Foxy Lady

I’m not impressed with the scheme but I just want to see her.

I’ve been to about 6 airshows now where she was supposed to appear and not seen her yet.
For the moment, I’ll put up with anything!

The interesting one with this is that the proposed Red Bull Scheme is dark met blue with silver undersides, now of course the RN scheme of DSG/white undersides is not a million miles away from the Red Bull colours…..so, it’s a pity that they could’nt have pessuaded Red Bull to paint it in it’s RN colour scheme with Red Bull logo’s where neccessary……at least that would have been a comprimise to suit all parties perhaps.
It may well have been a suggestion but Red Bull might have said take it or leave it…who knows…????

Don’t worry Phil, I agree with your views completely!

“…streaking across a viaduct painted like a tin of beans…” 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀

In a word NO.
How much attention do you think the Flying Scotsman would get from steam buffs if she were streaking across a viaduct painted like a tin of beans………
Well same applies.
I know you will say ‘can’t have it both ways’, well I think that you can. Caroline Grace’s spit has been sponsored by AON insurance for some years, its discretely painted just under the canopy.The Breitling fighters are another very good example, discrete but well publisized. A few years back Dan Air sponsored the Catalina, again fairly discretely. Whilst none of these made me rush out and buy insurance , watches or air tickets I was perfectly aware of who the sponsors were and are.
I have to say no matter how big the Red Bull banner is it won’t influence to buy that sh*t, no matter how much Vodka you put in it.
I’m sorry I just dont think that this is right for this aircraft.
Surely someone must agree, if not I’ll shut up(well maybe)

Phil

A question

So the Vixen flies around for a year or two, the sponsorship finishes and it’s sold to Kermit Weeks who tucks it out of sight at the back of a hangar.

Thirty years later somebody finds a Sea Vixen in the storeroom at the Falmbards Theme Park and Starship Port, painstakingly rebuilds it and casts around for a scheme to paint it in.

Would the Red Bull scheme then be a valid historical theme, so acceptable to the purists?

Moggy

I know that I have no choice(other than boycoting displays) and can have no influence over the paint scheme decision (other than coming into vast amounts of cash in the near future). However I still feel that this type of paint job will do nothing for this aircraft, other than make it look stupid, and feel that there is still room for compromise. I’ll bet those working with the aircraft, whilst pleased to see her flying, will secretly detest the paint job.
Whilst I fully respect the knowledge and sense applied to this forum by David and Damien, not to mention others, in this particular case guys I’m afraid I have to take the other view. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not against corporate, or any other, sponsorship , far from it, its a must. I just wonder,and worry, that this might open the flood gates. Can you imagine Sally B in Virgin Cola colours or some such like

Strange Birds Inc

advertising on planes is so, so crass! chuckle…

Chalks Ocean Airways had this in the past…

Philo – there isn’t really any sense in that arguement. The Utterly
Butterly team are by far the most visible Stearmans on the air display circuit and using your arguement if for instance the other
privately owned machines were sold abroad would you disaprove
of the scheme they wear because they are the last ones.

If they have accepeted the sponsorship offer than its obvious that they probably really needed it or would find it very useful. So whats the problem, the Sea Vixen stays in the air longer. As for the historical accuracy of the scheme, it may be completely wrong but a lot of people who attend airshows know what the Sea Vixen is, those that dont will get a good idea from the commentators and then there’s big chunk of airshow goers who jsut go for the day out with the kids and dont really care what it is as long as it entertains.

You can complain about the scheme as much as you like but its the DHA team who pay the bills and keep her flying for everyones enjoyment so they can paint her however they please.

🙂 steve

Personally I think that this proposed scheme will look terrible and will devalue the aircraft. I accept that the Vixen has no particular military ‘medals’, but nevertheless I think it should be flown in as representative a scheme as possible.
Whilst we are all glad to see her flying and very grateful for corporate money making that possible (although I’m not convinced that this is the right marker sector for a product like Red Bull) it should still be feasible to do that without completely covering the airframe like a London Bus.
Sure, they will want some corporate logo on the aircraft, but that can be done discretely. The commentators can do their bit by always announcing her as the ‘Red Bull Sea Vixen’ and I’m sure that there will be trade stand selling merchandise.
I don’t subscribe to Davids earlier comments about historic Stearman and AN2 and the Utterly Butterly’s because there are other examples of that aircraft preserved in correct schemes ( I do however factor in the substantial difference in running costs between the types). I also certainly would not wish to see the Vulcan flying with Andrex toilet tissue or Mcain oven chips emblazoned over her majestic lines.

how long?

Is it clear if its going to be a tempory scheme? Is it for one season only? is it for an advert?

Personally, I think the colour scheme sounds great and I will be delighted to see Foxy Lady fly in any colours, quite frankly. I like brightly painted aircraft. Reno, anyone?

As for TVRs, don’t remind me… for a while, that was our company drink at my last place of work!!

I have to admit that an all over red scheme would have looked good on the Vulcan -the prospect of the all over white doesn’t fire my imagination. I think at the moment it’s hard times with fuel and insurance costs in keeping a warbird in the air – if commercial
money can help well I don’t see a problem.

If it mean’t that the Vulcan would get the cash to get flying then i think they would jump at the chance of painting the red bull from wing tip to wing tip.
I’d like to add that i love red bull and have half of my fridge full of the stuff at the moment.
Try a TVR.
Tequilla Vodka Redbull.
Keeps you going all night.
Sorry a little too much info there

I don’t have a problem with a different overall colour scheme. I remember the red Spitfire and Hunters. It’s the advertising slogan ‘from wing tip to wing tip’ that puts me off.
Foxy Lady is a one off at the moment and deserves better than that. Her yellow/red scheme is the one she wore at work and suits her. Would ‘Vulcan to the Sky’ accept XH558 having her wings covered by a ‘Red Bull’?
mmitch.

“You’ll be glad to hear that a bright red Spit has been and gone- Spencer flack’s Mk.XIV G-FIRE in the 80’s.didn’t loook too bad tho I have to say,especially compared to the dodgy cammo scheme she’s had applied in the States.”

“God, we’ll be having bright red Sptifires next!

Ah.:rolleyes: “

Have you spotted my earlier sarcasm, or would you still like a map?!!

😉

This reminds me of the criticism the late Spencer Flack received from a “purist” upon painting his Spitfire in that (in my opinion very attractive) red colour scheme, whereupon his reply was something along the lines that “it’s my aircraft and I like it; when you buy your own, you can’t paint it in another colour”. This moaning about paint schemes is really Armchair Aircraft Preservation at it’s best…. 😀

It may not be very well known in the UK, but Red Bull pleases many airshow fans in continental Europe every year with their Flying Bulls fleet comprising a B-25J, Corsair, T-28, Widgeon and two ex Luftwaffe Alpha Jets (!). They are currently restoring a DC-6B and sponsor a T-6 and a Zlin 50 aerobatic team as well. In my opinion the fact that the inventor of this vile but admittedly succesful fluid has taken an interest in flying historic aircraft is one of the best things that has happened to this movement in Europe in many years, even if entails “unoriginal” paint schemes. Think of what someone with the ressources to put Alpha Jets on the German civil register and to perform a ground-up restoration of a DC-6B can accomplish!

I think Flacks scarlet squadron was one of the most attractive set of aeroplanes ever to grace the UK airshow scene.
I for one would like to see more aircraft painted like these.
If it wasn’t for Spencer i don’t think we would have been as advanced on the scene as we are today.
If the RAF had their way he would never have got that Hunter flying.
And with his F Off attitude towards the Company Against Aviation i think he could have got alot more done given the chance.

Vixen

If you would prefer the Vixen painted in 890 or 899 Sqn colours then write a cheque out to DHA for £25,000-£30000.

Of course I’d like to see it in Navy ‘uniform’ but if I had that amount of money to spend on the aircraft I would put it towards keeping it serviceable and airworthy.

M

Tastes like Gnat p*ss??Dare I ask how you’d know Lancman?? :p
On a more serious note,I don’t mind the SeaVixen being done up in the Red Bull scheme so long as it means it keeps flying.The kinda paintjobs I object to are the psuedo-military ones where they spray a Spitfire luminous green and then put the roundals over the top.If you’re gonna do a civvy scheme,do a civvy scheme,don’t try and cover both bases with one paintjob as it invariably looks vile!There are also issues of misrepresentation to consider.
I look forward to seeing the Vixen in her new paint job(let’s face it,I’d be glad to see a Vixen fly in almost ANY paintjob!),although I have my hopes that she’ll revert to a Royal Navy scheme sometime in the future.
“God, we’ll be having bright red Sptifires next!”
You’ll be glad to hear that a bright red Spit has been and gone- Spencer flack’s Mk.XIV G-FIRE in the 80’s.didn’t loook too bad tho I have to say,especially compared to the dodgy cammo scheme she’s had applied in the States.