Airplane Tail Art

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-16A FA-57, Belgian Air Force, 350th Squadron, spécial livery - "75 years D-Day"

F-16 Belgian Air Force spécial livery - "Serving Over 40 Years" (Photo by DELEHELLE Eric)

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 "31 Tigers"

F-16 FA-110 of the Belgian Air Force

 

 

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

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

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 (DELEHELLE Eric)

 

Dassault Rafale C (Photos by DELEHELLE Eric)

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

Alpha Jet Tail Art

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

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

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

 

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

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

Romanian Air Force MIG-21 6487

French Air Force Dassault M 2000D

Rafale C 113-GU

L39 Albatros ES-TGV - "Top Gun Voltige"

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)

Mikoyan MiG-29 6627 of the Polish Air Force

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

C-130H 752 of the Hellénic Air Force

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"

 

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

Lockheed F-104A Starfighter 56733 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

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

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

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