CAG Bird

With CAG Bird, a plane is called, which in a carrier squadron ( Carrier Air Wing ) of the United States Navy formally the commanding officer ( Commander Air Group CAG ) is assigned. Most of this, highlighted by exceptionally colored markers aircraft is not flown by the CAG.

Each squadron ( Squadron ) of a carrier squadron names a CAG Bird, so that six different CAG Birds are present on a support within an Air Wing. In addition to the striking colors of these aircraft are to be recognized by the fact that the applied at the bow serial number (also called Modex ) within a Squadrons always start with " 00" ends.

History

Whereas until the mid-1920s, the aircraft commanding officers were identified only by attaching a " official seal " or rank insignia, it was then customary to hold until 1934 the hull of such aircraft in a dark blue. Also the pennant of Admiral was attached (white stars on a blue field) to the strut between the wings occasionally.

On May 5, 1934, by a working procedure to define the paint " specific planes ." Herein, the color scheme for the machinery of "Flag Officers " and for those of commanding officers was (including aircraft carriers ) described. Then the forward fuselage should be kept to the rear of the wing root in Admiral Blue for the latter in their aircraft, for other areas of aluminum silver, gold paint and chrome was prescribed. The plane of the CAG should also perform a diagonal strip from the engine to the wing transition and caption Air Group Commander under the cockpit. For the strip was prescribed as the color specified color of the Air Group.

In November 1946, an aircraft identification in the U.S. Navy has been introduced which have substantially the same form today valid system of three-digit Modexnummern. Here, the Air Group Commander received a full hundred number as identification. On August 4, 1948, determined simultaneously with the system is expanded from four to nine squadrons that the CAG within the Air Group allocated only once Bugnummer "00" or alternatively another number to get below 100. Thus, in addition to the "00" F4U Corsair also with the identifier " 01" and a F8F Bearcat with the "0" mark known. Full of hundreds of numbers (100, 200, ... ) were not awarded. Of the 1946-48 valid system was introduced in March 1955 and again that the only CAG Bird of Air Group is assigned a number from this range of numbers.

Probably 1955 was introduced, not only that a CAG Bird may exist in the Air Group, but that each Squadron can supply your own CAG Bird. From 1955 to the early 1960s, it was common for an aircraft of the Squadrons in the Air Group Commander was originally used, the identifier " 00" (double nuts) wore.