This book is the unexpected result of the pandemic that hit our planet four years ago: Locked-up in our homes and conferencing via Internet, Javo Ruberto and I discussed the essentials of a book concept that is now complete and readers will soon be able to purchase via the Internet.
After an rough table of contents was drafted in the first half of 2020, aviation artists Marcelo Morard and Pablo Gómez* joined the team and illustrations started flowing in earnest as historical research transited 70+ years of airline history, reviewed most of all known bibliography and scanned countless photographic collections and aircraft image data bases.
In addition to researching for visual evidence of liveries applied to most of the nearly 370 aircraft in Aerolíneas Argentinas fleet, I committed myself to provide a backbone chronicle to explain the eight principal liveries in company history and the pre-historical color schemes used by the four mixed-capital airlines which merged into the national flag carrier in late 1949.
Eight schemes, seven ages
One of our earliest conclusions was that the color schemes have a near perfect correlation to company “management eras” and dominating trends in Argentine social, economical and political ages.
Two liveries were created during the first Peronista government (“Preliminary” and “Foundational” schemes, inducted in 1950 and 1951), while the following one was adopted after the military coup that toppled Juan Perón and survived through the so-called uncontrolled competition era (“Firmament Scheme”, 1957).
Next came the results of two attempts to consolidate, modernize and organize the Argentine airline industry under ironclad military leadership (“Condor Double A”, 1965, and “Hockey Stick”, 1974), a process which restored market dominance and brought about technical evolution for the airline.
Transiting from the XX to the XXI Century, new schemes accompanied two failed attempts to privatize the airline into Spanish and U.S. ownership by Iberia, American Airlines and later Marsans (“Neo-colonial”, 1990, and “Euro White”, 2001).
Lastly, the current scheme has been the most visible emblem of Aerolíneas Argentinas return to the national state, as decided and implemented during Cristina Fernández’ neo-Peronista administration (“Nac & Pop”, 2010).
In addition to the eight mainstream liveries, the book delves into all known eccentric schemes used in a variety of opportunities and several frustrated projects unearthed or documented in a solid way, naturally excluding those sorted in my earlier Gaceta Aeronáutica report “AR or AR not” these Aerolíneas Argentinas’ liveries?”.
Main course
Closing the book, the last two chapters attempt to classify and document the historical evolution of company livery components (from colors to typographies, from cheatlines to aircraft names, etc.) and provide an extensive fleet list cross-referencing individual types and registrations to their names, schemes and noteworthy details.
The main course, however, is art work provided by my fellow partners, Javier, Pablo and Marcelo, who contributed a huge selection of profile views and graphical details to illustrate the book’s thirteen chapters.
Each artist exhibits his particular touch and style while the entire book is harmonically arranged to provide a fluid reading experience illustrating the evolution of Aerolíneas Argentinas aircraft’ visual identity and the company’s historical chronicle.
The product is designed in A4 format (210 x 297 mm), fills little over 100 pages and will be printed in color on high quality paper to better convey the company’s livery visual story.
While the first edition will be published by lulu.com, an international on-demand printer who will be selling it on-line to international customers, conventional printers, publishers and distributors are being evaluated to produce a second edition that will be sold within Argentina.
[*] Pablo regrettably abandoned the team in mid-2022, but generously allowed us to go on employing his designs to complete the project.
