Age of Blue Angels patch

[Steverino]

Hello,

 

I am posting a Blue Angels patch I have owned for 20 years, and it has been in other collections before mine (different color paper on the back). I want to list the patch on eBay but I want to provide as much info about it as I can.

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Patch Johnson

[Siamundo]

Hi Patch, I think your Blue Angels patch might date from the 1974 to 1986 era when the team was flying the A-4 Skyhawk. I do not remember where I learned this, but I told years ago that the aircraft pictured on a Blue Angels patch were always the silhouettes of the aircraft the team was flying at that time. I have a couple of different team patches from different eras and the planes are definitaly different. I believe the aircraft on your patch are the A-4. Here is a list I pulled of the aircraft the team has flown and the dates they were in use.

Cheers

 

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat – June–August 1946

Grumman F8F-1 Bearcat – August 1946–1949

Grumman F9F-2 Panther – 1949 – June 1950 (first jet);

Grumman F9F-5 Panther – 1951-Winter 1954/55

Grumman F9F-8 Cougar – Winter 1954/55-mid-season 1957 (swept-wing)

Grumman F11F-1 Tiger – mid-season 1957–1969 (first supersonic jet)

McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II – 1969 – December 1974

A-4F Skyhawk – December 1974 – November 1986

McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F/A-18A-D Hornet – November 1986 – present.

[txican]

im no expert but it looks more like the Grumman Tiger to me.

Andy

[Siamundo]

Hi Andy,

 

Here is another version which I think more closely resembls the F-11 Tiger. The wings are longer and more swept than the A-4 plus the fuselage extends past the tail wings. I think the most recognizable feature of the aircraft on Patch's patch is the tail section of the where therear wings are flush with the tail straight across the back. There is a nice photo on Wikipedia of an A-4 in flight with a nice view of the rear end.

[Steverino]

Hi Andy,

 

Here is another version which I think more closely resembls the F-11 Tiger. The wings are longer and more swept than the A-4 plus the fuselage extends past the tail wings. I think the most recognizable feature of the aircraft on Patch's patch is the tail section of the where therear wings are flush with the tail straight across the back. There is a nice photo on Wikipedia of an A-4 in flight with a nice view of the rear end.

Thank you both for your inputs. I had no idea abou the types of aircraft being depicted on the patch (being USAF myself).

 

Patch Johnson

[TLeo]

I see a resemblence to the A-4 but it also looks a bit like a Phantom. :think: I think it's safe to say it is one of them so that helps to narrow the date.