So, was this the livery you wanted to see . . . ?

[Garry Russell]

The SAS DC 9 was treated the same in that it was the standard livery markings on a metal look fuse.

Although BA did at least paint the bottom.

I did see it at Heathrow lined up among the other stuff and thought it was just naff

Nothing about it....lost all life, it looked like a clean painted model.

Glad they stopped it there and then

I never saw the SAS but from pics it had the same dreary look.


Garry

[speedbird591]

Here's an updated sig for you Ian. No need to say thanks!

What a lovely thought, David :roll: My new sig looks very nice ( ) and I have filed it for later consideration (much later....).

Not a lot of people know, though, that the Chairman of BA at that time was successfully prosecuted for Crimes against Humanity and sentenced to be executed by mobile phone cameras as soon as they were invented. Sadly he ended his days in a facility for the criminally insane before the sentence was carried out. Forced exposure to that livery was later outlawed in the Geneva Convention and agreed unanimously by all signatories. It is rumoured that the punishment cell at Guantanomo Bay is decorated in the red tail scheme, but I can't believe that the CIA would ever stoop to such extremes.

Please keep this information private because if the media get hold of it they will want to illustrate the article and I haven't yet finished my mission of destroying all remaining pictures of it

Ian

[Garry Russell]

That was by far the nicest livery BA has ever had.

At least it used BOAC blue not the drab midnight used later in Landor



Do I assume you are not too keen on it Ian?

Garry

[speedbird591]

Well..... I suppose it did reflect the mood and fashions of the time. Along with flared hipsters and platform soles. And I wore those happily enough (still do on Saturday nights :roll: ). But it looks horribly dated now.

But don't take any notice of me. I liked the World Tails (most of them)

Ian

[petermcleland]

But don't take any notice of me. I liked the World Tails (most of them)

I have to say, they grew on me too!...I still have a set of 747s and Airbusses with World Tails operating in my Heathrow AI and I enjoy watching them :dance:

[Garry Russell]

Some of the World tails were quite nice...but I did dislike it in general as I like to see them lined up all the same.

As to the red tail....Ian it was a major shock and horror time when BEA and BOAC disappeared with the very untouchable (so it seemed) foundation of all things in British Aviation being pulled apart and the livery is symbolic of that moment so is sour I feel on some for that reason

I don't find it looks dated at all, but perhaps I've stayed in that time.

But as to the street fashion, I didn't like them then and still don't now, so perhaps nothing has changed

Liveries are often seen differently once they are gone. When BEA had the Red Square I think I was the only person I knew that loved it.

Generally it was hated with boring and pro Communism often banded about. I was sad when the Flying Jack came about as even though that was nice, it took away my beloved RS. :sad:

Garry

[MALTBY D]

Glad to know you liked it Ian.
Loved the article BTW.

World Tails was a nice idea, but I couldn't help thinking it was all done for the wrong reason.
Very much like the flag is a racist symbol & we'll make more money by distancing ourselves from it.
I suppose it could have been a natural reaction against the 'by Royal appointment' look of the Landor effort.

World tails was quite interesting & clever in that you saw any daft pattern as a BA tail, even though there was no fixed identity. And everyone could have their most & least favourite.

Red tail was a true graphic design classic for me though.
The BEA high speed jack was a brilliant use of the flag for an aircraft tail & to be able to follow that with an even simpler design that probably suited aircraft tails even better. Very good indeed.
Plain dark blue belly & white top, makes it stand out against any background.
Sharp, distinctive, unpretentiously British & just about perfect.

Red tail is more 60s Mod than Glam Rock. Only ever as dated as the national flag, which is a design classic in itself.
For real 70's (flares, platforms et all), look at the corporate identity that Landor was proposing in 1973.
Thankfully rejected by BA, but adapted with great success by The Goodies.



DM

[TobyV]

I must be alone in liking the Landor scheme I think :think: I see it as what red tail should have been (the basic layout is after all almost identical). Its wonderfully formal, upmarket and with the Royal crest on the tail symbolised true Britishness. The "world tails" smacked too much of pandering to political correctness and the dilution of our own culture for the sake of multiculturalism, but perhaps I am reading too much into it

As regards other BOAC/BA/BEA liveries, my faves have to be:

Speed Jack on Trident 1s and 2s
Red tail (or Landor!) on Trident 3s
Golden Speedbird on VC10s and 747-100s

Landor on all the modern stuff, except perhaps Concorde where I quite like the last livery

I also like the early BCal scheme on the VC10 with the golden Lion Rampant :tab:

[petermcleland]

World tails was quite interesting & clever in that you saw any daft pattern as a BA tail, even though there was no fixed identity. And everyone could have their most & least favourite.

David,

As you boarded a "World Tails" aircraft there was a framed poster as you entered the aircraft explaining all about that particular tail with the artist's name and country of origin, along with many interesting details

[les]

Guys,

My dad is the crew chief on the comet and has been working on her for the best part of 8 yrs now, they wanted to go for a metal finish but to do it justice the whole belly would need re skinning. The money or a large bulk of it was donated by the lottery commision, who also assisted with the hanger extension. The lottery commision stated that once the work is finished the comet must be kept undercover. The company who painted her was using a waterbased paint to see if the finish was acceptable as from the pics she looks nice. Hope that clears some views, incidentally you shoud hear some of the horror stories on corrosion my dad told me.

Finally he is trying to find a sorce for the RR decals for the engine cowlings Any ideas, RR dont want to assist. The next step is the interior.