Moments ago (May 8th), the United States’ F-16 Viper Demonstration Team released their first-ever full-airframe signature livery.
First released via social media by the team’s pilot, Major Garret Schmitz, this eye-catching design features snake scales spanning the entirety of the aircraft with two unflinching eyes under the canopy which pay a fitting tribute to the F-16’s namesake, the Viper.
According to the team’s official Instagram page, this unique livery has been in the works since December 2019. While the team had teased a big announcement coming up, there were no credible claims regarding this unique new look. Scheduled to be finished in March of this year, the team states that production was slowed to ensure the safety and well-being of the production crews working on the aircraft due to the COVID-19 virus.
Titled, ‘VENOM,’ this mean-looking aircraft will be seen throughout the remainder of the 2020 airshow season. It is currently unknown what the future holds for the team which is currently not performing publically due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
The Viper Demo Team is the second team to have a dedicated special livery in recent history, second only to the A-10C Demonstration Team in 2019 with their ‘Heritage Jet’ design based on the notorious P-51 Mustang. It is unclear at this time if the Viper Demo Team’s ‘VENOM’ scheme will live on after the 2020 airshow season concludes.