noelh Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 (edited) I agree with Tony it is in part an attempt to impress the powers that be. Clearly this was cleared at a high level in the RAF with an eye to the current situation. I'm not a fan though mainly because I don't really like special schemes. I do like the roundel on the tail but perhaps they're trying to hard with the rest. Less is more in my view. But it's no worse than Mini Coopers with Union flag roofs and tailights. 'Cool Britannia' as such. I think to interpret it as otherwise is wrong and reading too much into it. Edited June 2, 2021 by noelh 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 I admit I'm fairly ambivalent towards it. The scheme looks alright but I acknowledge that it's difficult for some of us not to regard it cynically. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lasermonkey Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 I'd have gone for "elegantly understated", myself. I think it looks like a car wrapper has gone all-out on it. Sometimes less really is more. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 12 hours ago, noelh said: I do like the roundel on the tail but perhaps they're trying to hard with the rest. Less is more in my view. 4 hours ago, Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies said: I admit I'm fairly ambivalent towards it. The scheme looks alright but I acknowledge that it's difficult for some of us not to regard it cynically. Agreed with both of these. I like the simpler tail design, I think there's just a bit much going on with the rest. I really liked the 2012 Hawk and Tucano display colours specially done for the Jubilee, the union flag lends itself well to interesting schemes. I just find the new Typhoon scheme looks like a child's toy with stickers on it! Obviously it's all subjective! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobsyouruncle Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 Oh dear, look away, here comes my tuppence worth. If the budget can stretch to it, then I'm very happy to see something that's a bit colourful (I find it a real shame that we've lost a lot of squadron markings these days). I think the underside looks better than the top because the colourful area encompasses more of the whole aircraft shape and it looks quite photogenic to me. In that way it reminds me a little of the 311 Gruppo Italian Tornado from the 2017 display season. I'm guessing that the design's restricted in that they probably wouldn't want certain areas of the aircraft painting (radome for example), but the upper and sides look a little 'stop, start' to me because of this? I personally preferred the previous Squadron designs rather than the Union Flag but 'get the idea' that they are probably wanting to represent the Air Force rather than just one Squadron (maybe I just like to see something that's completely unexpected and different- I really liked the 'XXX' schemes from a few years back and something perhaps with a large design based on their 'Eagle duelling with a Buzzard' badge could've looked awesome?). I also think the Hawks from 2010 and 2012 did the Union flag thing slightly better (IMHO), as they were more 'wraparound', but then like I say, they've probably done more or less what they could, this time with a view to budget and the other airframe restrictions. Getting slightly even pickier, (with a 'Brian Sewell art critic head' on), I also understand that they'll have painted the canards with smaller individual union flag designs because they'll look better when seen on the ground when they're drooping down, but they look a little odd when looking at the airframe as a whole and for my personal tastes, I'd have wanted something that fit in with a 'whole of the aircraft' colour scheme instead? I don't know. Just how picky can I get? I should shut up get back out into the real world and get back to putting patients on ambulances. I'd still be dead chuffed to see it doing it's thing and get the chance to take some shots of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blimpyboy Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 (edited) I reckon it's a nice, colourful scheme, and somewhat fitting for a warplane from a proud country; but... (and politically-related cynicism aside) the flag-related 'branding'/wrapping/waving thing is really getting old. What's happened to the professionally-understated British self-confidence and quiet pride? Given the diversity of squadrons that are (still, for now) in RAF service, it would be nice to see at least one aircraft from each unit done up with the old-fashioned squadron bar markings (and big ones, at that)! Edited June 3, 2021 by Blimpyboy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalkeEins Posted June 15, 2021 Share Posted June 15, 2021 ..looks great IMO far more 'attractive' than some of the garish, gaudy schemes seen (for example) on French Rafales over the past few years.. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exdraken Posted June 15, 2021 Share Posted June 15, 2021 I a 4 hours ago, FalkeEins said: ..looks great IMO far more 'attractive' than some of the garish, gaudy schemes seen (for example) on French Rafales over the past few years.. I actually quite like most of the Rafale demo schemes! they are definitely a bit more artistic and there are lots of Tigermeet/Squadron related specials the RAF Typhoons had one good special.. the Spitfire camo was great imho! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLC1966 Posted June 15, 2021 Share Posted June 15, 2021 Yep, like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushande Posted June 16, 2021 Share Posted June 16, 2021 (edited) As a non-British member I have no right in judging any design based on the Union Flag but I confess, as an aviation enthusiast and photographer I am really disappointed that they chose that awesome looking aggressor Typhoon. It looked absolutely menacing in flat black with some lighter bits and that glaring Greenbats logo made it shine eventually. I so hoped it would last until next year so I would be given the chance to see it live hoping to make my way back to the merry island again, so this is really unfortunate for me. Babbling out my opinion about the flag design in public is not my right but I confess I would have rather liked it if the RAF had chosen another line bird for the flag markings and had left the "black menace" in that gorgeous subtle black a while longer. She just looked striking the way she was. Pity. Edited June 16, 2021 by bushande 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuartp Posted July 2, 2021 Share Posted July 2, 2021 It's a damn sight more stylish than some of the gawdy crayon which has appeared in the past - green go faster stripes on grey Buccaneers, almost everything on a Tornado (not painted by a German) etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Ian- Posted July 2, 2021 Share Posted July 2, 2021 (edited) Elements of the scheme are okay but as was said in an earlier comment, less is more, as a whole package it looks a little naff. I like the underside of the wings and the red dorsal spine, not so keen on the upper side of the wings, the tail or the underside of the fuselage and the canards look terrible. Edited July 2, 2021 by -Ian- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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