Here is how a Royal Canadian Air Force F-35 in special color scheme could look like

Even if the future of the F-35 in the Royal Canadian Air Force is at least uncertain, after the program was “reset” (with several other replacement combat planes being considered, including the Super Hornet, the Rafale and the Typhoon) because of the problems, schedule slippages and cost overruns, Al Clark has drawn a digital mock-up (first published in the March issue of Air Force Monthly magazine) of how the Joint Strike Fighter would look like in Canadian service.

Interestingly, Al imagined the F-35 not only in the standard overall grey color scheme, but also in the same livery of the 2012’s RCAF CF-18 demo team.

Image credit: Al Clark

The theme chosen by the RCAF CF-18 demo team in 2012 was:  “The True North, Strong and Free”

Designed by Jim Belliveau, veteran graphic design director of 410 Squadron at 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alberta, the theme displays tail and dorsal art capturing the Arctic landscape and its people. It also features 13 distinctive snowflakes, representing Canada’s provinces and territories, as well as the 13 RCAF Wings, scattered across a dramatic Arctic blue background.

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About David Cenciotti

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David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.