Andy44
owner: Oil Creek Astronautix
That's okay. Navy and Marine squadrons use 2-letter codes on their tails to represent squadrons, and these codes do not necessarily have anything to do witht he actual squadron name, designation, or aircraft type.
In the picture of the Harrier above, you can just make out what looks like "NL" on the tail fin. The actual squadron designation is located in black lettering on the aft fuselage aft of the wing and forward of the horizontal stabilizer, in smaller lettering. Underneath that appears to be the squadron's nickname in capital letters, although this is not always there. Also, if the aircraft is on detatched duty to another squadron, the other squadron's unit designation gets painted onto the airplane for the duration of the attachment. Thus you may see photos of a Harrier with a helicopter squadron's number on the side, because on a ship the medium helo squadron is usually the parent unit of a composite squadron.
On the nose of the Harrier you see a number "15" which is the "bird number" used within the squadron to keep track of individual airplanes. Tradition has it that "01" is the squadron commander's bird (he is a major or Lt. Col., in WWII he might have been a captain), "00" (double nuts) is the Marine Aircraft Group commander's aircraft (this is a full-bird colonel), and if you see "000" (triple nuts), that is the Marine Aircraft Wing commanding general's aircraft (usually a 1- or 2-star general). Once I went to an airshow in North Carolina and the commander of 2nd MAW was flying the Harrier demonstration; his bird had the 000. Nothing like seeing an old pro show you how it' done!
Anyway, it appears that for the fictional Moonraker space squadron, they altered tradition a bit and put a number "1" on the tail fin of the orbiter instead of on the side of the nose. Plus it's in the movie, so you've got to stick with it.
PS: The US Navy is a little different: The unit the Marines call a "group" (Marine Aircraft Group, or MAG), consists of several squadrons, but in the Navy, the equivalent unit is called a Carrier Air Wing, or CAW, and is commanded by an officer of equivalent rank, who generally gets a 00 on his bird. He is traditionally called the "CAG", because this unit used be called a "Carrier Aircraft Group". Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
In military aviation, both US and elsewhere, the words "group" and "wing" are not always easy to pin down. During WWII, the USAAF had squadrons, groups, and wings, nowadays I think they skip group and go right to wing in many cases. (Just like the US Army skips regiment and goes right from battalion to brigade-level units, while the USMC still has, and probably always will have, real infantry regiments).
Confused enough? :lol: Just make it look like the one in the movie and we'll all be happy!
