Ejection Seat Triangles

[AeroplaneDriver]

Doing research for my 50s GB Canuck, I'm wondering if anyone knows when the now-ubiquitous red triangle ejection seat warnings came into universal use?   I cant find a single pic of a 50s US aircraft with them, but they appear on 50s British aircraft.  Just got me wondering.  Anyone know?

[Old Wombat]

No idea, mate, but it's a good question!

[Wardukw]

I did some quick net hunting and found the triangles on F-100 super Sabres and F-104 starfigthers ..but here's one thing tho..on early 104s no triangle but on some from 1958 you can see the triangle.
So ya can kinda guess that they came in the mid 50s as like you Nick couldn't find any early 50s jets with them on.

[Nigel Bunker]

I think they became standard when NATO issued it's set of standard symbols for marking on aircraft (earth points, refuelling points, lift here symbols, etc.) which I think came in in the 1960s. I remember an article in Airfix Magazine in the late 60s/early 70s which listed the markings.

[AeroplaneDriver]

I think they became standard when NATO issued it's set of standard symbols for marking on aircraft (earth points, refuelling points, lift here symbols, etc.) which I think came in in the 1960s. I remember an article in Airfix Magazine in the late 60s/early 70s which listed the markings.

I was assuming it was a NATO standard that appeared at some time. Early 60s makes sense as that is when US aircraft seem to begin displaying them.

[PR19_Kit]

..but here's one thing tho..on early 104s no triangle but on some from 1958 you can see the triangle.

Didn't the early 104s have downward ejection seats? Maybe they didn't reckon warnings were needed if the things would only hit the ground, and a 104 was so low you couldn't get under there anyway.

[Old Wombat]

..but here's one thing tho..on early 104s no triangle but on some from 1958 you can see the triangle.

Didn't the early 104s have downward ejection seats? Maybe they didn't reckon warnings were needed if the things would only hit the ground, and a 104 was so low you couldn't get under there anyway.

Still has live ordnance, whether it shoots you up or down, so things can still go "BANG!" rather violently

[PR19_Kit]

Still has live ordnance, whether it shoots you up or down, so things can still go "BANG!" rather violently

Yeah, but if the ground is the only thing in the way, my money's on the ground winning................ 

[Old Wombat]

Yes, but an aircraft technician leaning into the cockpit, or sitting in it, to do maintenance wouldn't care either way ....... Well, not for long.

[Wardukw]

Kit it is very ture that the early 104s had downward firing ejection seats ..that was cause of the high tail of the 104 ..in the early days they didn't have rockets firing the seats out so firing down was easier with only small charges used..later ones I believe had the much more powerful seats which went up so that could be the reason right there for the triangles.
The B52 still uses 2 downward firing seats..for the navigator and radar navigator.

[The Rat]

Speaking of those red triangles... Someone needs to make a decal sheet of just those, in various scales, because I've lost count of the number I've ruined trying to get them on.     

[Gondor]

Speaking of those red triangles... Someone needs to make a decal sheet of just those, in various scales, because I've lost count of the number I've ruined trying to get them on.     

They do

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/DMK7204?result-token=OIpNm

Gondor

[The Rat]

They do

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/DMK7204?result-token=OIpNm

Gondor

    

[Mossie]

I've had a look through airliners.net as you can search by year.  First year they start to appear on USAF aircraft is 1958 on newer type such as F-104, F-105, YB-52, T-33. The first year one appears on a RCAF aircraft is 1955 on a Cannuck, but I can't find another in the fifties, especially on US aircraft (a 1961 CF-104 doesn't have them). 

I'd assume that if your Cannuck is Canadian built it'd have the, but US built it wouldn't.