Shining Wings─Bentley Launches a New “Flying B” Head Stand
Many times, what people love about top luxury brands may be that they are obsessed with the unique front logo. Among them, Bentley’s “Flying B” logo is one of the representatives. At the end of 2022, Bentley will launch a new Version of the “Flying B” stand.
In fact, under the consideration of safety (especially for pedestrians), many brands have canceled the traditional standing signs, or changed them to optional accessories, but since they bought Bentley, it seems that there is something missing without the standing signs, so there are 97 % of Flying Spurs owners will still choose the standing standard.
In the mid-1920s, Bentley began to use the “Flying B” standing sign. The newly launched new sign marks the sixth generation of design. Bentley’s designers and engineers have raised the craftsmanship and artistic level of the “Flying B” standing sign to another level. , the brand-new “Flying B” stand adopts an electric retractable design, which can be retracted downwards under the newly designed cover plate. The wings shine brightly, and these are the first designs used on the “Flying B” stand.
The “Flying B” stand is cast from a single piece of 316 grade stainless steel, which has an austenitic crystal structure and is very tough to withstand extreme temperatures, while molybdenum has been added to give it corrosion resistance, allowing him to handle everything from the Arctic Circle to All climates of the equator.
Meanwhile “Flying B” is made using the investment (lost-wax) casting process, a technique typically used for precision components such as gas turbine blades, a form of casting that, while time-consuming, is often used to manufacture complex-shaped parts that Requires tighter tolerances, thinner thickness and better surface finish than sand casting.
During the manufacturing process, first, molten wax needs to be injected into the mold, the water soluble wax core flows into the space made up of two acrylic crystal wings, while the ceramic central core creates a channel within the wax mold for the lighting wiring. The wax emblem is then removed from the mold and the soluble core dissolves, creating the perfect “Flying B” in the wax.
Next, the wax emblem is encased in multiple layers of a fine ceramic solution containing colloidal silica and alumina; once these elements solidify, the wax is melted in a steam pressure chamber, leaving a ceramic mold in the shape of the emblem.
At this time, molten 316 stainless steel heated to 1,600°C is poured into a ceramic mold. After the steel cools and solidifies, the ceramic skin is removed, and a caustic solution is used to dissolve the ceramic core under pressure, and the newly formed stainless steel “Flying B” In preparation for the next stage, any tiny traces of the ceramic material are removed by sandblasting, a process called “squeeze honing” that ensures the internal channels are smooth enough for wiring to run through.
After every trace of ceramic material has been removed and the components are carefully measured to ensure they meet the precise tolerances required, the ‘Flying B’ is then sent for hand polishing. The last touches of handcrafting accentuate the deep luster of smooth stainless steel.
The entire process took 11 weeks from start to finish, at which point “Flying B” was ready to assemble the crystal acrylic wings, wires and micro LEDs that would create the effect of glowing wings when mounted on the vehicle and unfolded.
