Retro (3rd and final) B747-400 BA's "Landor" livery 1984-1997

[Dog Star]

"To Fly. To Serve"

https://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/travel/ready-to-landor-british-airways-reveals-another-retro-livery-on-boeing-747-as-part-of-centenary-1.832508

[DaveReidUK]

It's not the final one, nor even the final 747. There will be 4 retro schemed aircraft, so one more to come after the Landor - a 747 in the Negus & Negus livery.

[GeeRam]

It's not the final one, nor even the final 747. There will be 4 retro schemed aircraft, so one more to come after the Landor - a 747 in the Negus & Negus livery.

Which Negus scheme, the original 74-81 one with 'British airways' on the upper front fuselage, or the revised 1980-85 one with the larger 'British' only on the upper front fuselage.....??
I would guess the former...?

[DaveReidUK]

Which Negus scheme, the original 74-81 one with 'British airways' on the upper front fuselage, or the revised 1980-85 one with the larger 'British' only on the upper front fuselage.....??
I would guess the former...?

I would too - Negus & Negus probably disowned the latter ... :O

[c52]

I must say I'm sorry there's not to be a Speedjack (final BEA livery) among them.


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/220x147/220px_bea_trident_haafke_292ce6f44bf98ab6baca84ec7f1d6936f78 7e9d2.jpg

[JanetFlight]

In my humble opinion after such amazing retros as BOAC744 and BEA319, this one will lack some interest and magic cause in the past we already had 744 in this Landor livery.
For instance if BA wanna paint an aircraft in classic Landor why not choose on an airplane that was not flying back in those days, such as the 787.
For Negus it makes sense cause if my memory serves me well only old&classic 747 were painted in Negus, not the 744...but painting a 744 in Landor, nahhhhh...but as i first said, only my personnal 2 cents.

[nicolai]

The Landor livery on a 787 would be interesting - because it would show how the extremely angular graphic design would not look good on an aircraft with so many smooth, continuous curves as the 787. Even the cockpit windows are curved on the new aircraft, so you don't get a straight line at the window opposing the straight line of the acute back-stroke of the front end of the cheat line.

In my opinion, the current BA livery ("Chatham Dockyard") works well on the newer aircraft with their larger curves - A380 and 787.

I do notice that BA are not choosing to resurrect the "Ethnic tails".

[beamender99]

I do notice that BA are not choosing to resurrect the "Ethnic tails".
Thank goodness for that!!
What an enormous mistake and cost not just in paint / loss of advertising the brand but also internally and bad publicity including
https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/video/lancashire-blackpool-ext-cms-side-baroness-thatcher-news-footage/815975322

Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher showed her displeasure at the designs by covering one of the new tailfins (Animals and Trees) on a model 747 with tissue paper. She declared, "We fly the British flag, not these awful things" in 1997. Thatcher also indicated with these fins the airline would lose its identity.

Are these the ten worse airline liveries ?
https://tinyurl.com/yyc5ss52

[PAXboy]

I do not miss an opportunity to vote FOR the Ethnic tails. Inspired, brilliant and Unique.

[frangatang]

Not as nice as the trident in the old BEA scheme, nor the vanguard for that matter!

[DaveReidUK]

I do not miss an opportunity to vote FOR the Ethnic tails. Inspired, brilliant and Unique.

They were indeed a brave and bold move, but perhaps not entirely appropriate to be revived as a "retro" scheme.

[Airclues]

I do notice that BA are not choosing to resurrect the "Ethnic tails".

They've already done that with the "Chatham Dockyard" design.

[reverserunlocked]

Pity they don’t go a step further and dig out some of the old liveries of airlines that were absorbed into BA, but I guess they’d rather sweep those old ghosts under the carpet. Some of the airlines in the USA have done this in a nice nod to their heritage though.

Who wouldn’t love to see a BCAL 787, or a Dan-Air A320, or a Cambrian A319? Even the diamond-era British Midland livery would be nice to see again.

[Jackjones1]

Perhaps if we are going for the “ ethnic “ tails we could have the scheme featured on I believe NLZ affectionately known as 2 dogs f*****g!!

[DaveReidUK]

Pity they don’t go a step further and dig out some of the old liveries of airlines that were absorbed into BA.

Haven't they done exactly that with the BOAC 747 and the BEA A319 ?

[Jackjones1]

I can remember a certain lady Prime Minister of the time tying a handkerchief around the tail of a model airliner to cover up an awful design ..... didn’t agree with her policies but certainly agreed with her on that ... circa 1997 I think.

[Toolonginthisjob]

Genuine question.

Does any other airline have aircraft so old, they can paint a so called ‘retro’ colour scheme, on an actual airframe that was previously delivered wearing it?

[Carbon Bootprint]

TI can remember a certain lady Prime Minister of the time tying a handkerchief around the tail of a model airliner to cover up an awful design ..... didn’t agree with her policies but certainly agreed with her on that ... circa 1997 I think.That was one of the “ethnic” tails derided, err, debated a few posts back. :O

[L337]

I loved the ethnic tails. It was brave and ground breaking. Sadly, mostly underappreciated and not understood.

[artee]

I loved the ethnic tails. It was brave and ground breaking. Sadly, mostly underappreciated and not understood.

I like the ethnic tails for the simple reason that they got me a ride on the flight deck. I was on a BA 757 when an announcement came on that the first person to nominate which ethnic tail this plane was wearing could join them on the flight deck. Pure luck - I got the right answer...

[Silver Pegasus]

In my humble opinion after such amazing retros as BOAC744 and BEA319, this one will lack some interest and magic cause in the past we already had 744 in this Landor livery.
For instance if BA wanna paint an aircraft in classic Landor why not choose on an airplane that was not flying back in those days, such as the 787.
For Negus it makes sense cause if my memory serves me well only old&classic 747 were painted in Negus, not the 744...but painting a 744 in Landor, nahhhhh...but as i first said, only my personnal 2 cents.

Pretty sure all the aircraft painted will retire with these Retro liveries.. so for sure they wouldn't paint a 787 with one.

[DaveReidUK]

Pretty sure all the aircraft painted will retire with these Retro liveries.. so for sure they wouldn't paint a 787 with one.

I think that's the point - clearly you can't have a 100th Birthday celebration that goes on for several years. :O

[frieghtdog2000]

https://www.aviation24.be/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/British-Airways-Boeing-747-in-Landor-livery.jpg

[cats_five]

Very nice. it's a terrific shade of blue used, great depth of colour without being very, very dark.

[akerosid]

I saw it on takeoff from Dublin this morning; beautiful machine!

https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/9247911

Sad to hear they're only doing two 744s - is this true?

[ETOPS]

Now arrived at LHR.


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/759x500/british_airways_boeing_747_landor_759x500_ccc336e44ac28b8493 3618c7b4512f1d4a428eda.jpg


There is one more 747 to come making a total of 4 machines in retro

[Rush2112]

A very classy design. When I lived in Jakarta 95-97 and BA were still flying there, it was great as the car turned into the arrivals area and you could see that parked there, it had real presence.

[OxfordGold]

Thats a stunning 747!

[eckhard]

I saw it leaving the OCK hold this morning as we were entering the same on our arrival from MEX. She looked wonderful against the cloud backdrop! Shame I didn’t have the time to arrange a photo. (I’m sure we were above 20,000ft at the time??);)

[El Bunto]

Haven't they done exactly that with the BOAC 747 and the BEA A319 ?

Neither of those were absorbed into BA. Both were dissolved as legal entities and their assets transferred to British Airways Ltd by Act of Parliament.

In contrast for example BCal existed untl 2014 and British Midland Airways and BMed are still trading, from Waterside...

Re: 787, it would perfectly suit the BOAC cheatline-over-cockpit scheme as used on the Comet

[eckhard]

Yes, I’ve always thought that the 787’s nose profile is quite similar to the Comet’s. That scheme would look good but as others have mentioned, unlikely to appear on a 787.

[MarkD]

Feels like the engines are a bit plain without visible RR :)

[frieghtdog2000]

http://thebasource.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/britishairways_2168671987789.jpg

[AndoniP]

Love that.

[Max Angle]

What we need now is a formation flight of the 3 retro a/c and a current one with some air to air photography and filming, that really would be something.

[Dockwell]

Thank goodness for that!!
What an enormous mistake and cost not just in paint / loss of advertising the brand but also internally and bad publicity including
https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/video/lancashire-blackpool-ext-cms-side-baroness-thatcher-news-footage/815975322

Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher showed her displeasure at the designs by covering one of the new tailfins (Animals and Trees) on a model 747 with tissue paper. She declared, "We fly the British flag, not these awful things" in 1997. Thatcher also indicated with these fins the airline would lose its identity.

Are these the ten worse airline liveries ?
https://tinyurl.com/yyc5ss52

I often wondered if the appearance of the Varga girls sporting handkerchiefs on the VS aircraft was aimed at BA

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1855/44281795472_157e7dec02_b.jpg
IMG_1991 - Copy by Eelmoor Farnborough, on Flickr

[Ken Borough]

I saw a tweet recently that suggested that it was great that BA had an aircraft or three that looked as old on the outside as they do on the inside! :}

[Chris2303]

Are these the ten worse airline liveries ?
https://tinyurl.com/yyc5ss52

I liked the Flying Colours of Braniff

[parabellum]

Back in the days of the Court Line TriStars paint cost £1 per 1lb so heaven knows what it costs today, but it also adds to the AUW which is why AA still minimise their paint scheme. Painting aircraft in retro colour schemes must be quite an expensive pastime
if it is out of sequence with the aircraft's normal re-paint schedule. (I think the £1 per 1lb referred to the cost of paint and fuel to carry it).

[Kerosene Kraut]

If BA get's global free advertising like they already do retro schemes paint cost will pay off in seconds.

[Toolonginthisjob]

Now repainted in retro colour schemes, and not out of sequence. These airframes will not be repainted again before they retire. So cost involved, equals very close to zero.

[Loose rivets]

I rather like the old quasi-military respectability of the early paint jobs. Gives an air of professionalism.
Mind you, the bizarre paint on some aircraft is appropriate with the tattooed, lurching, grunting, drooling Neanderthals we see boarding these days . . . and that's only the pilots. ;)

[gareth herts]

A link for you, entirely free of charge, with some fascinating shots from our archive.

https://www.globalaviationresource.com/v2/2019/04/12/airlines-british-airways-liveries-retrospective/

Enjoy!

[DaveReidUK]

A link for you, entirely free of charge, with some fascinating shots from our archive.

https://www.globalaviationresource.com/v2/2019/04/12/airlines-british-airways-liveries-retrospective/

Enjoy!

Might be a good idea to soft-pedal a bit on the advertising. One post with the above link would have been sufficient.