizers are painted gloss black with a multi-coloured flash of CAG colours on the outer faces. The flash is narrowest at the base and expands to cover most the fin and the rudders. Again, the antenna caps are not painted. The "NK"s are the same stylized type as VFA-25s and are painted in white over the top of the green and blue of the flash. The CAG script is painted in white at the top of the fin and the ship's name is painted diagonally in white underneath the blue of the flash. The squadron insignia is painted in full colour over the top of the fan.
The Grinch! And now for something completely different! F/A-18C Bureau Number 164638, Modex 310, was painted in the TPS with a full colour rendition of the star of the movie The Grinch wearing a Xmas cap. The same stylized "NK", on the outer surfaces of both rudders and a shortened modex of 04 on the top of the fin with ships name all painted in black.
Lo Viz Aircraft The rest of the Stinger's aircraft were all finished in TPS with a black version of the Stinger marked on the other surfaces of the vertical stabilizers. Black stylized "NKs" were painted on the outer faces of both rudders and a shortened modex on the tops of both the outside faces of the fin, again, painted in black. The ship's name was painted in black at the base of the outer surfaces of the vertical stabilizers.
Click on the thumbnails below to
view the images full-size
CAG Aircraft Like the Stingers, the Eagle’s CAG was in
the hangar bay and difficult to photograph.
The Eagles markings were
applied to outer faces of gloss black painted vertical stabilizers.
The leading edges and the tops of the fins were painted with the CAG
titles painted in black on the outer faces only.
The “NK” was positioned centrally on the fin and painted yellow.
The squadron insignia consisted of a yellow forward-facing chevron with a
white painted semi circle with two “spikes: to the rear of the chevron and
four white stars to the front. The
antenna caps remain unpainted. The
inner faces of the vertical stabilizers featured the CVW-14 insignia in full
colour outlined in yellow.
CO's Aircraft The vertical stabilizers of the
CO’s aircraft were painted in TPS grey with the leading edges and tops of the
fins in black. The “NKs” are
positioned centrally on the fins and painted black.
The CO titles were painted in yellow on the black painted portion of the
fin top. The squadron emblem is
painted the same as the CAG aircraft.
Lo Viz Aircraft I’m afraid I suffered the
same “link” problem and failed to get a photo of one of the Eagles
lo viz aircraft. The lo viz arcraft
feature the squadron design and modex in black on TPS grey vertical stabilizers
and do not have their forward edges or tops of their fins in black.
Click on the thumbnails below to
view the images full-size
CAG Aircraft The Blue
Wolves CAG was a different aircraft from their last visit and the
squadron’s markings have also changed considerably.
The vertical stabilizer was painted in TPS grey with a full length
cartoon-style wolf, painted blue (funny that!)
The wolf was wearing a gun belt with a white missile in the holster on
his hip and sported spurs on his heels. He
was leaning on the “N” of the “NK” airwing identifier and both letters
were painted red with black shadowing to the top and rear.
The tops of both sides of the rudder were adorned with the CAG colour-fan
in a triangular shape with the narrowest end facing forward.
The CAG “double nuts” was painted in black and located on the top of
the rudder half over the CAG colours.
Lo Viz Aircraft The lo viz aircraft of the blue wolves bear the same design but alas, in grey only with a black modex. Click on the thumbnails below to
view the images full-size
CAG Aircraft Unfortunately, the Cougars
CAG was in a dark corner of the hangar bay and my flash unit was inadequate. Nevertheless, I have included the photos so as some idea of
their markings can be gained. The
whole of the vertical stabilizer with the exception of the ECM fairing, was
painted in gloss black with an outline of a stylized cougar’s head in white.
Three coloured flashes of red orange and yellow fill the space between
the cougar’s head and the top of its nose.
The bureau number is in full, in white, and is painted across the bottom
of the fin. The Band I and Band II
antennae covers remain in TPS grey. The
“NK” is also painted white.
Lo Viz Aircraft The Cougars's lo viz aircraft were very plain by comparison with white outline of their squadron emblem was thinly edged in black. The "NK", NAVY titles, bureau number, and ship's name were all newly painted in a green/grey colour that I have not seen before. The modex on the nose was painted in black. Click on the thumbnails below to
view the images full-size
CAG Aircraft Both sides of all four vertical
stabilizers are painted gloss black. The
outer faces of the two outer vertical stabilizers bear the “NK”s and the
“last four” in white. A
triangle of the CAG colours is painted in the centre of the fin with the
narrowest point toward the leading edge of the fin.
The squadron insignia is painted in a black on a white circle over the
top of the CAG colours.
Lo Viz Aircraft The remainder of the Black Eagles aircraft were finished in good old fashioned 16440 Gloss Gull Grey with the "NK" at the top of the vertical stabilizer and the "last four" of the bureau number at the bottom of the vertical stabilizer in black paint. Again, all aircraft had their wings folded back across the tail so I couldn't get a good close-up photo Click on the thumbnails below to
view the images full-size
CAG Aircraft The vertical stabilizer was
painted in gloss black with a lightning bolt, thinly outlined in white, running
the whole length of the tail. The
lighting bolt was painted in the normal multi CAG colours with the “NK”
painted in the middle of the lightning design in black, thinly outlined in
white.
Lo Viz Aircraft Simple! The low-viz aircraft simply had the "NK" in a mid-grey colour painted mid-way up the vertical stabilizer. Click on the thumbnails below to
view the images full-size
Click on the thumbnails below to
view the images full-size
Following the photography session on the flight deck the ship's Public Affairs Officer detailed an enthusiastic sailor to escort our group on a tour of the Squadron Ready Rooms where we gleefully exchanged our money for their patches, T-shirts and baseball caps. The morning spent on board went very quickly and, as usual, I could not help but notice the professionalism, pride and courtesy displayed by all members of the ship's company who were only too willing to patiently listen to and answer any questions posed of them.
Text & Images Copyright © 2000 by Rodger
Kelly
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I
noticed three different styles of markings within this squadron.
As
with VF-31, three different markings were observed within this squadron.
Always
a colourful squadron the Stingers did not disappoint! I did not spot the CO's
aircraft during my tour of the ship. It may well have been aboard and I suffered
a link problem (the link between the deck of the ship and my camera's shutter
button!) but I missed it
Like
the previous squadrons, there were three different versions of markings on the Eagles
F/A-18s.
Two
different versions of Blue Wolves
markings were evident, the CAG and the lo viz.
It
is always good to see the Cougars!
The
Black Eagles also
I
don’t know what it is about US Navy helicopter squadrons but they always seem
to have their CAG aircraft all folded up and HS-4 was no exception.
Like
the Black Eagles, the wings of
the two Providers C-2s on deck
were folded over the vertical stabilizers and I have to confess that I
missed getting a good, close-up photo of the Provider’s
tail markings.
