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Airplane Tail Art

Art Work on the Tail Surfaces of European Jets

Art Work on the Tail Surfaces of European Jets

The inscription of art work on military planes dates to World War I, when paintings were usually extravagant company or unit insignia.

Artwork was typically painted on the nose of the plane, and the term "nose art" was coined. Today, complex, well-designed art can be found on the tail surfaces of many aircraft.

Included below is "tail art" from a number of air forces in Europe such as France, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Turkey, Poland, Germany and others, plus more aircraft from additional countries.

All photos were taken by and provided courtesy of DELEHELLE Eric.

F-16 FA-101 of the Belgian Air Force
F-16 FA-101 of the Belgian Air Force

F-16A FA-57, Belgian Air Force, 350th Squadron, spécial livery - "75 years D-Day"
F-16A FA-57, Belgian Air Force spécial livery - 75 years D-Day
F-16 Belgian Air Force spécial livery - "Serving Over 40 Years" (Photo by DELEHELLE Eric)
F-16 Belgian Air Force spécial livery - Serving Over 40 Years

F-16 of the Belgian Air Force ... "75 Years BAF". Luxeuil, France, September, 2021
F-16 of the Belgian Air Force ... 75 Years BAF. Luxeuil, France, September, 2021

F-16 of the Belgian Air Force, 2nd Tactical Wing ... "Flying to the Future"
Luxeuil, France, September, 2021 (Photo by DELEHELLE Eric)
F-16 of the Belgian Air Force ... "Flying to the Future". Luxeuil, France, September, 2021


F-16 of the Belgian Air Force "31 Tigers"
F-16 of the Belgian Air Force "31 Tigers"
F-16 FA-110 of the Belgian Air Force
F-16 FA-110 of the Belgian Air Force

 

 

Saab JAS 39C Gripen 9241 of the Czech Air Force 211 Tactical Squadron
Saab JAS 39C Gripen 9241 of the Czech Air Force 211 Tactical Squadron
Tail art on Saab JAS 39 Gripen 9234 of the Czech Air Force
Saab JAS 39 Gripen 9234 of the Czech Air Force

Dassault Mirage 2000D aircraft of the Armée de l'Ai ... "Argonne" (Photos by DELEHELLE Eric)
Dassault Mirage 2000D of the Armée de l'Air, special livery Dassault Mirage 2000D of the Armée de l'Air, special livery

Dassault Mirage 2000N 125-AM of the Armée de l'Air, special livery
Dassault Mirage 2000N 125-AM of the Armée de l'Air, special livery


Dassault Mirage 2000N 316 of the Armée de l'Air, "1916-2011" special livery
Dassault Mirage 2000N 316 of the Armée de l'Air, 1916-2011 special livery


Dassault Mirage 2000N 316 of the Armée de l'Air, "1916-2011" special livery (DELEHELLE Eric)
Dassault Mirage 2000N 316 of the Armée de l'Air, 1916-2011 special livery


 

Dassault Rafale C (Photos by DELEHELLE Eric)
Dassault Rafale C
Dassault Rafale C
Dassault Rafale C ... Single-seat, Land-based Variant Dassault Rafale C ... Single-seat, Land-based Variant


F-16 of the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF), E-191, "Dannebrog" (Photo by DELEHELLE Eric)
F-16 of the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF), E-191, celebrating 800 years of the Danish flag ... Dannebrog


Alpha Jet Tail Art

Alpha Jet Tail Art ... 1918-2018
Alpha Jet Tail Art Alpha Jet Tail Art


Spanish Air Force AvioJet ... "100,000 Horas" - E.25-18
Spanish Air Force AvioJet ... 100,000 Hours - E.25-18 Spanish Air Force AvioJet ... 100,000 Hours - E.25-18


Swiss Air Forcre - EF2000 142 Sqn (left) and F/A-18 J-5011 (right)
Swiss Air Forcre - EF2000 Swiss Air Forcre - F/A-18 Hornet J-5011


F/A-18 017 of the Swiss Air Force Falcons at St Dizier, France in 2011
F/A-18 017 of the Swiss Air Force Falcons at St Dizier, France

 

German Air Forcre - EF2000 Ghost Tiger (left) and Panavia Tornado (right) (Photos by DELEHELLE Eric)
German Air Forcre - EF2000 Ghost Tiger German Air Forcre - Tornado


F-16 of the Turkish Air Force, 91-0011, Luxeuil, France
F-16 of the Turkish Air Force, 91-0011, Luxeuil, France


Romanian Air Force MIG-21 6487
Romanian Air Force MIG-21 6487
French Air Force Dassault M 2000D
French Air Force Dassault M 2000D
Rafale C 113-GU
Rafale C 113-GU
L39 Albatros ES-TGV - "Top Gun Voltige"
L39 Albatros ES-TGV - "Top Gun Voltige"


Embraer Tucano 312-JU
Embraer Tucano 312-JU


The Patrouille de France paid tribute to Antoine de Saint Exupéry and his Little Prince during 2021. To mark the 75th anniversary of the publication of the Little Prince in France, the Antoine de Saint Exupéry Foundation for Youth and the Air and Space Army (AAE) established an unprecedented partnership by affixing visuals, inspired by the Little Prince's watercolors, to the 10 drifts of the Alpha jets of the Patrouille de France. Shown below are Alpha jets with their special livery, and closeups of the drift designs. (Photos by DELEHELLE Eric)
The Patrouille de France Alpha jet "0" with its special livery honoring Antoine de Saint Exupéry and his Little Prince The Patrouille de France Alpha jet "7" with its special livery honoring Antoine de Saint Exupéry and his Little Prince


Mikoyan MiG-29 6627 of the Polish Air Force
Mikoyan MiG-29 6627 of the Polish Air Force


C-130 CH-07 of the Belgian Air Force, "15th Wing ... 60 Years"
C-130 CH-07 of the Belgian Air Force ... 60 years - 15th Wing

C-130H 752 of the Hellénic Air Force
C-130H 752 of the Hellénic Air Force


C-130 4153 of the Pakistan Air Force ... "Peace Together"
C-130 4153 of the Pakistan Air Force... "Peace Together"

Mikoyan MiG-17 N17HQ ... "The Lord also maketh thunder in the Heavens - Psalms 18:13"
Mikoyan MiG-17 ... "The Lord also maketh thunder in the Heavens - Psalms 18:13"

 

Art Work on the Tails of Modern-Day U.S. Jets

McDonnell-Douglas F-4C Phantom II, 66-0469, Hill Aerospace Museum near Salt Lake City
McDonnell-Douglas F-4C Phantom II, 66-0469


Lockheed F-104A Starfighter 56733 in the markings of the 83rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron
Lockheed F-104A Starfighter in the markings of the 83rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron


F-101B Voodoo, S/N 90426, tail section, near Ellsworth AFB in Rapid City, South Dakota
F-101B Voodoo, S/N 90426, South Dakota Air & Space Museum outside the gate of Ellsworth AFB


SR-71 Blackbird, S/N 61-7975, on display at the March Field Air Museum in California
SR-71, S/N 17975, on display at the March Field Air Museum in California


Air Force Thunderbird No. 6 - McDonnell F-4E Phantom II - S/N 66-0289
Air Force Thunderbird No. 6 - McDonnell F-4E Phantom II - S/N 66-0289


U.S. Navy F-35C Lightning in flight (National Museum of the US Navy Photo)
U.S. Navy F-35C Lightning in flight


U.S. Navy F-14A Tomcat 159848 of the Fighting 14 Tophatters, USS John F. Kennedy
U.S. Navy F-14A Tomcat 159848 of the Fighting 14 Tophatters, USS John F. Kennedy


F/A-18F Super Hornet in flight (US Navy Photo)
F/A-18F Super Hornet in flight