Pilot scarves

[Dermot]

What exactly is the significance of the scarves the Star Fox team members wear?

I have my own theory - that they're worn because the Arwing cockpits can get very cold in space.  But there are potential holes in this theory.

What are your own thoughts?

[Guest DRL]

Er... It is part of the uniform?  :lol:

[rebel_gunman]

To cover their snouts?

Like so

Just a guessin'

[Showtime 1-1]

In World War I, the first fighter pilots found that their jackets would chafe their necks as they turned around to look for enemies behind them, so they bought silk scarves to prevent this. It also helped with the cold wind in the open cockpits, and the scarves could be used to wipe flying goggles clean, because the rotary engines constantly sprayed oil.

After that, most fighters had closed cockpits, and flying jackets were lined with softer stuff, but a white silk scarf remained a tradition among pilots for a long time after.

I think the Starfox team just wears them in Fighter Pilot Tradition. I never really noticed it before, though.

[Mr. Foxer]

Style.

[Dermot]

In World War I, the first fighter pilots found that their jackets would chafe their necks as they turned around to look for enemies behind them, so they bought silk scarves to prevent this. It also helped with the cold wind in the open cockpits, and the scarves could be used to wipe flying goggles clean, because the rotary engines constantly sprayed oil.

After that, most fighters had closed cockpits, and flying jackets were lined with softer stuff, but a white silk scarf remained a tradition among pilots for a long time after.

I think the Starfox team just wears them in Fighter Pilot Tradition. I never really noticed it before, though.

Heh, I never knew all that.  I figured the cold might be involved, but I figured it was the cold of space.  But the hole in that theory is that the Arwings would have to be tightly climate-controlled anyway, especially if they can take temperatures up to 9000 degrees.

I noticed differences in the colors used for the scarves between Star Fox SNES and Star Fox 64.

In SNES, Fox's scarf is pink, Falco's scarf is red, Peppy's scarf is green, and Slippy doesn't have a scarf, but rather that bead necklace.

In 64, they all have red scarves, except for Peppy whose scarf is still green.  James and Pigma also had red scarves - Peppy's scarf seemingly alone is green.

[rebel_gunman]

Style.

Just look how AWSOME this dog looks!!!

[rainfyre66]

Actually, there is another reason for it I read about. I can't remember the details exactly and will have to go look it up again, but I remember reading before that when Shigeru Miyamoto was developing Star Fox with Argonaut, he visited a temple that had a picture of a certain kind of "spiritual fox", or something, and it was wearing the scarf or there were red banners around the temple, I can't remember exactly. But either way, Shiggy was inspired by the whole shebang and settled on a fox as the main character for his new game, and incorporated the red scarf, which is a permanent part of Fox' uniform.

Yup, went and looked it up again. Shiggy was visiting a shrine that had a statue of a fox with a red scarf around its neck, that and seeing all the red arches (which Shiggy envisioned a fox flying through, like you do in the first game) helped complete the creation of Star Fox's main character. Fox's face was even modeled after the statue's in the first game and the red scarf incorporated ever since. The fighter pilot scarf theory also fits in quite well too, so maybe that is also an undocumented inspiration.

[Guest DRL]

In World War I, the first fighter pilots found that their jackets would chafe their necks as they turned around to look for enemies behind them, so they bought silk scarves to prevent this. It also helped with the cold wind in the open cockpits, and the scarves could be used to wipe flying goggles clean, because the rotary engines constantly sprayed oil.

After that, most fighters had closed cockpits, and flying jackets were lined with softer stuff, but a white silk scarf remained a tradition among pilots for a long time after.

I think the Starfox team just wears them in Fighter Pilot Tradition. I never really noticed it before, though.

Interesting data...

Actually, there is another reason for it I read about. I can't remember the details exactly and will have to go look it up again, but I remember reading before that when Shigeru Miyamoto was developing Star Fox with Argonaut, he visited a temple that had a picture of a certain kind of "spiritual fox", or something, and it was wearing the scarf or there were red banners around the temple, I can't remember exactly. But either way, Shiggy was inspired by the whole shebang and settled on a fox as the main character for his new game, and incorporated the red scarf, which is a permanent part of Fox' uniform.

...Interesting, too. :lol:

[CrypticQuery]

Actually, there is another reason for it I read about. I can't remember the details exactly and will have to go look it up again, but I remember reading before that when Shigeru Miyamoto was developing Star Fox with Argonaut, he visited a temple that had a picture of a certain kind of "spiritual fox", or something, and it was wearing the scarf or there were red banners around the temple, I can't remember exactly. But either way, Shiggy was inspired by the whole shebang and settled on a fox as the main character for his new game, and incorporated the red scarf, which is a permanent part of Fox' uniform.

Yup, went and looked it up again. Shiggy was visiting a shrine that had a statue of a fox with a red scarf around its neck, that and seeing all the red arches (which Shiggy envisioned a fox flying through, like you do in the first game) helped complete the creation of Star Fox's main character. Fox's face was even modeled after the statue's in the first game and the red scarf incorporated ever since. The fighter pilot scarf theory also fits in quite well too, so maybe that is also an undocumented inspiration.

I also read that somewhere too :D

[Dermot]

But wasn't Fox's first scarf pink?

[Dublinthefox]

But wasn't Fox's first scarf pink?

No, it was bright red.

[Dermot]

No, not in Star Fox 64 you idiots...*brief irritated moment*...

...*peachy again* ^^ In Star Fox SNES. :3

See:

http://arwinglanding.net/gallery/displayimage.php?album=1&pos=25

http://www.thecoverproject.net/view.php?cover_id=10928

[CrypticQuery]

No, not in Star Fox 64 you idiots...*brief irritated moment*...

...*peachy again* ^^ In Star Fox SNES. :3

See:

http://arwinglanding.net/gallery/displayimage.php?album=1&pos=25

http://www.thecoverproject.net/view.php?cover_id=10928

Heh, It looks *a little* more pink. Also, thanks for thecoverproject's website Dermot!

Here is the U.S. boxart, just for fun

[Dermot]

Heh, It looks *a little* more pink. Also, thanks for thecoverproject's website Dermot!

Here is the U.S. boxart, just for fun

Not just a little more pink - practically Crayola carnation pink. :P

[Guest Julius Quasar]

Actually, there is another reason for it I read about. I can't remember the details exactly and will have to go look it up again, but I remember reading before that when Shigeru Miyamoto was developing Star Fox with Argonaut, he visited a temple that had a picture of a certain kind of "spiritual fox", or something, and it was wearing the scarf or there were red banners around the temple, I can't remember exactly. But either way, Shiggy was inspired by the whole shebang and settled on a fox as the main character for his new game, and incorporated the red scarf, which is a permanent part of Fox' uniform.

Yup, went and looked it up again. Shiggy was visiting a shrine that had a statue of a fox with a red scarf around its neck, that and seeing all the red arches (which Shiggy envisioned a fox flying through, like you do in the first game) helped complete the creation of Star Fox's main character. Fox's face was even modeled after the statue's in the first game and the red scarf incorporated ever since. The fighter pilot scarf theory also fits in quite well too, so maybe that is also an undocumented inspiration.

Good point!

[Dermot]

Good point!

Yes, but why was it originally pink?  Except for just looking nice, unless that's the only reason. :3

[Showtime 1-1]

To quote Pvt. Donut,

"It's not pink! It's... light-ish red."

[Dermot]

Real Men Wear Pink :3

[CrypticQuery]

Not just a little more pink - practically Crayola carnation pink.

Now that I look at it more closely, you're right :lol:

[Sabre]

Fun fact. Pink used to be a masculine colour, and blue a femanine one. Not sure why it got changed round. Virgin mary I think, but dont quote me on that.

[Ris Grestar]

Fun fact. Pink used to be a masculine colour, and blue a femanine one. Not sure why it got changed round. Virgin mary I think, but dont quote me on that.

Wait, how does that make blue less feminine?

[rainfyre66]

Yes, but why was it originally pink?  Except for just looking nice, unless that's the only reason. :3

I don't think the coloring of Fox's scarf is intended to be a "flag" of any sort, I'm sure there was some artistic color-scheme reason as to why his ended up being a more pinkish color, or it could even just be the red ended up photographing/printed out lighter than intended. Who knows. I still go with the red votive-bib combined with the fighter pilot scarf deal.

[CrypticQuery]

All color debates aside, I would agree with Dermot's theory that it would keep them warm.  I assume the Arwings designs have changed throughout games, other than aesthetics, so climate control and comfort must have also been altered.  In SF64, Slippy says the arwings can take temperatures up to 9000 degrees (Celsius or Fahrenheit? ).  That may not be true for the original Arwings in the first game though. 

[Guest Para Astaroth]

To be honest, I think it's just red with the lighting directed at a certain point.   I've seen pictures such as that and the light can be at a certain brightness and make the scarves seem a brighter color, or a different color; in this case, Fox's scarf is actually red, when it seems pink to others.  But if you notice the furr on the covers, it seems a little more brighter and the cover for the SNES is darker.  Notice the difference in the scarves' color tone?