The Weirdly Cool Liveries of Russia's Domestic Airlines

2011-12-02T20:27:00.000Z

The aerospace industry is one of the few in the world that leaves the final appearance of the product up to the end user.

Instead of offering planes in a slew of colors, they are instead sent to the customer in primer, leaving the final design up to each separate airline.

The airlines invest a lot of time and money into these designs to make them unique, functional, beautiful, and most of all, memorable. Some, like Pan-Am, Delta, and British Airways, among others, end up with iconic liveries that have been transcendent for generations.

American Airlines has one of the most recognizable schemes with their polished aluminum and American flag motif. Unfortunately, since they have just fallen on very hard times with their bankruptcy filing, that livery might be gone from the skies in the near future.

While there are many carriers that are well known internationally for their style, there are a number of airlines in Russia with unique designs that rival any in the world. These companies are proving that interesting paint schemes are an integral part of an airline, no matter the size or scope of service.

Some are striking, some are classic, some are beautiful, and some are hideous, but all are one-of-a-kind and memorable.

We love the color division on this jet from Nordavia Airlines. The firework pattern on the tail is a nice touch.

Aviastar-TU's cargo jets are simply marked. Could this be a study in minimalism?

This Air Bashkortostan 757 uses the flag of Bashkortostan, a region in Russia, as a part of the livery. It flows gently from front to back.

Dagestan Airlines also uses a provincial flag in its livery. Their more angular expression of it on the fuselage is a different interpretation of the design language.

KD Avia airlines uses blue and yellow in a stark contrast to the white base. The blue also seems to form the outline of an abstract Concorde.

Sky Express' livery might not win any awards in the beauty department, but the number of colors mean that this will not be missed. Also, the tail shows a person flying. We just think that is cool.

TransAero's livery uses a simple color scheme of the Russian flag. And yes, this is also quite similar to the iconic Delta colors.

Against a blue background, the sweeping blue accents on this Ural Airlines plane seem to make the tail disappear.

This Yak Service jet uses sweeping gold accents to convey movement.

Instead of a full color scheme, VIM Airlines uses striking fluorescent pink bursts to make their planes stand out.

We really like Vladivostok Airlines' livery. The following lines and red accents are low key, but come together for a polished look.

Finally, S7 Airlines is our favorite. The bold color and silhouetted passengers on the fuselage are unlike anything else we have seen.

Now take a look at the good old days.

The Weirdly Cool Liveries Of Russia's Domestic Airlines

We love the color division on this jet from Nordavia Airlines. The firework pattern on the tail is a nice touch.

Aviastar-TU's cargo jets are simply marked. Could this be a study in minimalism?

This Air Bashkortostan 757 uses the flag of Bashkortostan, a region in Russia, as a part of the livery. It flows gently from front to back.

Dagestan Airlines also uses a provincial flag in its livery. Their more angular expression of it on the fuselage is a different interpretation of the design language.

KD Avia airlines uses blue and yellow in a stark contrast to the white base. The blue also seems to form the outline of an abstract Concorde.

Sky Express' livery might not win any awards in the beauty department, but the number of colors mean that this will not be missed. Also, the tail shows a person flying. We just think that is cool.

TransAero's livery uses a simple color scheme of the Russian flag. And yes, this is also quite similar to the iconic Delta colors.

Against a blue background, the sweeping blue accents on this Ural Airlines plane seem to make the tail disappear.

This Yak Service jet uses sweeping gold accents to convey movement.

Instead of a full color scheme, VIM Airlines uses striking fluorescent pink bursts to make their planes stand out.

We really like Vladivostok Airlines' livery. The following lines and red accents are low key, but come together for a polished look.

Finally, S7 Airlines is our favorite. The bold color and silhouetted passengers on the fuselage are unlike anything else we have seen.

Now take a look at the good old days.

Awesome Vintage Pictures From The Golden Age Of American Airlines >

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