Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Contains threads on Royal Air Force equipment of the past, present and future.
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SKB
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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by SKB »


(Airbus) 21st May 2020

Just to show what's involved painting a regular grey A330 ^

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bobp
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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

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Jensy
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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by Jensy »

bobp wrote:Perhaps it will look like this

https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/ten ... 60&o=f&l=f
Have serious issues with the 'swirly' lines down the side of it. One of the best things about the current Voyager scheme is that they've retained the Air Transport Command lightning bolt.

As a highly creative nation, the lack of a public or even closed competition to design it seem like a massively missed PR coup. Also wonder why no one suggested a vinyl wrap that could be easily removed if the proverbial hits the fan.

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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by Lord Jim »

Why not paint it as a giant "Red Arrow"?

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SKB
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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by SKB »

Image

Sadly, a Red Arrows A330 may not happen, due to the pilot feeling compelled to perform aerial acrobatics with HM The Queen aboard. :mrgreen:

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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by Qwerty »

.............

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shark bait
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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by shark bait »

Image

Looks good!
@LandSharkUK

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

Yes, and at least they kept the RAF roundel (find it with a magnifying glass :) )
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

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RichardIC
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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by RichardIC »

1. There's nothing wrong with grey, and the words Royal Air Force
2. This is £900k purely to pander to one person's vanity
3. Painting UNITED KINGDOM in bloody big gold block caps makes it look like one of those cheap ING-UR-LAAND football flags with the word England written across it - just because you're worried no-one knows what your flag looks like so you have to deface it to make doubly sure they get the message
4. It's a sign of insecurity in an age when you know you're going down the pan - and it really pains me to say that

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shark bait
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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by shark bait »

I don't think the new paint scheme cost £900k did it? I thought that was the bill for the service and paint job, and if it was like a commercial service it would have had a respray anyway.
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RichardIC
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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by RichardIC »

shark bait wrote:I don't think the new paint scheme cost £900k did it? I thought that was the bill for the service and paint job, and if it was like a commercial service it would have had a respray anyway
Whatever it cost it was too much.

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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by SW1 »

RichardIC wrote:1. There's nothing wrong with grey, and the words Royal Air Force
2. This is £900k purely to pander to one person's vanity
3. Painting UNITED KINGDOM in bloody big gold block caps makes it look like one of those cheap ING-UR-LAAND football flags with the word England written across it - just because no-one knows what your flag looks like so you have to deface it just to make doubly sure they get the message
4. It's a sign of insecurity in an age when you know you're going down the pan - and it really pains me to say that
You do know it was there for more than paint job which would of been done anyway.
If you object to the colours fair enough. Would of gone for Royal Air Force myself rather than United Kingdom but others than that.

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

RichardIC wrote:in bloody big gold block caps makes it look like one of those cheap ING-UR-LAAND football flags with the word England written across it - just because no-one knows what your flag looks like so you have to deface it just to make doubly sure they get the message
4. It's a sign of insecurity in an age when you know you're going down the pan - and it really pains me to say that
I am 100% with you, but are you not exaggerating a bit? I can't see all of that on the photo (then again, my screen is not perfect; rather, it is 'disposable')
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

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RichardIC
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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

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shark bait wrote:I don't think the new paint scheme cost £900k did it? I thought that was the bill for the service and paint job, and if it was like a commercial service it would have had a respray anyway.
Voyager Aircraft: Repairs and Maintenance
Daniel Zeichner: [60776]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse is of the
repainting of the RAF Voyager plane used by senior members of the Government.
Stewart Malcolm McDonald: [60814]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish (a) the cost of, (b) who
requested and (c) which Department approved the planned works to RAF Voyager.
Jamie Stone: [60842]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost to the
public purse of repainting RAF Voyager.
Stephen Morgan: [60852]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost of
repainting RAF Voyager; and which Department will fund it.
Stephen Morgan: [60853]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which company he plans to contract to re-paint
RAF Voyager.
Ruth Jones: [60864]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost to the
public purse of the proposals to repaint the RAF Voyager aircraft.
Jeremy Quin:
The total forecast cost for completing the repaint of the RAF Voyager VIP aircraft
(including related costs) is approximately £900,000. The project will be carried out by
Marshall Aerospace Defence Group (MADG) in Cambridge.
The decision to repaint the VIP Voyager - and approval of a design that best
projected Global Britain - was taken on a cross-Government basis, to be funded by
the Ministry of Defence.
https://qnadailyreport.blob.core.window ... -06-22.pdf

It seems £900,000 was just for the bling.

downsizer
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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by downsizer »

shark bait wrote:Image

Looks good!
No it doesn't. It's vile.

Take away the United Kingdom bit and it's passable.

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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by Ron5 »

Can someone who knows how, do a poll so we can get a headcount?

I'm in favor, I like it. Well, probably a bit too much writing but nothing's perfect :D

PS it says Royal Air Force

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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by Timmymagic »

RichardIC wrote:4. It's a sign of insecurity in an age when you know you're going down the pan - and it really pains me to say that
Well thats every major country up the creek without a paddle then...

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RichardIC
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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by RichardIC »

Timmymagic wrote:Well thats every major country up the creek without a paddle then...
We don't put the name of our country on our stamps. We don't use the name of our country for our naval or air services.

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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by Ron5 »

RichardIC wrote:4. It's a sign of insecurity in an age when you know you're going down the pan - and it really pains me to say that
or pride

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Jensy
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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by Jensy »

ArmChairCivvy wrote:Yes, and at least they kept the RAF roundel (find it with a magnifying glass :) )
There's two and they seem to be different sizes.

Image

From a marketing perspective (and let's be frank, what other purpose does this serve?), this new scheme has the same fatal flaw that the original Voyager did when it was selected for VVIP work.

The money shot of any head of state/government arriving by plane is when they step through the doors. On AF1/VC-25 there's a whopping great Presidential Seal next to the where the jet-stairs are placed. There were union jacks added to each of the main doors on the Voyager to serve this purpose, the French have a Tricolore and the Germans an iron cross.

After £900,000 being spent, all that will be visible (in those most crucial PR moments) is a tiny little roundel, barely visible, the words 'Royal Air Force' written in microscopic font and what seems to be an even smaller Royal crown emblem of some sort - which will be covered by the door when it's open.

Ron5
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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by Ron5 »

Jensy wrote:There's two
I count six!

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Jensy
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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by Jensy »

Ron5 wrote:
Jensy wrote:There's two
I count six!
Actually really like that one under the wing.

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

a design that best projected *) Global Britain - was taken on a cross-Government basis, to be funded by...
the Ministry of Defence (rolling in money, as they do :( ).
-------
*) Psychological projection is a defence mechanism in which the human ego defends itself against unconscious impulses or qualities by denying their existence in themselves while attributing them to others
... now then, what is the next thing we will get towards making "Global Britain" happen? All the trade deals that I have spotted have their impact estimates on the wrong side of the decimal point. This fact may irritate some... can't help the facts
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

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SKB
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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by SKB »

ZZ336 (G-VYGG)

(ElliotL- CBGSpotter) 25th June 2020
The long awaited "Boris Force One" departed Cambridge Airport today after respray into this colourful new United Kingdom paint scheme by air livery. The Airbus A330-243 MRTT ZZ336 has been here for a little over two weeks arriving in standard RAF grey. She now sports this special livery and is to be used by UK parlimantry figure and royals alongisde normal tanker duties with the RAF.
^ Note the paint mask debris at 02:59 ! :wtf:


(AirlinerVideos) 25th June 2020
The UK Government’s repainted A330 Voyager aircraft took to the skies today on its maiden flight displaying its new, stunning lively featuring a stylised Union Jack.

The aircraft will be used to fly the government officials, trade delegates, VIP’s and members of the Royal Family on visits across the globe as the UK embarks on a new chapter in its history, having left the European Union.

The aircraft, registration ZZ336 (G-VYGG) went in to the pain hanger on 9 June, reappearing days later displaying its majestic livery comprising a stylised Union Jack - representing the countries that make up the United Kingdom.


Image

With credit to Sky News, their photoshop prediction was near perfect. ^

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Re: Airbus A330 Voyager (MRTT) (RAF)

Post by Pseudo »

downsizer wrote:No it doesn't. It's vile.

Take away the United Kingdom bit and it's passable.
I don't mind the design at all but having "United Kingdom" emblazoned across it in gold is a bit crap. It should just have "Royal Air Force" in dark grey like the other Voyager's.

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