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VIP Voyager paint job complete.


EwenS

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That's a very smart scheme although I'm not totally sure about the "UNITED KINGDOM" legend being presented in gold; I wonder if we'll see one of the decal manufacturers reproduce the markings in due course.

 

Perhaps when it's appropriate it will be christened with a suitable name.

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That was quick!

 

It puts the mockers on my chances, too.  I was a bit surprised at the cost, so I was doing to ask everyone on here who’s piled into Halfords Appliance White in the last few weeks to donate theirs, then offer to do it for half a million and cut everyone in on the profits.  And I think we’d have done a classier job than that, too.  Bit gaudy, innit?

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The reported cost was not all taken up by paint, the aircraft also had quite a serious servicing. As for the paint it first had to have its old paint stripped back to bare metal (and plastic) so that inspection/repair/modifications could be carried out. Then its a coat of primer followed (presumably) by the Infra Red undercoat (black!) which is something your everyday airliner doesn't get before the top coat goes on. The markings could be paint but more likely they are a vinyl wrap.

The A330 is not a small beast and frankly I'd be more interested in the acreage covered, the volume of paint used along with the not inconsiderable weight of it all rather than the cost. That I'll leave to the media who like to mis-report things so as to create dissent amongst the masses, which the media can report on thus justifying the salaries they don't deserve. 

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Anyone else notice a length of what semed to be blue paper roll that suddenly appeared in the vicinity of the port tailplane as the aircraft started to rotate? 

It wasn't visible around the tailplane root or leading edge as it was taxiing along the runway, but at 2:58 it suddenly flew up in the air, and certainly didn't look to come from the runway surface - though that's where it fluttered down to. Hopefully someone did a FOD sweep and retrieved it afterwards...

Edited by andyf117
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1 hour ago, Aeronut said:

he reported cost was not all taken up by paint, the aircraft also had quite a serious servicing. As for the paint it first had to have its old paint stripped back to bare metal (and plastic) so that inspection/repair/modifications could be carried out. Then its a coat of primer followed (presumably) by the Infra Red undercoat (black!) which is something your everyday airliner doesn't get before the top coat goes on. The markings could be paint but more likely they are a vinyl wrap.

Alright, you’ve convinced me.  I’ll knock my bid down to £400,000 and I’ll clean all the glass at no extra cost.

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10 minutes ago, pigsty said:

Alright, you’ve convinced me.  I’ll knock my bid down to £400,000 and I’ll clean all the glass at no extra cost.

Can you check the oil and the tyres while you're at it?

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In terms of personal taste - The 'United Kingdom' titles would, I think, be better as 'Royal Air Force' (if 'Transport Command' were added, even better...), but if it had to be 'United Kingdom', another colour might have been better. The serial number is also a bit large, I'd suggest. Otherwise, hardly as horrendous as some were predicting.

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2 hours ago, andyf117 said:

Anyone else notice a length of what semed to be blue paper roll

Kimwipe stuck down between the tailplane and fuselage that came free as the tailplane moved and the Aircraft rotated

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4 minutes ago, bentwaters81tfw said:

Considering she has RR engines, where is the logo on the engine pods?  

It was in the initial design but they have run out of funds!

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Personally, I think the UNITED KINGDOM is unnecessary and just detracts from the coherence of the scheme. I would have thought the Union flag was enough... it has to be one of the most instantly recognisable national flags in the world, surely...?

best,

M.

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Looking at it from a foreigner perspective, I may say that subtle it is not, and maybe in my taste an aircraft carrying the most important VIPs of a state should be a bit more understated, however it is IMHO a very good looking scheme. Not subtle but not excessively weird, has a certain elegance abd a good balance between the colored areas and the mainly white fuselage. I wouldn't mind building a kit in this scheme, I quite like it !

The United Kingdom titles IMHO would have looked better in dark blue, gold does not really fit with the overall scheme, but guess someone had some reason for them, Have to say that I can understand how the aircraft does not carry Royal Air Force titles: afterall whenever this aircraft will fly it will represent the Country as a whole, not the RAF. Even if it's operated by the RAF. The same happens with many other VIP aircraft over the world, starting with the US presidential fleet, whose aircraft carry the titles United States of America and not the USAF titles. Same for the types used by the French air force for similar duties, they carry the titles Republique Francais.

Speaking of the French aircraft, their A-330 actually carries markings that are not too different in concept from the ones applied to the RAF aircraft (large national flag on the tail spreading onto the fuselage).. and also has the titles in gold...

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Loss of taste can be both a symptom and a lasting aftereffect of Covid-19.

 

Perhaps the original scheme with the addition of the new Union Flag effect on the tail and rear fuselage would have been a more impressive option.

 

The overall white has a touch of oligarch's flying bordello and the oversized 'United Kingdom' titles suggest that the flag itself carries little weight.

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15 hours ago, Aeronut said:

The reported cost was not all taken up by paint, the aircraft also had quite a serious servicing.

No it didn't, paint only.

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I don't know. I rather like it. Yes it is a bit bold such as the fuselage titles but it is great to see full colour red white blue D type roundels again !!! Yay!!!  Nice big serial numbers too. Are they under the wings?  Some nay sayers are complaining  the flag is upside down I'm not so sure. With it in a 'swirling ' mode its hard to say.  Far cry from resembling the BA scheme but what its all about is flying the flag for this country as does the BA scheme. A nice corporate style flash down the sides too

Also its not far out being on a par with the Canadian A310/CC-150 VIP scheme.

Great. 

 

 

(As for costs well a lot lot more has been fritted away on less deserving buys.)

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11 minutes ago, Paul J said:

Far cry from resembling the BA scheme but what its all about is flying the flag for this country as does the BA scheme. A nice corporate style flash down the sides too

I think the media would label any white colour scheme with a Union Flag design on the tail as one which "looks like BA".

 

 

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14 hours ago, Paul J said:

  Some nay sayers are complaining  the flag is upside down I'm not so sure. 

I’d say that the nay-sayers don’t understand that the orientation of the flag depends on which side of the fuselage it’s displayed on - they’re showing their ignorance in a rush to score points. 

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