CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF THE F-16: A SPECIAL AIRCRAFT LIVERY UNVEILED
Dynamic Vectors is thrilled to announce the unveiling of a unique aircraft livery commemorating the 50th anniversary of the iconic F-16. This two-year project was brought to life with the generous support of Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and GE Aerospace.
The journey began in 2022, facing numerous cost and logistical challenges that were expertly navigated to reach today's successful delivery. The project team explored various design options and procurement strategies for an airframe, ultimately partnering with the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) who offered the life-expired J-616 from Volkel Air Base.
The intricate logistics involved dismantling and transporting the airframe from the Netherlands to RAF Fairford. The aircraft's tail and wings were removed and later reattached, requiring cranes and careful coordination to ensure a seamless transition. The RNLAF's cooperation was crucial in overcoming these hurdles, facilitating a smooth journey for J-616.
Director, Andy Donovan, said: “The Dynamic Vectors team is overjoyed to have delivered this project for the Royal International Air Tattoo. Several of our team are long-term volunteers at the show and believe in the incredible event it has matured into over the course of its own 50+ year history, so to be able to contribute to this aircraft has been wonderful.
“When RIAT approached us and asked if we thought it possible, our unequivocal answer was “yes!” Two years later we are able to stand next to a birthday centrepiece which celebrates the most awesome of flying machines with a combat career that is second to none. We hope that this livery and the remarkable lineup of F-16s that RIAT has assembled gives great pride to all of those who have served on the aircraft over the last half-century. With Lockheed Martin continuing to build this most potent weapon system, there are many more who are yet to weave their own marks into its future and this celebration is as much about that as it is its achievements to date.”
The livery, developed by Dynamic Vectors and approved by Lockheed Martin and RIAT, features a striking design that honours the F-16's legacy. The Dutch paint team began part-painting the fuel tanks, while Dynamic Vectors meticulously created paint masks for the complex curves of the aircraft. The design process culminated in early July, with the help of local subcontractors and industry partners Serco, bringing the vision to life.
The livery prominently features a ‘Fighting Falcon’ to honour the aircraft's name, alongside its unofficial nickname, the ‘Viper’. The design includes an easter egg in the tail, representing both the early F-16A Block 5 and the modern F-16 Block 70 variant. National roundels of all F-16 operators adorn the underwing pylons, showcasing the aircraft's global reach and historical significance.
As a tribute, the names of the first test pilot, Phil Oestricher, and the current Commander of the RNLAF, Lieutenant General André Steur, are displayed beneath the cockpit.
Initially, various design alternatives were considered, including full and partial YF-16 prototype colours. Ultimately, a partial paint and wrap were chosen to allow J-616 to return to operational markings post-RIAT. This unique livery fittingly celebrates the Dutch origins of the airframe while standing out at RIAT 2024.
This project was made possible by the dedicated efforts of RIAT Air Ops, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, GE Aerospace, Serco, and the 420 Air Base Squadron. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all contributors for making this remarkable tribute a reality.
Dynamic Vectors brings onboard new designer as part of company expansion
Photo credit: Katie Owens
Dynamic Vectors is thrilled to announce the newest addition to its team, Jack Bird. This follows his first product designed for the company, a patch marking the 30th anniversary of the Eurofighter Typhoon, which sold out in a matter of hours.
Before this Jack had designed just one other patch in late 2023 - a tribute to the RAF Typhoon Display Team’s colourful aircraft, known as ‘Blackjack’. It was this patch which highlighted Jack’s talent and caught the eye of the Dynamic Vectors team.
Just a few months later Jack has become an integral part of the team and is celebrating his first design, which is now being worn by squadrons all across the world in celebration of the Eurofighter’s 30th birthday.
Jack has been interested in aviation and the armed forces since he was young, particularly following his first airshow in 2014, which he attended at the Imperial War Museum’s Duxford airfield. This is where he fell in love with all fast jets, but it was the Typhoon which truly stole his heart.
Jack went on to study media and digital art at school but later transitioned to a college course in engineering, with hopes of working on Typhoons one day. He said: “Unfortunately that never came to be but I'm excited to be working for Dynamic Vectors now. I look forward to getting to work on designs for the RAF and hopefully, there will be plenty of Typhoon designs coming my way!”
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Photo credit: Jack Bird
Jack has been a fan of Dynamic Vectors since 2021 when he found the company’s ‘Devil’s Lair’ patch for 1435 Flight in the Falkland Islands. He commented: “I was hooked and my collection has continued to grow ever since. It was my interest in aviation patches that led me to have a go at designing my own.”
Alongside patch designing and aviation photography, Jack also teaches disability cricket which he finds a rewarding job.
Director of Dynamic Vectors Andy Donovan said: “We’re delighted to have Jack onboard and it has been a pleasure to see him thrive as part of the Dynamic Vectors team.
“Jack’s work caught the eye of our designers, as his natural talent for our style of artwork was evident. His enthusiastic attitude and enjoyment of the subject matter has also made him a smooth fit for the team.
“We have now seen him take some fantastic projects through to a point where our customers are presented with creations that they clearly adore and we look forward to making small runs of those available to the enthusiast community too in months ahead.
“We look forward to continuing our quest for detail and accuracy, with Jack taking up a position within the team that will see more of his work expand our portfolio, alongside the rest of the design team. Welcome to Dynamic Vectors Jack!”
DYNAMIC VECTORS CREATES SKYTANKER PATCHES EXCLUSIVELY FOR CREWS AT THE ROYAL INTERNATIONAL AIR TATTOO
With the Royal International Air Tattoo 2023 just around the corner, we are pleased to announce the conclusion of a project we have been working on with the team behind the show and the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust.
The team at the airshow commissioned this patch through Director of Air Operations, Peter Reoch. Peter reached out to work with us on a patch that the Air Tattoo wish to gift to tanker crews celebrating the theme of this year’s show - 100 years of air-to-air refuelling.
These products were created for the show at cost, making this the first of several charity projects we’re working on this year. We are sorry to say that they aren’t available for public sale as the Air Tattoo has asked for them to be made exclusively for the tanker crews attending Fairford next week.
By looking closely at the patch you’ll notice the design mimics the round shape and internal details of the basket of a probe and drouge refuelling system, with the striking and iconic tanker silhouette forming the top layer.
Director of Dynamic Vectors, Andy Donovan said: “We’re overjoyed to be able to provide this fantastic airshow team with a patch for the tanker crews attending in 2023. I myself, and several other members of our team have volunteered at the airshow for years and see great value in the work done by the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust so this is a project very close to our hearts.”
It is with great pride that we are now releasing the patch which will be distributed to all the tanker crews ahead of RIAT 2023 and we wish all involved the best of luck in delivering the event.
Dynamic Vectors launches partnership with aviation artist to release special edition digital artwork and exclusive collectors set
Dynamic Vectors launches partnership with aviation artist to release special edition digital artwork and exclusive collectors sets.
Photographer and digital artist Chris Dodd has chosen Dynamic Vectors to unveil his stunning work.
Chris’ artwork is made to order and beautifully rendered on weighted high-quality paper. Prints will come in A3 format, making them ideal for framing alongside official patches, or storage in bespoke folders.
His first release depicts the beautiful ‘Liberator’ jet, F-15E Strike Eagle 92-0364, breaking out of formation in full afterburner at dusk, with vortices streaming from its wing tips. On the other side of the three-ship, its 2022 stablemate mirrors the turn - the mighty F-35A Lightning II.
Pulling up from the centre is a type which hints to the Wing’s 70-year legacy, written across France and the United Kingdom - the beautiful F-100D Super Sabre, which was operated at Lakenheath between Autumn 1956 and August 1974. The aircraft featured is that of Colonel Stanton T Smith, commander of the 48th during 1958 when the blue/yellow/red of the constituent Tactical Fighter Squadrons were first seen.
At the bottom of the print are proudly displayed the badges of the 492nd, 493rd, 494th and 495th Fighter Squadrons which serve at RAF Lakenheath today.
Future prints from Chris Dodd will follow a similar format and feature new spectacular scenes. Dynamic Vectors is very excited to be partnering with such a talented creative.
Director of Dynamic Vectors, Andy Donovan, said: “Chris’ work is breathtaking. His flair for photography teamed with his skills as a digital creative make these pieces of art head and shoulders above anything else we’ve seen. We can’t wait to continue to work with Chris to provide unique collections, teaming his art with a widening collection of patches.”
Chris has been refining images of this calibre for years but has now chosen to make them available for the public via Dynamic Vectors. They will make stunning centrepieces for those looking to frame our patches.
Chris said: “Aviation and photography have always been an enjoyable part of my life and I’ve managed to bring both of them together to start producing aviation themed artwork.”
He continued: “I am very much looking forward to working with Dynamic Vectors. It’s been amazing watching the company grow from strength to strength. Their hard work and dedication is paying off; the future is very exciting.”
To purchase Chris’ first release with Dynamic Vectors visit www.dynamicvectors.co.uk/shop
Dynamic Vectors to support budding pilots with charitable donation
Dynamic Vectors is set to donate £2,000 to the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust after collaborating with this year’s Chinook Display Team.
One of our most recent patches featuring the mighty Chinook and their hashtag Bladeslap was created with the goal to donate all the profits to the trust.
The Display Team also did some fundraising of their own and held a silent auction with the highest bidder winning one of our patches worn all RIAT weekend by the captain, Flt Lt Matt ‘Schmitty’ Smyth, as well as a few other exclusive merchandise goodies.
We’re pleased to announce that from this auction, the profits from the patch sales and a contribution directly from Dynamic Vectors, we’re able to donate £2,000 to the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust.
It began back in 2021 when a young mother, Jenny Koutsou, contacted us asking for advice on how she could gain experience and training to help her towards a career in the graphic design industry.
Her enthusiasm and eagerness to learn was admirable. Our lead designer, Andy, took Jenny under his wing.
We decided to fund Jenny’s software licences and have, for over a year, been providing tuition which we hoped would give her confidence in modern techniques that she could carry into a professional career.
Jenny, with guidance from our team, has produced a smart-looking #BLADESLAP patch which was technically up to the standard required for production.
This patch was then gifted to the Display Team and sold online with profits going straight to the Trust.
Director of Dynamic Vectors, Andy Donovan said: “The RAF Charitable Trust is a charity very close to the hearts of our team and providing Jenny with a kick-start into a career she clearly has so much potential for has been an absolute pleasure.
“We hope to see much more creativity from her and that the money raised through this project does some real good, in giving others opportunities they had only dreamed of before.”
The Trust is supported by the annual Royal International Air Tattoo but due to Covid cancelling the shows in 2020 and 2021, they have not been able to benefit from the profits of the show.
This money will be put towards projects with an aim of encouraging air-mindedness and the aviation-related education of young people.
Justine Morton, Director of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust said: “We love Jenny’s #BLADESLAP patch and it looked great being worn at the Royal International Air Tattoo by the Chinook display team.
“Thanks to everyone involved for raising these funds for the RAF Charitable Trust, it all helps towards our mission of promoting the RAF and inspiring young people and RAF personnel to fulfil their potential in air, space and technology.”
The patch was created by Jenny Koutsou who has been being trained by our director and designer Andy Donovan for the past year.
Jenny said: “I’m extremely pleased the patch has raised that much money for such an amazing charity! I hope it goes a long way. Thank you guys again for an amazing opportunity!”
Blade slap charity project
Each year at Dynamic Vectors we strive to undertake several charity projects and we couldn’t be more excited to be revealing this one, which has spanned the last 18 months.
It all began back in 2021 when a young mother, Jenny Koutsou, contacted us asking for advice on how she could gain experience and training to help her towards a career in the graphic design industry.
Her enthusiasm and eagerness to learn was admirable. Our lead designer, Andy, took Jenny under his wing.
We decided to fund Jenny’s software licences and have, for over a year, been providing tuition which we hoped would give her confidence in modern techniques that she could carry into a professional career.
Director of Dynamic Vectors, Andy Donovan said: “I have been training Jenny for some time now and I am so proud of all she has achieved. She has listened intently, battled through covid-infused video calls and then put up with my boring teaching style over coffee, when it even turned out we grew up in the very same town!
After several lessons I set her the challenge of using the techniques she had learned to design a patch from the ground up. It made me laugh that what she picked was based on her favourite display - the Chinook!
After some technical tweaks we were so impressed by what she had achieved that we decided to take it out of the classroom and into the factory. She simply deserved to see it made and it was such a great moment to be able to tell her it was happening!”
Jenny, with guidance from our team, has produced a smart looking #BLADESLAP patch which was technically up to the standard required for production.
Jenny said: “I can’t believe it's actually happening! I’m so grateful for you guys giving me this opportunity and it’s surreal seeing my idea come to life!”
In a wonderful set of coincidences we discovered that Jenny is a regular volunteer at the Royal International Air Tattoo, as are two of Dynamic Vectors’ founding members. As RIAT is staged in support of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, and as we sought to support Jenny in her goal to flourish as a designer, we had an idea…
Andy said: “After showing it to the 2022 display pilot, Flt Lt Matt ‘Schmitty’ Smyth, the idea of producing it for charity emerged between us. We decided to fund it privately and then gift all of the proceeds to charity.
“Myself, Olivia (our Sales and Marketing Manager) and Jenny, all volunteer for the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust in support of the enormous annual fundraising event, which is the Royal International Air Tattoo. We could think of no better charity to support in this way and it makes me so utterly proud of Jenny for her determination and enthusiasm, to think she has achieved this within a year.
Schmitty telling me he wants the team to wear her patch for the display at RIAT has made her year and it is a joy to think that so much good has come out of her work. I am so grateful to Schmitty for making her design dreams come true in a way none of us expected when we started teaching her. We hope to keep working with Jenny, to try and give her a design foundation which supports her future career but there is no doubt she’s off to a strong start and capable of so much in years ahead!”
It is with great pride that we are now releasing Jenny’s patch to the public and are in a position to announce that we will be donating all profits to the RAF Charitable Trust.
Jenny said: “It still hasn’t sunk in!”
Jenny had the opportunity to meet the RAF Chinook Display Team at RIAT 2022 and see them wearing her patch for the very first time.
Image: Duncan McKellar
A note to our customers
As you will be aware the global economy has been experiencing high levels of inflation in the last few months, exacerbated by the current tensions in the world.
As a result of this, the cost to us to produce PVC badges has risen sharply and we have made every effort to absorb these costs as much as possible, so as not to impact our customers. However, regrettably it has become clearer that we will have to increase our standard retail price for PVC badges to £14 for the foreseeable future; to help us combat the increased cost within our supply chain.
We hope that you appreciate that this is the last measure we wanted to take to deal with the current situation but there are a limited number of options available to us when so much of our resource is poured into producing the highest quality patches we can.
We recognise that our loyal following of enthusiasts would likely wish to continue having access to our work when it is commissioned by customers and squadrons around the world. Also that many of our initial clients tend to favour the PVC format over other products we offer, such as embroidery.
To make sure that we have a firm understanding of the feeling amongst the enthusiast community though, we would like to ask you a quick question to gain some feedback on whether you would wish to continue having access to PVC patches at a slightly higher price, or whether you would like to see a greater number of cheaper embroidered patches instead, should our advice to clients be re-weighted in that direction. Please see the short survey below.
We will continue to monitor the global situation and endeavour to bring retail prices back down, as and when the markets allow. Thank you for your patience and continued support.
What a year!
2021 - dynamic Vectors’ first full year of BADGE DESIGN
Brexit… Covid… Teething problems… It’s been a very interesting year to begin to grow our little business. In honour of our first full year of Dynamic Vectors, we thought we’d take a look back at all the projects we’ve released in the past year; as well as look ahead to 2022 and find out your thoughts too!
After setting up our shop page in December 2020 we released our first official badge, the Just Nuke’m - a tongue-in-cheek design, which we hoped set the precedent that we like to push the boundaries with badge design and have a bit of fun with our products.
We quickly followed this with a couple of specially-commissioned embroidered badges, Junta and Hombori - for the RAF’s XXV(F) Squadron and 27 Squadron respectively. Since these first couple of badges, every single badge we’ve produced has been worn by those on active squadrons. Collaborating with those on the front line is something we love doing and hope will be the bedrock of most of our projects in 2022.
Our next release proved to be the most frustrating to date. We were so excited to release our Falklands Typhoon badge for 1435 Flight RAF, but UK Customs had other ideas. A whole month after we released them for pre-order, they eventually decided to show up! And we finally got the breathe a big sigh of relief…
Summer came around and our releases really heated up! We had Bastards of Bastion, the C-17 20th Anniversary, official Chinook Display Team 2021 and the Puma 50th Anniversary, which all proved very popular; particular the Puma which sold out in a bonkers 16 hours!
As the days got shorter and nights darker, our badges did the same. We released something a little different with our Reaper badge for the joint US/RAF teams at Nellis AFB and in North Dakota. Then a return to one of our trusty favourites - the Typhoon - bringing our Batman and Joker badges to life for IX Squadron.
We finished the year on a high, working on something a little further from home, and released a badge for 12 Squadron, in support of Exercise Fox Defender in Qatar. This was worn by Royal Air Force and Qatari Emiri Air Force crews during that joint Typhoon training endeavour, before they returned to RAF Coningsby in December.
Several other huge projects have been completed in the background - bringing our skills to bear in the design of an aviation livery and vehicles, not to mention some charitable work to help an individual build their design expertise towards a potential future career in the industry. We hope to bring you more news on all of that when the timing is right.
And so that concludes our 2021… we’ve managed to bring out a fair few products this year considering everyone on the Dynamic Vectors team works a full-time job as well!
So what do you want to see us do next? If you’d like to share your thoughts on our work and place any requests take a look at the form below to join the conversation.
RAF HOMBORI HELI TOURs
January 23, 2021
Need a lift?
The Hombori Heli Tours badge has been created in collaboration with 27 squadron aircrew as the latest group deploy to Operation Newcombe in Mali which supports the French Operation Barkhane.
The crewman approached us with their initial concept of the witty tourist design featuring the Chinook HC.6A which we developed and prepared for production.
Hombori is a region of Mali which features the highest point in Mali. This provided us with a perfect recognisable background for the badges.
RAF 1310 Flight Op Nuke’m 2021 badge
January 15, 2021
This is not the first time we’ve designed a badge for Operation Newcombe but this one is definitely our favourite!
Produced for the RAF’s 1310 Flight, this tongue-in-cheek badge has been an awful lot of fun to design and is a light-hearted play on words to recognise the RAF’s contribution to Operation Newcombe in Africa.
We’ve taken advantage of the eagle on the 1310 Flights official badge and have added a modern twist to create this new exciting design.
We hope you love it as much as we do.
COMING SOON - XXV(F) Squadron 'Junta' badge
January 3, 2021
After being approached by the instructors at XXV(F) Squadron at RAF Valley to create their newest badge, the design team was excited to get started on a fresh collaboration.
The Squadron knew early on that they wanted ‘25’ in roman numerals for the background and for the badge to feature a cartoon hawk. This bird is closely linked with the Squadron, as they currently operate the Hawk T.2 at RAF Valley and the Hawk also features atop a gauntlet on the official Squadron badge, as approved in the 1930s.
The instructor pilots, who are teaching a new generation of fast jet pilots for the RAF and Fleet Air Arm, were pleased with the Dynamic Vectors design, featuring a hawk holding a fighter cannon with a gauntlet.
BADGES NOW ON SALE!
November 25, 2020
Our badge sales page is now live. We only manufacture in small quantities to supply our clients but do carry a small amount of additional stock to allow any flex in those orders. All of our badges are therefore limited edition and whilst we will offer excess stock to private sale, orders can only be fulfilled on a ‘first-come, first-serve’ basis. We pride ourselves in unique and eye-catching designs. Ready to be posted and complete with velcro, our designs are ready to wear, display and enjoy. Prices currently range from £10 - £12, dependant on material. All are of high quality and made of durable materials. Keep an eye on the page as more exclusive designs will be released throughout the year.
THE LAUNCH OF DYNAMIC VECTORS’ NEW WEBSITE!
October 17, 2020
We are finally going live with our new website, after formally creating the Dynamic Vectors brand in 2018. Our small and dedicated team has built over two decades of experience in the aviation and design industries so this is an exciting time as we look towards the future. We hope to continue working with our valued partners and develop new links within the industry in the coming years, as we let our passions for design and flight grow together. We look forward to hearing from new clients and bringing new projects to life in 2020 and beyond!