Aerographics offers experienced livery and paint scheme design services to aircraft owners and operators. Aircraft livery is a set of comprehensive insignia comprising colour, graphic and typographical identifiers that private and corporate owners apply to their aircraft.
As aircraft liveries evolved in the years after the Second World War, they became a leading subset of the emerging disciplines of corporate identity and branding and among the most prominent examples of fashion. They have provided an arena for the work of distinguished graphic designers like Raymond Loewy (Air Force One), Alexander Girard (Braniff International Airlines) and Alexander Calder (Braniff). The term is an adaptation of the word livery: the uniform-style clothing worn by servants of wealthy families and government representatives until the early- to mid-20th Century.
Aerographics has provided these services to individual aircraft owners, fleet operators, airlines and vintage warbird operators in North America.
Dassault Falcon 900EX C-GWFM
Painting a multi-million dollar long range business jet is an expensive and time consuming proposition, not taken lightly by owners and their aircraft managers. This elegant tri-engined Dassault is one of the premier jets in its class and the owner wanted a new scheme in his corporate colours of red and blue. While the owner wanted the scheme to be both unique and elegant, we were cognisant of two factors which required a more reserved hand in the design. Owners who value their privacy often seek anonymity in their travels and a too-audacious scheme would attract more attention than desired. As well, when it comes time to sell the aircraft, a unique-but-understated design will appeal to a greater resale market.
Special thanks to Craig Barnett of Scheme Designers for the 3-D modelling of the concept.
Photo: Dale Klippenstein
DHC-2 Beaver C-GUPM
Arguably the finest and most luxurious de Havilland Beaver in existence, C-GUPM won a coveted Silver Lindy Award in the Seaplane Category at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s 2018 AirVenture at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. We worked with interior designer Diane Cramphin of Boston, Massachusetts and Port Aircraft Interiors of Langley, BC to create a sophisticated, understated and comprehensive design for the exterior that resonated with the interior and respected the classic lines of this remarkable aircraft design. The Beaver is often called a “flying pick-up truck” for its utility and strength. C-GUPM, with Cramphin’s exquisite interior design and Port’s world-class work, is more a “flying Range Rover.”
Photography: Dale Klippenstein | Colin Rogal
Historic Warbird Markings
Over the past 15 years, Aero has conducted extensive research for a number of vintage warbird restorations, created historically accurate marking stencils and instructions, and oversaw the painting of many aircraft of the Michael U. Potter Collection of Historic Canadian aircraft. Aero can conduct similar research and produce high-quality stencils and markings for your warbird restoration.
Fleet Finch – dedicated to S/L Hart Finley
Fairchild Cornell Fleet Finch – dedicated to F/L Archie Pennie
North American Harvard 4 – dedicated to P/O John Gillespie Magee
Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX – dedicated to F/L Arnold Roseland
Brewster FG-1D Corsair – dedicated to Lt. Robert Gray
Hawker Hurricane Mk. XII – dedicated to F/O William McKnight
De Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk
Westland Lysander – dedicated to Sgt. Cliff Stewart
Canadair F-86 Sabre – Centennial of Flight Markings
Photography: Peter Handley
AirStar Helicopters – MD-600N N605AS
In 1996, the launch customer for McDonnell-Douglas’ (later Boeing) new MD-600N NOTAR helicopter (a stretched eight-seat development of the MD-500) was AirStar Helicopters of the Grand Canyon. N605AS was the first off the line with a paint scheme designed by Aerographics and was the poster child for the new type, appearing in advertising and collateral material for a number of years. The original design called for a burgundy red fuselage and a silver tail boom, but the colours were reversed to avoid exhaust staining on the lighter colour.
Photography: McDonnell-Douglas, Mesa, AZ
Photo: Bill Campbell
Eurocopter EC-120 C-GKWN
Custom-painted in deep blue with silver tiger stripes and emblazoned with the Washington Companies’ distinctive ‘W’ on its Fenestron tail.
Photography: Bill Campbell, BCAvPics
de Havilland DGC-2 Turbo Beaver C-FMDI
Designed for Claude Malette of CMA Engineering , Timmins, Ontario
de Havilland DGC-2 Beaver CF-OSB
Design concepts for Claude Malette of CMA Engineering , Timmins, Ontario
DHC-2 Beaver C-GXPM
De Havilland Beaver C-GXPM was our first design for the classic utility aircraft. The client, a wealth software entrepreneur and accomplished pilot with a sophisticated design sense and a deep respect for history, wanted the design for his amphibious Beaver (a former Kenyan Air Force aircraft) to reflect the design vernacular of the 1950s and 60s when the DHC-2 was in full production. The “Arrowhead” design, unique among the many hundreds of Beavers still flying today, carries through to the Whipline amphibious floats.
Van’s RV-6 C-FSPB
The Van’s series of kit-planes is one of the most popular in the world (+10,000 aircraft sold) and the feisty little RV-6 is one of its best sellers. When test-pilot Rob Erdos and his wife Debbie were looking for a new paint scheme for their RV-6, they had only one design directive—“Make it red!” With that in mind, Aero developed a simple design that brought the red to the forefront. Based on the parabolic lines on an airline route map found at the back of most in-flight magazines, the concept has garnered much positive response wherever this little hot rod lands. Presently, the aircraft is based on Vancouver Island.
Van’s RV-7A C-FIJT “Merrilee”
Pilot, owner and builder Alex Loewen of Steinbach, Manitoba wanted his new RV-7A to reflect his love and support of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets hockey team and his respect for the Royal Canadian Air Force. Using only the palette from the Jet’s brand guide, we created a joyful homage to two Winnipeg icons—the hometown Jets and the RCAF’s Air Command Headquarters.
Photography: Rick Hiebert, Action Plus Photo
Photo: Heath Moffatt
Slave Lake Helicopters EC-120B C-GSLK
Working with Eurocopter’s Canadian head office, Aero was the go-to company to create distinctive livery designs for clients purchasing helicopters direct from the assembly line. Slave Lake was already committed to its deep green and silver green accent colours and script font applied to earlier designs. We were contracted to design a new and bold scheme using these colours for C-GSLK, an EC-120B helicopter just then coming off the line. Since the completion of C-GLSK, the entire fleet is now painted in the same scheme.
Photography: Heath Moffatt Photography | John Olafson
Photo: Wikipedia Commons
Nationair Airlines—1986 to 1993
Hey, it was the 80s, what can we say. This throwback livery looks completely dated, but at the time, we were pretty excited to be working with MediaPlus and Don Masters to execute a livery for a new airline based in Montreal. Nationair got off the ground in1986 with much fanfare but was bankrupt seven years later. Nationair operated charter as well as scheduled passenger services in the late 1980s and early 1990s from bases in Montreal and Toronto, with seasonal bases in Quebec City as well as flights out of Hamilton, Ontario to London, England. At one point, Nationair was Canada's third largest airline, after Air Canada and Canadian Airlines International. Following a protracted strike of its employees and a crash of one of its DC-8s in Jeddah which killed 291, the airline stopped operations in 1993.
Murphy Aircraft at Oshkosh 2022
Custom paint schemes for Murphy Rebel (top) and Murphy Moose for Murphy Aircraft at Oshkosh 2022. Eight concepts for each aircraft were submitted, one was chosen and applied to both aircraft.
