The modern proportion RAF roundel

A roundel in heraldry is any circular shape; in military use it is an emblem of nationality employed on military aircraft and air force flags, generally round and consisting of concentric rings of different colors. However, some corporations and other organizations also make use of roundels in their branding, employing them as a trademark, or logo, such as the famous roundels of BMW ( ), ICI ( ), and the London Underground ( ). Image File history File links RAF-Roundel. ... Image File history File links RAF-Roundel. ... The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. ... An emblem consists of a pictorial image, abstract or representational, that epitomizes a concept - often a concept of a moral truth or an allegory. ... For other senses of this word, see Trademark (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... BMW, or Bavarian Motor Works, is an independent German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Image File history File links ICI.png Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The London Underground is a transit system that serves much of Greater London and some neighbouring areas. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x723, 167 KB) hi what u doing London Underground, sign at Westminster tube station Date: 29th October 2001 20:24 Camera: Olympus C-1 Exposure: 1/30 sec. ...

Heraldry

In heraldry, a roundel is a circular charge. Roundels are among the oldest charges used in coats of arms, dating from at least the twelfth century. Roundels in British heraldry have different names depending on their tincture (colour). Thus, while a roundel may be blazoned by its tincture, e.g., a roundel vert (literally "a roundel green"), it is more often described by a single word, in this case pomme (literally "apple", from the French). Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. ... In heraldry, a charge is an image occupying the field on an escutcheon (or shield). ... A modern coat of arms is derived from the medi val practice of painting designs onto the shield and outer clothing of knights to enable them to be identified in battle, and later in tournaments. ... For a list of words with definitions, see the Heraldic tincture category of words in Wiktionary, the free dictionary In heraldry, tinctures are the colours used to blazon a coat of arms. ... This is an article about Heraldry. ...

metals		colours					neutral
bezant coin	plate silver	hurt berry	torteau cake	pellet gunshot	pomme apple	golpe wound	fountain fountain

In French blazon, a roundel of either metal (or or argent) is a besant, and a roundel of any colour (dark tincture) is a torteau, with the tincture specified. Bezants is a medieval name for gold coins. ... Image File history File links Roundel-or. ... Image File history File links Roundel-argent. ... Image File history File links Roundel-azure. ... Image File history File links Roundel-gules. ... Image File history File links Roundel-sable. ... Image File history File links Roundel-vert. ... Image File history File links Roundel-purpure. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ...

One special example of a named roundel is the fountain. This is depicted as a roundel barry wavy argent and azure. That is, it is not filled in a single tincture, but with alternating horizontal wavy bands of blue and silver (or white). Because the fountain consists equally of parts in a light and a dark tincture, its use is not limited by the rule of tincture as are the other roundels. The first rule of heraldry is the rule of tincture: metal should not be put on metal, nor colour on colour (Humphrey Llwyd, 1568). ...

In their earliest uses, roundels were often strewn (semy) upon the field of a coat of arms, a design with as many names as there are tinctures. For example, a field semy of roundels argent could be called platy; a field semy of roundels sable could be called pellety. The precise number and placement of the roundels in such cases were usually left to the discretion of the artist.

Because of their long use and simple outline, roundels are accorded status as a subordinary charge by most heraldic writers. In heraldry, an ordinary is a simple geometrical figure on the arms, wider than a line or division of the field. ...

The term roundel also describes a circular shield used for heraldic display (as opposed to other forms such as the more common escutcheon or lozenge). An example of arms borne on a roundel is the Coat of Arms of Nunavut. Shield Field Supporter Crest Wreath Mantling Helm Compartment Charge Motto Coat of arms elements Escutcheon is often the term used in heraldry for the shield displayed in a coat of arms. ... A lozengy field, in the arms of the former urban district council of Eastwood, Nottinghamshire The lozenge in heraldry is a diamond-shaped charge (an object that can be placed on the field of the shield), usually somewhat narrower than it is tall. ... The Coat of Arms of the Territory of Nunavut (formally known as The Arms of Her Majesty in Right of Nunavut), was granted by a warrant by Roméo LeBlanc, Governor-General of Canada, dated March 31, 1999, one day before the territory of Nunavut, Canada was created. ...

Use on military aircraft

Eurofighter Typhoon prototype on display at Dubai Air Show 1998. Note the multiple roundels for the air forces: (left to right) Spanish Ejército del Aire, Italian Aeronautica Militare, British Royal Air Force, and German Luftwaffe.

The first use of a roundel on military aircraft was during the First World War by the French Air Service. The chosen design was the French national cockade, which consisted of a blue-white-red emblem mirroring the colours of the Flag of France. Similar national cockades were designed and adopted for use as aircraft roundels by their allies. The British Royal Flying Corps (RFC) abandoned their original painted Union Flags because they looked too much like the German cross and the British soldiers in the trenches had shot at them mistaking them for German aircraft. Instead, British aircraft roundels were eventually designed to use the French colours in reverse, red-white-blue from center to rim, after a short period of using a red-rimmed white circle that closely resembled the roundel, used to this day, by Denmark. This red-white-blue from center to rim roundel design was subsequently adopted by British Imperial air forces with a maple leaf (RCAF), kangaroo (RAAF), and kiwi (RNZAF). During WWI, roundels based on national cockade colours were subsequently adopted by the air forces of other countries, including the U.S. Army Air Service. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1795x1024, 1497 KB) Summary Phot by Paddy Briggs Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1795x1024, 1497 KB) Summary Phot by Paddy Briggs Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Official Eurofighter logo. ... SAF Roundel The Spanish Air Force (Spanish: Ejército del Aire; literally, Army of the Air) is the air force of the Spain. ... Coat of arms of the Italian Air Force The Aeronautica Militare Italiana (AMI) is the air force of Italy. ... The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ... The Deutsche Luftwaffe or   (German: air force, literally Air Weapon IPA: ) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... The familiar French military aviation roundel gave rise to similar roundels for air forces all over the world, including that of the United Kingdom (RAF), which reversed the colors on the French roundel. ... The Tricolore cockade of France. ... Flag Ratio: 2:3 The national flag of France (Vexillological symbol: , known in French as drapeau tricolore, drapeau bleu-blanc-rouge, drapeau français, rarely, le tricolore and, in military parlance, les couleurs) is a tricolour featuring three vertical bands coloured blue (hoist side), white, and red. ... The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of World War I. Origin and Early History Formed by Royal Warrant on May 13, 1912, the RFC superseded the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers. ... Flag Ratio: 1:2 The Union Flag (also known as the Union Jack; see discussion below) is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. ... A stylized version of the Iron Cross, the emblem of the Bundeswehr, Germanys Armed Forces. ... The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was the air force of Canada from 1924 until 1968 when the three branches of the Canadian military were merged into the Canadian Forces. ... The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. ... The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) is the air force arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. ... The United States Army Air Service was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. ...

During the Second World War, the red inner circle of RAF-based roundels on planes based in the Asia-Pacific was painted white or light blue, so they would not be confused for the Hinomaru red circle on Japanese planes, still used by the self-defense forces of Japan to this day. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Flag ratio: 2:3 The national flag of Japan, (vexillological symbol: ) known as the Nisshohki (日章旗) or Hinomaru (日の丸 sun disc) in Japanese, is a base white flag with a large red disc (representing the sun) in the centre. ...

A USAF A-10 Warthog with low-visibility roundel on fuselage.

In recent decades, "low-visibility" roundels have been used, especially on active combat types. Low-visibility roundels usually have subdued, low-contrast colors or stenciled outlines. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1689x1216, 687 KB) USAF OA/A-10A Thunderbolt, nose view while taxying at the Royal International Air Tattoo, Fairford, Gloucestershire, England. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1689x1216, 687 KB) USAF OA/A-10A Thunderbolt, nose view while taxying at the Royal International Air Tattoo, Fairford, Gloucestershire, England. ... Seal of the Air Force. ... The A-10/OA-10 Thunderbolt II, often known as the Warthog, is the first US Air Force aircraft specifically designed for close air support of ground forces. ...

In pop culture

• The roundel, especially the RAF's, has been associated with British pop art of the 1960s, appearing in paintings by Jasper Johns. It became part of the pop consciousness after British rock group The Who started to wear RAF roundels (and Union Flags) as part of their stage apparel at the start of their career. Subsequently it came to symbolise Mods and the Mod Revival.
• Some of Paul Weller's material involves the use of a roundel in psychedelic colours.
• Ben Harper's album Fight For Your Mind uses roundels from several nation's air forces as graphics in the liner notes.
• In the British television series Dr. Who, roundels litter the walls of the Doctor's TARDIS.

Just What Is It That Makes Today’s Homes So Different, So Appealing? (1956) is one of the earliest works to be considered pop art. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... Jasper Johns, Jr. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Flag Ratio: 1:2 The Union Flag (also known as the Union Jack; see discussion below) is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Paul Weller (born John Weller 25 May 1958, Sheerwater, near Woking, Surrey) is an English singer-songwriter. ... Ben Harper (born Benjamin Chase Harper on October 28, 1969 in Claremont, California, USA) is an American musician. ... Fight for Your Mind is a 1995 (see 1995 in music) album by Ben Harper. ... The current TARDIS prop as seen at the BBC Wales reception in 2005. ...

Roundels of national air forces

Albania	Algeria	Angola	Argentina
Armenia	Australia	Austria	Azerbaijan
Bahrain	Bangladesh	Belgium	Benin
Bolivia	Botswana	Brazil	Brunei
Bulgaria	Burkina Faso	Burundi	Cambodia
Cameroon	Canada	Central African Republic	Chile
People's Republic of China	Republic of China (Taiwan)	Colombia	Republic of the Congo
Côte d'Ivoire	Croatia	Cuba	Czech Republic
Denmark	Djibouti	Dominican Republic	Ecuador
Egypt	El Salvador	Eritrea	Estonia
Ethiopia	Finland	France	France (naval)
Gabon	Georgia	Germany	Ghana
Greece	Guatemala	Guinea	Guinea-Bissau
Guyana	Hungary	India	Indonesia
Iran	Iraq	Ireland	Israel
Italy	Jamaica	Japan	Jordan
Kenya	Kuwait	Latvia	Lebanon
Libya	Lithuania	Luxembourg	Macedonia
Madagascar	Malaysia	Malta	Mauritania
Mexico	Montenegro	Morocco	Myanmar
The Netherlands	New Zealand	Niger	Nigeria
North Korea	Norway	Pakistan	Panama
Peru	Philippines	Poland	Portugal
Qatar	Romania	Russia	Rwanda
Saudi Arabia	Senegal	Serbia	Sierra Leone
Singapore	Slovenia	Somalia	South Africa
South Korea	Spain	Sri Lanka	Sudan
Suriname	Sweden	Switzerland	Syria
Tanzania	Thailand	Togo	Tunisia
Turkey	Uganda	Ukraine	United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom	United Kingdom (low visibility)	United States	Venezuela
Vietnam	Yemen	Zambia	Zimbabwe

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Algeria_A-F_Roundel. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Argentina-roundel. ... Image File history File links Armenian_Air_Force_roundel. ... Image File history File links RAAF-Roundel. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Azerbaijan_Air_Force_roundel. ... Image File history File links Royal_Bahraini_Air_Force_roundel. ... Image File history File links Bangladeshi_Air_Force_roundel. ... Image File history File links Roundel_of_the_Belgian_Air_Force. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Brazilian_Air_Force_roundel. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Bulgarian_Air_Force_roundel. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Royal_Cambodian_Air_Force_roundel. ... Image File history File links Roundel_of_the_Cameroonian_Air_Force. ... Image File history File links RCAF-Roundel. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Chilean_Air_Force_roundel. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Republic_of_China_National_Emblem. ... Motto none Anthem National Anthem of the Republic of China Capital Taipei (formerly and de jure Nanking) Largest city Taipei Official languages Standard Mandarin (GuóyÇ”) Government Semi-presidential system  -  President Chen Shui-bian  -  Vice President Annette Lu  -  Premier Chang Chun-hsiung Establishment Xinhai Revolution   -  Independence declared October 10, 1911... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Czech_roundel. ... Image File history File links Royal_Danish_Air_Force_Roundel. ...