How was the C-101 camouflaged at Farnborough?

Short answer

With a camouflage scheme closer to a Saab Viggen's than to a Spanish Air Force aircraft's: at Farnborough the Aviojet appeared dressed "the Swedish way." The prototype flew at the Farnborough International Airshow in late July 1978. It also took part in the Le Bourget show.

Published: November 1, 2026 · Updated: November 1, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

How was the C-101 camouflaged at Farnborough?

CASA C-101 of the Patrulla Águila and Pilatus PC-21 of the future Formación Mirlo flying together at the Aire 25 festivalRB7MRV (CC BY SA), vía commons

An Aviojet with a Scandinavian look

At Farnborough the C-101 was shown with a camouflage scheme closer to that of a Saab Viggen than to a typical Spanish Air Force aircraft, which is why it was said to be dressed "the Swedish way." The prototype flew at the Farnborough International Airshow in late July 1978.

The trainer's tour

The Aviojet followed the travelling tradition of its older sibling, the C-212 Aviocar, and like it reached high levels of interest and expectation at the Le Bourget and Farnborough air shows. It was also the center of attention in several demonstrations before foreign and domestic delegations.

What lay behind the paint

The P1's first flight took place on June 27, four days ahead of schedule, with Colonel De la Cruz Jiménez at the controls. The aircraft proved to be a highly maneuverable machine, to the point that the two Saeta jets from the 406th Squadron escorting it struggled to keep up. Measured performance turned out better than the designers had anticipated. The design emphasized simplicity and economy, forgoing high-performance features. The powerplant chosen for the aircraft was the Honeywell TFE731-5-1J turbofan.