Swedish military aircraft have never carried “decorations” to the extent common in many other air forces. During its first decades, the Swedish Air Force had seldom any aircraft marked with more than the national insignia and number codes. But in the beginning of the 1940s when the people of the Swedish Air Force realized how richly decorated American fighters and bombers used to be, they felt that they would not be outdone. And - at every air force wing, you could always find some person with artistic talents who was willing to do the job.  

Aircraft were sometimes provided with individual decorations of different kinds and in general quite small, but the most common thing was to mark the aircraft with a squadron insignia. This “artwork” was most common during 1942-1952.  

The squadron insignia was painted directly on the aircraft, but the artistic quality was perhaps not always the best. The result varied often more or less from aircraft to aircraft. The high ranks in the Air Force were never fond of this kind of decorations and finally it became totally banned. In spite of this, some aircraft were still provided with home made squadron badges etc. Forbidden fruit…  

Instead it became common that the pilots began to embellish their helmet with a decal of their squadron badge. In the eighties, squadron badges began to return on many aircraft, but this time more unobtrusive than in the past and of a higher artistic quality.  

Another matter is the insignia of an air force wing – common to all squadrons. It is normally based on the official arms of the unit and has an official status. In the beginning of the 1950s, an “Air Force standard style” was adopted and a real artist was used to design the insignia. In the 1960s a number of Wing insignia was introduced, which were not based on the arms of the units.

Also other units as the Test Establishment (FC), the Missile Testing Range at Vidsel (RFN) etc. got their own insignia.  

Click on the thumbnail of the coat of arms below to see squadron badges etc. The collection is far from complete, but my aim is that it will be one day. “With a Little Help from My Friends”…  

www.avrosys.nu