AIR LINES: A Stunning Aircraft Livery Design

Extravagant and Unique

Made up of five colors, with four of them fading from the front door to the last window, AIR LINES reveals its intricate design details as passengers approach the aircraft for boarding. The body of the aircraft is adorned with a series of 150 vertical six-stripe sets, ranging from six millimeters to three centimeters in width. These stripes gracefully appear from window to window, transitioning from white to full color. Even the engines feature the same striping and fading effect, elegantly shaping the lines around the irregular barrel form of the nacelles.

The realization of this design was a meticulous process. Utilizing 3D Studio Max, Maya, Mental Ray, and the Adobe suite of tools, the design was meticulously planned and executed. Laser lines tools, old-fashioned plumblines, and special stencils with multiple masking features were used to ensure the paint was applied accurately and on time. Two teams of video controllers and telescopic nacelles were employed to check and guide the work from all angles, ensuring the perfection of the design application.

The design was applied to a Bombardier Global 5000 aircraft, with a length of 29.5 meters and a height of 7.7 meters. The total paint quantity used for this project was an impressive 700 liters, including primer, paint, thinner, hardener, and solvent. Over 500 rolls of masking tape and 2,000 meters of masks and cover paper were used throughout the painting process. A team of 28 painters worked in two shifts to complete this extraordinary design.

AIR LINES is a testament to the immense creativity and technical skill required to transform an aircraft into a work of art. The exterior appearance of an aircraft is often overlooked, but this design showcases the potential for aircraft exteriors to be visually captivating and inviting. The large scale of the aircraft provides a unique canvas for designers like Didier Wolff to create a flying gallery in the sky.

This design project took over three months of work in the studio in Strasbourg, with an additional three months dedicated to the paint stage preparation. The painting itself required six weeks of intense work at the RUAG Paint facilities in Munich. The attention to detail and technical challenges overcome during this project are truly remarkable.

Didier Wolff's research for this design included studying ceramic tiles and color effects throughout history, as well as drawing inspiration from nature and the animal world. The goal was to create a design that emulated the natural patterns, colors, and fading effects found in the animal and mineral kingdoms, resulting in a perfectly imperfect and visually captivating final design.

AIR LINES has received numerous accolades, including the Bronze A' Design Award in 2014. This prestigious award recognizes designs that exhibit strong technical and creative skills, contributing to improvements in quality of life. Didier Wolff's AIR LINES design is a true testament to the fusion of art, science, design, and technology.

Image Credits: Sébastien OGNIER & Sébastien FASTREZ