I do agree that the original colour schemes on some of planes look better than the current fad of “wavy” liveries that get slapped on everything. They do however make them look old, or maybe “classic” is a better term.
You know, all the things come back, as a German singer-songwriter (Roger Cicero) called it in his song “Alles kommt zurück”. Hair cuts – came back. Specific sun glasses – came back. Wear hats – came back. The love letters to the girl friend – came back. But the girl friend herself never came back (free translation of part of the song text).
My Comanche still has the original 1970 paint and it suits very well. As I didn’t have it all these years I’m not tired of looking at it, so no problem for me…
@UdoR the 1970’s could be a fashion extreme, think pimp mobile heavy velour or checks:)
https://listverse.com/2012/05/10/top-10-tacky-automotive-features-of-the-1970s/
The Beechcraft interiors went very Detroit in the 1970’s
2 Faux Wood Appliqué
My parents have a 1980s woody station wagon so I know all about this 
It definitely stands out, and Frank Sinatra had one so they’re still cool.
Is looking at sales brochures from the period the only way to find original paint schemes? Unless there’s a book about the aircraft type maybe.
Some of the paint design will be guided by functionality (e.g. darker colour for the top of the nose to reduce glare, avoiding sky-blue colours) or aesthetic (e.g. breaking the sharp vertical line of the last window with a taper to the rear).
I like this one on a turbo arrow with contrasting leading edges, maybe because it’s similar to 1960s Robins, my spiritual home
One thing that definitely makes me go yuck is non-warbirds in camouflage paint
Capitaine wrote:
Is looking at sales brochures from the period the only way to find original paint schemes?
Yes, I think that is the best way. A Cessna will have a colour/trim code on the door. In the IPC it will guide you towards the colours. The brochure is always the best visualisation of it.
I too like original paint schemes on Aircraft. There is something nice about seeing a machine setup as intended when it left the factory. However in terms of practicality for an aircraft used to go places, panel upgrades seem sensible as and when needed.
For quite some time I was with my plane on the “keep it original as much as possible” track. After a panel upgrade with GTN650 and dual G5s we left this path. Some research on the original paint scheme revealead some odd colour combinations which Cessna used in the late 1950s. Therefore, instead of some brownish, candy green and gray we did opt for a more modern scheme with colours that pleased the whole family.
1979
1972 (repainted)
And after import from USA
I’m looking for clothes to match the guy’s style.
Is there a requirement for HB-reg to have a Swiss flag on the tail?
For Swiss registered airplanes you have to show the flag. The regulation gives some freedom.
