Art from 2013.
Artist's description from DA:EDIT!!
Colored by the amazing Rex42. He did a FANTASTIC job, I tell ya! D: Go check out his gallery as well; he has some pretty amazing stuff there, he does. .
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Another "preview" thingie I did, this time of one of the special "factions" within the military, each mostly comprised of the same breed of pony (pegasi, Earth, and Unicorn). For this one, it's the Wonderbolts, which is mostly made of pegasus ponies. Of course, you don't HAVE to be a pegasus in order to make it to the Wonderbolts, though.
Anyway…
For this preview, I chose the three top fliers of the Wonderbolts, this being Spitfire, Soarin, and Fleetfoot (no, she isn't an OC, nor did I make this name up. She's that third Wonderbolt we don't see as often as the other two).
I'm also trying a bit of a different approach to how I draw the ponies' legs. I think I like it. c:
Anyway, in this universe, the Wonderbolts aren't just airshow fliers. They're one of the most well-known and skilled fighter squadrons of the Air Force, having one of the highest success rates in terms of their missions in wars. They perform airshows every now and then, not only to entertain, but to encourage others to join the military. Unlike the canon, though, not anyone can simply try out and join the Wonderbolts.
I can go on and on, but let's get on with the characters:
-Spitfire:
She has the rank of Wing Commander. She's a top-ranking pegasus Ace Flier and the squad leader of the Wonderbolts, and her two leading wingmates are Soarin and Fleetfoot. Like she seems to have in the canon, she has a no-nonsense attitude and carries natural authority, able to keep her cool even in the most desperate of situations.
The armor she's wearing is the basic standard of the Equestrian Air force (minus the scarf); all leather, usually accompanied with spiked guards or cleated horseshoes.
-Soarin:
Ace Flier and the second in command of Spitfire's particular squadron. A generally upbeat guy who, as we all know, LOVES pie. The childhood friend of Spitfire, the two act a lot like brother and sister, but that's not the reason why he's second in command. He's good at taking the reigns when needed and is a hard worker. Despite his wings being slightly shorter than the two mares in his squadron, he's an excellent diver.
The armor he's wearing is an upgrade from Spitfire's armor, leather with copper-metal plating. There's also the the spiked guards on his legs.
-Fleetfoot:
Ace Flier and the third in command in Spitfire's particular squadron. A relatively quiet mare that likes to have her actions speak what her words can't get across. Very laid back and, for the most part, likes to go with the flow, able to take most things in stride. Before joining the military she was a dancer, so she's very light on her hooves and nimble both on the ground and in air.
Her armor is a variation of the basic armor Spitfire's wearing.
So, yeah. As usual, feel free to ask any questions and such. And thanks a bunch for stopping to take a gander. c: