Mankiewicz Coatings
A maiden flight seems always to be the beginning of a great journey. On November 14th, the maiden transoceanic flight of the world-first delivered A321XLR took place. It was an IBERIA livery lifting in the sky with the first-ever transoceanic flight of an A321XLR from Madrid to Boston.
THE RISE OF AN IDEA
To be honest, it was not the start of the journey for the aircraft’s livery. It was an impressive and vital milestone, yes. But the story began one year ago with an idea that should unite our proud airline history with an innovative approach.
Founded in 1927, IBERIA will proudly turn one hundred years old in less than three years. Having this anniversary in front of us, we wanted to contribute to our rich history, the evolution of our airline, and the future to come. Therefore, the idea came up to contribute to the logo livery edition with the eight new A321XLRs we are taking in the following months, our customers on an exciting journey into the past. The noses of the fuselages of the aircraft will show the eight different Iberia logos, which have been used within the last century. The exciting thing is that the logo has repeatedly changed over 100 years and has sometimes looked different.
MATCHING THE COLORS
Various precisely matching color shades were developed to bring the logos to life. To achieve this in a targeted process, IBERIA onboarded the team of the global paint manufacturer MANKIEWICZ right at the start of the design phase. In Madrid, the IBERIA design experts worked face-to-face with the MANKIEWICZ color experts to find and develop the precise colors to revive the old logos.
The challenge of matching the colors with the story they should tell is combining technical and design aspects. Designers approach from the emotional side of the colors, technicians from the application parameters, and surface performance. Together, they try to translate the story of the logo colors and long-lasting and high-gloss color shades and coatings that fulfill the high standards of appearance and safety in the aviation industry.
But translating the right color shades was another milestone on this journey—the colors were produced by MANKIEWICZ and applied by the IBERIA Paint crew. Therefore, the ALEXIT BaseCoat/ClearCoat System was used (a system that is used for all current IBERIA aircraft). It combines a mirror-like surfaces with vibrant colors, shields the aircraft and the colors from the elements such as UV radiation and promotes longevity and efficient operation
That’s essential as Iberia’s vibrant red, yellow, and gloss have to remain top quality for more than a decade, operating in areas with extreme UV impact.
The first livery spread its wings on the first of eight A321XLR, and we cannot wait to see the other seven do the same so that all of the IBERIA logos will be up in the sky when the 100th anniversary comes along.
