Germany rolls out farewell scheme for Transall

The German Air Force has applied a stunning farewell scheme to one of its Transport Allianz (Transall) C-160D tactical transport aircraft ahead of the platform’s formal retirement from service later this year.

The special schemed aircraft – serial 50+40 (c/n D62) – was rolled out sporting its new, colourful farewell livery at Hohn air base in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, on March 9. The air base is the home of Lufttransportgeschwader 63 (LTG63, Air Transport Wing 63), which serves as the sole remaining operational Transall unit within the German Air Force. Current reports suggest that the wing will be disbanded following the retirement of the C-160D in September.

The aircraft’s colourful farewell scheme effectively tells the story of the Transall’s time with the German Air Force. The years ‘1968’ and ‘2021’ have been applied under each wing and the words ‘weltweit im einsatz (in use worldwide)’ can be seen in dark lettering on bottom of its fuselage.

The aircraft has received a predominately green and grey camouflage paint scheme, but it also features dayglo orange and white markings in reference to the platforms trials and testing days (orange), as well as its missions in support of United Nations operations (white). The German and French flags can be seen on top of the wings in reference to the aircraft’s development between the two nations. The number ‘63’ is also featured to honour LTG63 as Germany’s only remaining Transall unit.

The C-160D entered operational service with the German Air Force in the late-1960s. AirForces Intelligence data states that a total of 110 examples were delivered to the air arm and that 16 aircraft remain operational as of March 12, 2021. From the total that were delivered, 20 were sold to the Turkish Air Force in 1971; 70 have been withdrawn from service and four examples have been lost to attrition.