Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted

While on a recent visit to the USS Yorktown, I noticed that a significant part of the carrier's island is adorned with kill marks from WWII battles. Several of the planes on display also feature these. I don't recall having ever seen a Valkyrie with them, though. Anyone have pictures of them, if they exist? And if not, what would you think they'd look like?

Posted

Note that there's generally two types of kill markings on combat planes:

The pilot's and the plane's. In the real world, pilots don't get to fly "their" plane all that often. Their own kill marks go on "their" plane, but the plane that actually got the kill (regardless of whose it was and who was flying it) also gets a marking.

Generally, pilot's markings are flags or national insignia, but plane's markings are silhouettes or stars.

So if you see a plane with 2 stars on the nose, it means THAT PLANE shot down 2 other planes---maybe 1 pilot did it on a single mission 20 years ago, or 2 different pilots each got one each, a week ago and yesterday.

And you could find planes that have a collection of swastikas, DPRK, and NVAF markings for kills, if the pilot flew in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Note that there's generally two types of kill markings on combat planes:

The pilot's and the plane's. In the real world, pilots don't get to fly "their" plane all that often. Their own kill marks go on "their" plane, but the plane that actually got the kill (regardless of whose it was and who was flying it) also gets a marking.

Generally, pilot's markings are flags or national insignia, but plane's markings are silhouettes or stars.

So if you see a plane with 2 stars on the nose, it means THAT PLANE shot down 2 other planes---maybe 1 pilot did it on a single mission 20 years ago, or 2 different pilots each got one each, a week ago and yesterday.

And you could find planes that have a collection of swastikas, DPRK, and NVAF markings for kills, if the pilot flew in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.

Wow, i'd never heard of any of that, thanks for the info DH.

Posted (edited)

you dont see many of them now because not too many countries want to get into a aircraft shooting war with US made planes.

Yeah air-to-air kills by US planes would be presumably rare these days but what about ground kills? Like if the plane took out an enemy tank would it be marked?

Great thread.

Edited by MilSpex
Posted

Yeah air-to-air kills by US planes would be presumably rare these days but what about ground kills? Like if the plane took out an enemy tank would it be marked?

Great thread.

I've seen tank - even locomotive - markings on World War II aircraft, but not modern ones that I can recall. Doesn't mean it doesn't happen, I just haven't seen any personally.

Posted

Check Desert Storm kill marks! You'll find camels and bicycles. :)

Now, for ground kills, only the plane used gets a kill mark, not the pilot/pilot's plane. Of course, in Macross, every pilot gets to fly his custom-painted plane all the time. :) (Unless you fly a CF)

More often nowadays, they show the weapon used, not the object destroyed. Modern F-14/16 markings will usually show rows of JDAM's, a few Paveways, etc.

Posted

Check Desert Storm kill marks! You'll find camels and bicycles. :)

"Yup, that camel almost got away. Was a tough fight, but I got the better of the dirty humpback in the end."

Posted (edited)

Check Desert Storm kill marks! You'll find camels and bicycles. :)

Now, for ground kills, only the plane used gets a kill mark, not the pilot/pilot's plane. Of course, in Macross, every pilot gets to fly his custom-painted plane all the time. :) (Unless you fly a CF)

More often nowadays, they show the weapon used, not the object destroyed. Modern F-14/16 markings will usually show rows of JDAM's, a few Paveways, etc.

thats so cool. How come you`re such an expert btw?

and JBO its common for insurgents/taliban to fire ground to air shoulder fired missiles from camelback.

Edited by MilSpex
Posted

thats so cool. How come you`re such an expert btw?

and JBO its common for insurgents/taliban to fire ground to air shoulder fired missiles from camelback.

Gone are the days of the Red Baron & Erich Hartmann, there are no such things as dogfights nowadays ! In the Future, it would be even more disgusting, two oponents flying remote controlled UAVs to duke it out from the Ground ! You would get a medal from shooting the other UAV from the ground !

Posted

So then... hypothetically speaking, if one were to choose a uniform theme for Macross dogfighting kill marks for fighters, what form would they take? Battlepods? Or perhaps Zentraedi flag logos?

Posted

Since the setting would be "active war" probably, go with battlepods. Flags usually show up later, when there's time to get fancy and paint. But silhouettes can be spray-painted with a stencil in 10 secs.

Posted

and JBO its common for insurgents/taliban to fire ground to air shoulder fired missiles from camelback.

I know they weren't just going hunting with a REALLY fancy rifle. But it's funnier that way.

Be honest, you laughed at the idea of a Tomcat launching a Sidewinder up a camel's "tailpipe" too.

Posted

In the Rogue Squadron comics, Wedge Antilles' kills are seperated by type.

TIE Fighters

TIE Interceptors

TIE Bombers

And his crowning glory, two Death Stars.

Posted

I know they weren't just going hunting with a REALLY fancy rifle. But it's funnier that way.

Be honest, you laughed at the idea of a Tomcat launching a Sidewinder up a camel's "tailpipe" too.

I always prefer to shoot my sidewinder up a camel's toe. :ph34r:

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...