FMP - FAF Camouflage & Markings 1939

Camouflage

The following tables are based on book Finnish Air Force Camouflage and Markings by Keskinen, Stenman and Niska with additions from other sources.The colour codes mentioned are based on American Federal Standard FS 595a colour chart. In practise the shade of the paint varied a lot depending on the manufacturer and colour batch.
.
.

**Aircraft Obtained before Winter War**
.
Aircraft model/ Original paint	Basic upper surface colour English name (original name) FS No. .	Additional upper surface colour English name (original name) FS No.	Lower surface colour English name (original name) FS No.
Imported: .
Fokker C.V Fokker C.X Fokker D.XXI	Dark Brown FS 20097	-	Aluminium Dope
Bristol Blenheim I Avro Anson I	Dark Green FS 34079	-	Sky Grey FS 36463
Bristol Bulldog IVA	Dark Green FS 34079	-	Aluminium Dope
Licence-made: .
Fokker C.X Fokker D.XXI	Olive Green FS 34096 [also known as Field Green or Standard Green]	-	Light Grey FS 36440 [also known as Silver Grey, similar to Sky Grey]
Bristol Blenheim I	Dark Green FS 34079	-	Sky Grey FS 36463

.
.

**Aircraft Obtained during the Winter War**
Aircraft model/ Original paint	Basic upper surface colour(s) English name (original name) FS No. .	Additional upper surface colour(s) English name (original name) FS No.	Lower surface colour(s) English name (original name) FS No.
FIAT G.50	Brown (Nocchiola Chiaro) FS 30250	Dark Green spotted (Verde Oliva Scuro) FS 34086	Light Grey (Grigio Azzurro) FS 36280
Morane-Saulnier M.S. 406	Dark Blue Gray (Gris Bleu Fonce) FS 36122	Dark Green (Kaki) FS 34096 Earth (Sienne Naturelle) FS 30117	Light Blue Grey (Gris Blue Clair) FS 36231
Gloster Gladiator II	Upper wings: Dark Green FS 34079 . Lower wings: Light Green FS 34127	Upper wings: Dark Earth FS 30118 . Lower wings: Light Earth FS 30257	Port (left) wings: Night [Black] FS 37038 . Starboard (right) wings: White FS 17178 . Fuselage: Aluminium FS 17178
Hawker Hurricane I Gloster Gauntlet II	Dark Green FS 34079	Dark Earth FS 30118	Port (left) wing(s): Night [Black] FS 37038 . Starboard (right) wing(s): White FS 17178 . Fuselage: Aluminium FS 17178
Bristol Blenheim I	Dark Green FS 34079	Dark Earth FS 30118	Night [Black] FS 37038
Bristol Blenheim IV	Dark Green FS 34079	-	Sky Grey FS 36463
Westland Lysander I	Dark Green FS 34079	Dark Earth FS 30118	Aluminium Dope
Brewster Model 239	Aluminium FS 17178	-	Aluminium FS 17178
Swedish volunteer F19: Hawker Hart I Gloster Gladiator I	Dark Green (Olivgrön 325) FS 34079	Winter camouflage: Aluminium stripes FS 17178	Blue Gray (Blågrå 058) FS 36250

.
.

**Finnish War Paint**
.
Aircraft model/ Finnish war paint	Basic Uuper surface colour(s) name in English [also known as] FS No. .	Additional upper surface colour name in English [colour in practice] FS No.	Lower surface colour(s) name in English [also known as] FS No.
Aircraft produced or repainted in Finland since 30.9.1940:	Field Green [Olive Green] FS 34096	Dark Grey 2/5 pattern [Black] FS 37038	Silver Grey [Light Grey] FS 36440
Aircraft with original silver (aluminium dope) bottom colour since 30.9.1940:	Field Green [Olive Green] FS 34096	Dark Grey 2/5 pattern [Black] FS 37038	Aluminium Dope [Silver] FS 17178
Aircraft produced or repainted in Finland since 7.5.1942:	Olive Green FS 34096	Black 2/5 splinter pattern FS 37038	Light Blue [DN Colour] FS 35414
Winter paint:	Standard paint	White overall or spots or stripes over standard paint FS 17178	Standard paint
Curtiss Hawk 75A (special Karelian Isthmus theatre of war lower surface paint used in 1941 - 1942 only)	Field Green [Olive Green] FS 34096	Dark Grey 2/5 pattern [Black] FS 37038	Port (left) wings: Night [Black] FS 37038 . Starboard (right) wings: White FS 17178
Curtiss P-40M-10CU "Warhawk" [KH-51]	Olive Green FS 34096	-	Light Blue [DN Colour] FS 35414
Trainers (6.6.1940-): .
VL Tuisku	Field Green [Olive Green] FS 34096	-	Aluminium Dope [Silver] FS 17178
Letov S214A Smolik *)	Orange FS 22473	-	Orange FS 22473
VL Viima II *)	(same as on FW Stieglitz)	.	.
Advanced trainers (1940-): .
Gloster Gauntlet II VL Pyry .	(same as on licence- made Fokker D.XXI, later Finnish War Paint)	.	.
Liaison planes (6.6.1940-): .
DeHavilland D.H.60 Moth VL Sääski .	(same as on licence- made Fokker D.XXI, later Finnish War Paint)	.	.

*) Classed as "elementary trainer" in Finland. Smoliks were at first painted in both Czechoslovakian and Finnish Orange Red colour paint which were probably not similar to colour used later on Smoliks and Stieglitzs. During bigger overhauls most planes were painted by 5 June 1940 like VL Tuisku trainers and after that as mentioned above. At least one Smolik (SM-152) of Le.Lv.14 used as liaison plane between July and September 1942 is known to have standard Finnish war paint with yellow eastern front markings.
.
.

War Booty

Captured Soviet aircraft (also those bought from Germany) were usually re-painted in Finland according to normal Finnish regulations (see Finnish war paint). The first captured SB bomber (reg. VP-10 -> VP-1 -> SB-1) was originally painted in overall light grey.
.
.
.

**Aircraft Obtained from Germany between 1940 - 1944**
.
Aircraft model/ German paint	Basic upper surface colour(s) Original name in English (original name) FS No. .	Additional upper surface colour Original name in English (original name) FS No.	Lower surface colour(s) Original name in English (original name) FS No.
Focke-Wulf FW 44J Stieglitz *) (Swedish style paint)	Dark Grey fuselage, fin, rudder (Pansargrå) FS 26044 Orange flying surfaces (Orans) FS 22473	-	Dark Grey fuselage, fin (Pansargrå) FS 26044 Orange flying surfaces (Orans) FS 22473
Curtiss Hawk 75A Morane-Saulnier M.S.406/410	Dark Green (Dunkelgrün 71) FS 34079	-	Light Blue (Hellblau 65) FS 35414
Dornier Do 17Z ) Junkers Ju 88A-4**	Black Green (Schwartzgrün 70) FS 34050	Dark Green pattern (Dunkelgrün 71) FS 34079	Light Blue (Hellblau 65) FS 35414
Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2/-6/-8	Dark Grey (Dunkelgrau 74) FS 34086	Grey pattern (Mittelgrau 75) FS 36112	Light Grey (Weissblau 76) FS 36473
Heinkel He 59B-2	Dark Green (Grün 72) FS 36081	Green pattern (Grün 73) FS 34092	Light Blue (Hellblau 65) FS 35414

**) At first in January 1942 winter camouflage with black green (at least on one plane dark green) areas painted in white and sharp lines smoothened. War Paint in spring 1942 (plane DN-51 had although aluminium dope bottom).
.
.

[ Finnish Air force Markings 1939 - 1945 ]

.
.
Sources: KESTE31, KESTE33, PARKY1, LEHPE1, POHMA1, KESTE1 - KESTE15, MANPE1
.
.