u/Realistic-Bid9464

I recently came across a forum post arguing that the headlights in Disney/Pixar’s Cars should have been used as the characters’ eyes instead of the windshield eyes seen in the movies. Now look, I can understand why some people think that approach could work for cars, since many cars have headlights positioned close together on the front end.

The problem is that the Cars universe doesn’t only include just the cars, it also features trains, boats, and aircraft. If the 'headlights = eyes' idea were applied consistently across every vehicle type in those movies, a lot of the character designs would end up looking awkward or even disturbing.

Aircraft are probably the best example of this issue. On most commercial planes, including the Boeing 747 (my personal favorite) the landing lights are located on the wings rather than near the cockpit. That would effectively place the character’s eyes out on the wings, which would look far more creepy than expressive or endearing, especially with how far apart they are. Windshield eyes are really the only practical option for planes if the goal is to make them feel friendly and emotionally readable.

As a kid, I could somewhat tolerate cars with headlight eyes, but if I had seen something like a jumbo jet with eyes positioned on its wings, it probably would have looked disturbing rather than appealing. Not every vehicle has headlights placed in a way that naturally resembles a face, which is likely why the filmmakers most likely chose windshield eyes as the go-to choice.

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It would have been a short to medium haul airliner with a capacity of 150. Proposed in the 1980s and intended to replace the earlier Boeing 727 trijets, this aircraft would have utilized unique propfan engines. The Japan Aircraft Development Corporation would be the parts supplier to this aircraft, hence the 'J' in the name.

Metrojet was a short-lived subsidiary launched by Us Airways on June 1, 1998. They were designed to compete with Southwest and other budget carriers along the United States' eastern seaboard. Operating out of Baltimore. Unfortunately due to Southwest's market dominance as well as the September 11th attacks the airline would cease operating in September of 2001 and were re-integrated back into US Airways.

(Had to reupload to rephrase title)

Proportions and overall shape can really make or break how a livery looks on an aircraft. The battleship grey color scheme of United Airlines suited the Boeing 747 perfectly, its size and hump complementing the darker tones giving it a bold and almost intimidating look. On smaller aircraft like the A320 family and CRJs, it felt too heavy, and even on the 777 it lacked the same presence IMO.

On the other hand American Airlines’ polished metal livery worked best on single-deck planes like the Boeing 737, Boeing 757, and Boeing 767, where the cheatline aligned neatly with the cockpit windows. On the Boeing 747, the cockpit is raised so you can't really make it allign the same way you can with humpless aircraft.