Olympic 'Dove' planes unveiled

The newly designed aircraft was unveiled at Heathrow Airport. Credit: Press Association

Artist Tracey Emin has unveiled the first of a set of special British Airways Olympics-inspired planes.

The outside of the nine "Dove" aircraft has been designed by artist-designer Pascal Anson, from Brighton, who has been mentored by Emin.

In service for a year, the plane's design involves using the cockpit for the dove's beak, fuselage and wings for its main body and wings, and the tailfin as its tail.

The aircraft will be painted white with gold strokes of paint to represent the feathers.

Unveiling the first Dove - an Airbus A319 - at BA's engineering bay at Heathrow airport, Emin said: "The first time I saw Pascal's design, it made me smile. The plane is universal. Everyone will understand it.

"I like the way it brings back the excitement of travel too. I will constantly be looking up every time I hear a plane fly over. You never know, maybe I will turn into a plane-spotter."

Tracey Emin and Pascal Anson with his design. Credit: Press Association

Two other Olympics-inspired projects have been unveiled by BA.

Working with chef Heston Blumenthal, chef Simon Hulstone has created menus for BA long-haul flights this summer which take into account the airline's menus going back to 1948 - the last time the Olympics were held in London.

And a short film entitled Boy written by scriptwriter Prasanna Puwanarajah from London, who was mentored by actor Richard E Grant, was being premiered on flights this week.

The nine-minute film is a story about a carpenter, played by Timothy Spall, who maintains the track at the Velodrome in the London Olympic Park. The imminence of the Games forces him to deal with the loss of his son, a track cyclist.