Backstory
The Red Saints' previous representative aircraft, the F-2B Blood Viper, has now been retired from its role. However, do not be quick to jump to saying it was a waste of effort - it is being reassigned in a future aerobatics team. Further details on that are classified as of this point.
However, in the period of choosing from multiple pilots to fly its solo demo, RS's aerobatics management gave up on it, and assigned it to the team in question. The Blood Scythe was created in the void left by the Viper's decommissioning.
Named for the PlanetSide 2 fighter, the Blood Scythe takes a different direction than the original Viper. Whereas the Viper's demo was more aggressive and in-your-face, the Scythe's approach is considerably more subtle, both in its routine and backing soundtrack.
The pilot
SantiXgoIV (aka Captain Heyerdahl), while not very well known directly to the public face of YSFlight, has been perfecting his piloting in private since times dating back to late 2006. Under the guidance of two master aerobatics pilots - PhoenixonLeon and Headhunter - the skill of many pilots within the Red Saints, SantiX included, has gone to an all-time high.
As the executive commander of the Red Saints (and its partner group, Task Force 51), SantiX is the only member of the entire team to venture into the public side of YSFlight. While everybody else is in hiding on an unmarked server within YSFlight, SantiX is out to prove that there is nothing to prove.
The aircraft
Continuing the line of the legendary Su-47 Berkut within Task Force 51, both the routine and aircraft design of the Blood Scythe carry on the legacy of the now-defunct Firestorm Demo Team. Painted in an all-gray/red color scheme by team model-maker M.R.171, the Blood Scythe flies in the colors of the Red Saints, with its dual-wingtip smoke generators leaving a trail of fire in its path.
.
