"Personal markings on SPAD XIII's in 94th Aero Squadron" Topic

I am trying to determine if the various pilots of the American 94th Aero Squadron had any personal markings on their planes besides the Hat in the Ring squadron marking? Every print of reference of Eddie Rickenbacker's SPAD shows a red cowling, but am not sure if that was unique to him or was standard throughout the squadron? Were there any other individual markings?

Thanks, as my research has not turned up much at all.

Terry

I have only found two photos, one plane with green stripes and a three leaf clover and one with stripes upper and lower wings, will need to get them for you when I get back from holidays in January.

Cheers
Matt

Thanks Matt, appreciate any help I can get! Hope yours is an enjoyable holiday.

Terry

Just done a google search of the books I have

The Hat in the Ring Gang by charlie woooley, The Combat History of the 94th Aero Squadron in WWI" from Schiffer. Tons and tons of photos.

Windsock International, Volume 18 No. 1, Jan/Feb 2002, Featured photos of five wartime SPAD's of the 94th Aero, as well as some of the postwar "Showbirds". Bob Pearson contributed color profiles and plan views of about 6 of the Showbirds.

Matt

The cowling markings were usually by flight, so 1st flight would all have X, 2nd flight would have Y, etc.

Personal markings for the 94th were fairly rare, other than Eddie's (and others') use of the Liberty Bond poster on the wing of the Nieuport 28.

Try also this wp.scn.ru/en/ww1/f/255/3 and this wp.scn.ru/en/ww1/f/760/3

The Osprey American Aces book will be of help as well.

Well, I love the eyes painted on one 94th Spad's engine covers. [Those cowling bumps on both sides.]

In general the cowlings, sometimes tail fin & wheel covers were in Flight colours – 1st – red, 2nd – white, 3rd – blue. The first 8 or so aircraft were in 1st, 9 to 16 in 2nd & 17 to 24 in 3rd.
As more aircraft were acquired they were numbered up to #30 and appear to have been assigned to the Flights somewhat at random.
Personal markings were usually quite minimal.
A few I've found:
Rickenbaker had white numbers instead of the normal yellow.
# 2 had a red diamond on the fuselage.

The "Showbirds" marking were very exotic but were done for an airshow after the war in 1919.

Thank you all for the replies. Unfortunately I stopped my Windsock and Data File subscription with volume 17, so won't be able to look at the article in 18.1.

Yes, the post war birds were quite colorful, but I am looking at a model for the war years. Is there anything firm on the cowling colors for Flights, or is that assumption?

Terry