Continental meatball scheme...

klc317 · 12-09-2007, 07:28 PM

What was the difference between the red and black meatball scheme (besides obviously the color)? Did one come before the other? Was one or the other only used on certain aircraft types? Never was very clear on this subject.

gospodin · 12-09-2007, 08:06 PM

Black was a 70's livery; red, the 80's.

D-AIHC · 12-09-2007, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gospodin

Black was a 70's livery; red, the 80's.

Did CO switch to their current livery in the 90's then? What exact year was it?

gospodin · 12-09-2007, 08:38 PM

They changed to the blue and gray in '91. I remember flying the Red Meatball in '83, a 727.

dylan · 12-10-2007, 03:16 PM

Also, the Black speecy-spicey, meat-a-ball had the red meatball on the fuselage...where the red tail had no ball on the fuse.

dylan · 12-10-2007, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gospodin

Black was a 70's livery; red, the 80's.

Right. The black meatball design was launched in 68' I think, the red meatball in 85' or 86'

N. Eberhard · 12-10-2007, 04:12 PM

Ask any CO employee who worked for CO during the 80's and they will tell you that they detest the red meatball as is stands for when Frank Lorenzo almost destroyed the company and definitely destroyed the pride of the employees.

gospodin · 12-10-2007, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dylan

Right. The black meatball design was launched in 68' I think, the red meatball in 85' or 86'

Hell, maybe it was the black meatball I flew on... I know I was on a CO flight in '83, cause I had a family emergency then. I thought it was the red mb, but not if it didn't come out till '85.

gospodin · 12-10-2007, 06:31 PM

Also, that's the one that blew a MLG tire, so it was definitely memorable.

fazeman · 12-11-2007, 02:34 AM

If Saul Bass had his druthers, every logo he designed would have been blue.

David Hingtgen · 12-11-2007, 05:32 AM

Black meatball has smaller titles, and a US flag and small red meatball on either side of the titles. Reg number is inside lowest stripe.

Red meatball has larger titles, no US flag nor meatball near the titles. *Stripes are thinner on all narrowbodies*. Reg number moved below stripe on narrowbodies due to the stripe being too small to hold it now.

Few models have the thinner stripes on red meatballs done right, but the SMA DC-9's do. The JX MD-80's don't.

There are of course many hybrids seen, most often an otherwise "black" scheme with a red tail logo.

cathay747 · 12-11-2007, 11:06 AM

I don't quite know why, but using the term "meatball" for these liveries just annoys the hell out of me

...the correct term/name for the livery is contrails, not meatball, no matter how universally it seems that meatball is used. Saul Bass of Landor Assoc. must twirl in his grave every time the term meatball is used! Just like how the preceeding liveries featured a Thunderbird, NOT an eagle (off-topic, but i cringe when I see that, too).

jaffa-200 · 12-16-2007, 04:31 PM

Who cares when they were lanched that was the real thing this is the model!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

fazeman · 12-16-2007, 08:44 PM

Mamma Mia
It can't be that hard to figure out where the nickname came from. Now, dig in.

dylan · 12-17-2007, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cathay747

I don't quite know why, but using the term "meatball" for these liveries just annoys the hell out of me

...the correct term/name for the livery is contrails, not meatball, no matter how universally it seems that meatball is used. Saul Bass of Landor Assoc. must twirl in his grave every time the term meatball is used! Just like how the preceeding liveries featured a Thunderbird, NOT an eagle (off-topic, but i cringe when I see that, too).

Yes, I have a 1968 or 69 annual report from CO introducing the "Contrails" livery/logo. However, meatball is what it is referred to from 99.9% of the collectorate/spotter crowd....so it's gonna stay meatball in my book, for convienience sake. Now, dont you just love the red and black meat-ball scheme? The one with the eagle is pretty cool too!

jaffa-200 · 12-17-2007, 08:28 PM

It was called meatball because of the salsa styled meatballs colour which was similar to that of the livery. There good tasting!!

Chansen · 12-21-2007, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dylan

Yes, I have a 1968 or 69 annual report from CO introducing the "Contrails" livery/logo. However, meatball is what it is referred to from 99.9% of the collectorate/spotter crowd....so it's gonna stay meatball in my book, for convienience sake. Now, dont you just love the red and black meat-ball scheme? The one with the eagle is pretty cool too!

Same holds true to the original Frontier Airlines and their logo most referred to as meatball. Funny all three carriers of Stapleton had Saul Bass logos. United, Continental and Frontier.

cathay747 · 12-28-2007, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dylan

However, meatball is what it is referred to from 99.9% of the collectorate/spotter crowd....so it's gonna stay meatball in my book, for convienience sake. Now, dont you just love the red and black meat-ball scheme? The one with the eagle is pretty cool too!

Yeah, I know, I know...but it's still like fingernails across a blackboard to me!

And you take that eagle comment back!

dylan · 12-29-2007, 02:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cathay747

Yeah, I know, I know...but it's still like fingernails across a blackboard to me!

And you take that eagle comment back!

There is something about the contrails logo....It is quite possibly THE coolest logo of all time.

Speaking of eagle's and thunderbirds...ever driven down between the hangars at LAX? At CO's MX facility (whats left of it) The original Air Hostess training center and another admin building are still to this day adorned with the Thunderbird logo and yellow/gold tile from the day it was dedicated. Sad to see them all fenced off and looking pretty haggard w/ broken windows and such.

cathay747 · 12-30-2007, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dylan

There is something about the contrails logo....It is quite possibly THE coolest logo of all time.

Speaking of eagle's and thunderbirds...ever driven down between the hangars at LAX? At CO's MX facility (whats left of it) The original Air Hostess training center and another admin building are still to this day adorned with the Thunderbird logo and yellow/gold tile from the day it was dedicated. Sad to see them all fenced off and looking pretty haggard w/ broken windows and such.

My dad worked for CO from the early 60's till about '73...most of them HATED the Contrails livery when it came out...and while I always loved the Golden Jet (final) livery, with the Thunderbird in the oval, I have also always liked the Contrails livery, partly because of the gold tail, it was classy. Interesting what you say about the old CO bldgs. @ LAX...you mean over on Imperial, right? The admin bldg was their corp. HQ, purpose-built for when Bob Six moved HQ from DEN.

dylan · 12-30-2007, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cathay747

My dad worked for CO from the early 60's till about '73...most of them HATED the Contrails livery when it came out...and while I always loved the Golden Jet (final) livery, with the Thunderbird in the oval, I have also always liked the Contrails livery, partly because of the gold tail, it was classy. Interesting what you say about the old CO bldgs. @ LAX...you mean over on Imperial, right? The admin bldg was their corp. HQ, purpose-built for when Bob Six moved HQ from DEN.

I think it's world way...but I could be wrong. Funny cuz I drive that road once a month and con't for the life of me remember it's name

The circled portions are the admin bldgs that have the old-school look w/ the Thunderbird :

cathay747 · 01-03-2008, 10:34 AM

Ahhhh yes, I sorta remember those....one was Cargo, didn't know the other one was the stewardess college...their old HQ was on the south side of the field, on Imperial.

12-09-2007, 07:28 PM	#1
klc317 Collector Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Age: 31 Posts: 128	Continental meatball scheme... What was the difference between the red and black meatball scheme (besides obviously the color)? Did one come before the other? Was one or the other only used on certain aircraft types? Never was very clear on this subject.

12-09-2007, 08:06 PM	#2
gospodin Diecast Blasphemer Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Nosegoblin, LA Age: 52 Posts: 2,737	Re: Continental meatball scheme... Black was a 70's livery; red, the 80's. __________________ Steve "Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."

12-09-2007, 08:38 PM	#4
gospodin Diecast Blasphemer Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Nosegoblin, LA Age: 52 Posts: 2,737	Re: Continental meatball scheme... They changed to the blue and gray in '91. I remember flying the Red Meatball in '83, a 727. __________________ Steve "Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."

12-10-2007, 03:16 PM	#5
dylan Village Drunkard Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert... Age: 30 Posts: 1,656	Re: Continental meatball scheme... Also, the Black speecy-spicey, meat-a-ball had the red meatball on the fuselage...where the red tail had no ball on the fuse. __________________ mmmmm, beer.

12-10-2007, 04:12 PM	#7
N. Eberhard Dr. Diecast I presume? Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Spokane, WA Age: 44 Posts: 3,227	Re: Continental meatball scheme... Ask any CO employee who worked for CO during the 80's and they will tell you that they detest the red meatball as is stands for when Frank Lorenzo almost destroyed the company and definitely destroyed the pride of the employees.

12-10-2007, 06:31 PM	#9
gospodin Diecast Blasphemer Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Nosegoblin, LA Age: 52 Posts: 2,737	Re: Continental meatball scheme... Also, that's the one that blew a MLG tire, so it was definitely memorable. __________________ Steve "Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."

12-11-2007, 02:34 AM	#10
fazeman Setting The Pace Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Virginia Beach, Va. Age: 49 Posts: 1,799	Re: Continental meatball scheme... If Saul Bass had his druthers, every logo he designed would have been blue. __________________ Steve

12-11-2007, 05:32 AM	#11
David Hingtgen Complete Wacko! Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Iowa Posts: 3,923	Re: Continental meatball scheme... Black meatball has smaller titles, and a US flag and small red meatball on either side of the titles. Reg number is inside lowest stripe. Red meatball has larger titles, no US flag nor meatball near the titles. Stripes are thinner on all narrowbodies. Reg number moved below stripe on narrowbodies due to the stripe being too small to hold it now. Few models have the thinner stripes on red meatballs done right, but the SMA DC-9's do. The JX MD-80's don't. There are of course many hybrids seen, most often an otherwise "black" scheme with a red tail logo. __________________ *We need more TWA twin-stripes!*

12-11-2007, 11:06 AM	#12
cathay747 Try a Little VC-10derness Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 265	Re: Continental meatball scheme... I don't quite know why, but using the term "meatball" for these liveries just annoys the hell out of me ...the correct term/name for the livery is contrails, not meatball, no matter how universally it seems that meatball is used. Saul Bass of Landor Assoc. must twirl in his grave every time the term meatball is used! Just like how the preceeding liveries featured a Thunderbird, NOT an eagle (off-topic, but i cringe when I see that, too). __________________ Will someone PLEASE make a North Central CV440 (1966 livery) AND CV580 (early 70's livery), preferably in 1/200 (but I'd take 1/400!), and a PAA DC-8-33 in 1/400 ?!!! IS THAT SO MUCH TO ASK????

12-16-2007, 04:31 PM	#13
jaffa-200 Hukerunui-Maromaku A one Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: The Best Country in the world New Zealand!!!! Posts: 123	Re: Continental meatball scheme... Who cares when they were lanched that was the real thing this is the model!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! __________________ lovely pippa!! IM JET LAGGED!! AIRNZ- STARALLIANCE at its best *New Zealand is the best country* You Have to vist this place!!!!!

12-16-2007, 08:44 PM	#14
fazeman Setting The Pace Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Virginia Beach, Va. Age: 49 Posts: 1,799	Re: Continental meatball scheme... Mamma Mia It can't be that hard to figure out where the nickname came from. Now, dig in. __________________ Steve

12-17-2007, 08:28 PM	#16
jaffa-200 Hukerunui-Maromaku A one Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: The Best Country in the world New Zealand!!!! Posts: 123	Re: Continental meatball scheme... It was called meatball because of the salsa styled meatballs colour which was similar to that of the livery. There good tasting!! __________________ lovely pippa!! IM JET LAGGED!! AIRNZ- STARALLIANCE at its best *New Zealand is the best country* You Have to vist this place!!!!!

01-03-2008, 10:34 AM	#22
cathay747 Try a Little VC-10derness Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 265	Re: Continental meatball scheme... Ahhhh yes, I sorta remember those....one was Cargo, didn't know the other one was the stewardess college...their old HQ was on the south side of the field, on Imperial. __________________ Will someone PLEASE make a North Central CV440 (1966 livery) AND CV580 (early 70's livery), preferably in 1/200 (but I'd take 1/400!), and a PAA DC-8-33 in 1/400 ?!!! IS THAT SO MUCH TO ASK????

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread: