AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings reveals the trick of the tail!

The color expertise and technical skills of AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings are behind a stunning new aircraft livery for the Brazilian-based Azul Conecta with a tailplane that changes color in the blink of an eye!

Known as ‘The Blue Chameleon’, the tail of the Cessna Grand Caravan freighter is painted in such a way that the colors appear to shift between shades of cyan and purple, depending on where you are standing and the direction of the light.

It’s been made possible through the use of AkzoNobel’s Alumigrip 4250 basecoat and Alumigrip 4450 clearcoat system and a bespoke blue ‘tint’ with some clever design work from X5company, a leading distributor in Azul Conecta’s hometown of São Paulo, Brazil.

Marcelo Fassina, AkzoNobel Sales Manager for South America, explains: “While most people think Chameleons change color only to blend in with their surroundings, they are more likely to transform to be seen, to stand out from the crowd. This is the thinking behind the new livery, and a colored tailplane that changes depending on the light and the environment.

“By taking our proven basecoat/clearcoat system, and a hint of blue, we’ve leveraged our technology and expertise in color engineering to partner with X5company in creating something special and unique, that matches Azul Conecta’s distinctive brand, and gets its aircraft noticed wherever it is picking up or making a delivery.”

Focused on the development of sub-regional aviation, Azul Conecta has eight operational bases based in the city of Jundiaí, in the interior of São Paulo. With 27 Cessna Grand Caravan/Caravan EX aircraft, three of which are exclusively freighter models, Azul Conecta flies to more than 80 destinations in the country, working to strengthen the connectivity of Azul's air network.