Autumn 1978 - 1983
As a test, the four last DC-9-41s delivered (OY-KGS, LN-RLP, SE-DDS and SE-DDT) were all without any background paint. The reason for the test was to find out how much fuel could be saved without the extra weight the paint generated. The result of this was no savings, actually it was more expensive since the maintenance expenses rose.
   Three of the aircraft stayed in these colours until the new colour scheme was implemented. As you can see under, more experiments were done with LN-RLP.

Summer 1982
Early summer 1982 LN-RLP "Froste Viking" was dragged into the paint shop - new paint schemes was going to be tested. The result of one of those was something similar to the drawing above. The drawing is based on a picture that appeared in a news paper i Oslo, Norway (Aftenposten). The starboard side of Froste, it was said in the news article, was of a different paint scheme. What was it? Was it the new paint scheme that was introduced in 1983? I don't know.

Summer 1982 - 1983
After being used for the paint scheme test, LN-RLP hold on to the all white background colour together with the rest of the old elements.

Spring/autumn 1993
Three MD-82s was leased out to Compass mk II in August 1992. After Compass went bankrupt in January 1993 all three came back and two of these (LN-RLG and LN-RLR) were flying around for a some time with the fuselage colours of Compass like shown above. LN-RLR went on to next special paint scheme during the fall of 1993. LN-RLG was leased out to Reno Air October 1st 1993.

Autumn 1993/Spring 1994
The two MD-82s SE-DFS and LN-RLR were painted up front of the Lillehammer Winter Olympics in 1994, as SAS the official airline of the Olympic Games.

     A drawing of the "Copenhagen '96 - European Culture City" aircraft will be here later

1996 - 2001
During 1996 a new drive was started to rejuvenate the domestic services in Sweden. A total of six aircraft was supposed to be painted like these two MD-80s, all with different background colours. The concept was also to be introduced for domestic operation in Denmark and Norway too. It stopped by these two aircraft because of some similarities with the cartoon figure "La Lina". The owner of the rights for "La Lina" threatened to sue SAS, and that was it for those colourfull aircraft.
   The red LN-RLE stayed the longest in these colours, until beginning of 2002. The blue LN-RMD was painted in the new Scandinavian Airlines colour scheme already autumn 1999.

January 1998 - June 2002
In January 1998 the SAS Star Alliance 767-383ER was rolled out. This has been the only aircraft in the SAS fleet that has worn the Star Alliance colours. Today we're still waiting on the next. Every carrier in Star Alliance are supposed to have at least one in this colour.

2004
The 4th delivered Airbus A330-343X SE-REF "Erik Viking" is in Star Alliance colours