Something widely known in military aviation is the concept of tagging other forces’ aircraft with stickers, markings, paint or ‘zaps’ without permission, either to score points or for broad military humour.

Though often crudely applied, sometimes they can be very well done, as here. The Avro Vulcan was only ever operated by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) but some careful work by Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) airmen has adapted the RAF red dot into the RNZAF roundel, thus taking over the aircraft! Usually swiftly removed under orders by the nearest authority, often only photos are all that remain to prove these vernacular artworks.

The details of the above artwork are listed on this website and this one as well. Duplicated text, copyright Bill Pearsey:

‘Crew Chief Chf Tech Bill Pearsey poses next to Avro Vulcan B2 XH562 of the NEAF Bomber (Akrotiri) Wing at RAF Masirah in March 1972. 562 was returning from a trip to New Zealand where it had been most spectacularly ‘zapped’ by personnel of the RNZAF. The squadron badge on the nosewheel door is that of No 75 Squadron RNZAF. Bill Pearsey remembers:

‘”The ‘vandalism’ was done at Ohakea. Even the station commander was involved. We threatened to fly under Sydney Harbour Bridge on the way back. We had arrived at Ohakea on the Monday; the following day we were taken on a trip to Roturua in a VIP Dakota. They were just removing the steps that they used to paint the kiwi as we arrived back in the evening. On the Wednesday we flew down to Christchurch. Some Yanks came to ask us how long us Kiwis had been operating Vulcans and my mate told them that 562 was the first of 94 that we were getting. Some months after I arrived back in Akrotiri I received a very large envelope containing a photo of a squadron of 9 Kiwi Vulcans flying over Ohakea control tower. It was definitely the best trip I ever did.”‘

James Kightly, Vintage Aero Writer.

Image via linked files above.