SHOW STOPPER
A daring take on private jet livery
Astark white aircraft with a simple livery bearing streaks of red, navy or silver — this your typical hangar sight. The minimalistic look is popular for private and business jets, both small and large, allowing for discreet comings and goings. Happy Design Studio CEO Didier Wolff points out, though, that white is not a paint option — it merely signifies a blank canvas.
So when Happy Design recently rolled out a Bombardier Global 6000 with a livery called CARBONEUM, Wolff was understandably delighted to announce the work as his own. A Ferrari grey shade dominates the body of the jet, most of which is accented with a honeycomb design. Gilbert Holzer of Aironart created the 3D stencils of this pattern, performing complex calculations to ensure accuracy. The tail’s 3D carbon-fibre effect was achieved using an airbrush technique by project partner ASAP Aviation. All in all, the livery took 2,500 hours to produce, including hand painting, stencilling and finishing.
Happy Design Studio has built a reputation for not shying away from bold colours and undulating patterns. Even the company name evokes a free-spirited approach. CARBONEUM marks the studio’s second partnership with aviation paint company RUAG Aviation, which teamed up with Wolff in 2015 to create the award-winning Air Lines livery for a Bombardier Global 5000.
Given his portfolio, one can imagine Wolff approaching livery design the way an artist takes a brush to his canvas — spurred by a drive to create something new and different. “Making other jets look naked was not the goal of such investment,” says Wolff. “But it surely sets the bar a level higher on private runways.”
“It sets the bar a level higher on private runways”