It makes sense that a professional illustrator would win a contest to design a paint scheme for one of Hainan Airlines’ Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets.
But this isn’t just any paint scheme: The task at hand was to add some Kung Fu Panda razzle-dazzle, using characters from the animated movie series as well as graphic themes from the Chinese carrier.
Looks like Hannah R. Foss, a digital illustrator and CGI modeler at the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks aced it.
“We look forward to seeing your design on one of our Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, and we can’t wait to have you onboard on your free business-class trip to China,” Hainan Airlines said today in a Facebook post announcing the winner.
“Thank you so much for this great honor!! This means the world to me! Skidoosh!” Foss replied, closing off her comments with one of the movie’s catch phrases.
Congratulations Hannah R. Foss, you win our Design Your Own Livery Contest. Your design will be painted on our Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners! pic.twitter.com/RVwiQ7mRLK
— Hainan Airlines (@HainanAirlines) October 20, 2016
The contest – sponsored by Boeing and Hainan Airlines as well as DreamWorks, makers of the Kung Fu Panda movies – gave artists the opportunity to design airplane livery online. In addition to two business-class tickets to China, Foss wins a week’s accommodations at a luxury hotel. Then there’s the little matter of having her design painted on a Dreamliner.
This isn’t the first cartoony project Foss has faced. She also does Pokemon-themed artwork and stickers, and lists the construction of a 16-foot-long animatronic dinosaur costume called Snaps among her accomplishments.
Take a good look at Foss’ livery design, because you’ll want to recognize it when her Dreamliner starts flying routes between China and North America. That may not be as easy as it sounds, because Hainan is creating a fleet of up to six Kung Fu Panda planes.
The first of those jets to visit the States touched down at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Tuesday, carrying a delegation of students from Tacoma’s Lincoln High School. We can expect to see more panda awesomeness descend on Sea-Tac in the months to come.
To paraphrase a panda: “Skidoosh!”
