Yeah, I've got some experience associated with vehicle wraps, of which "decals" are a sub-set. You see them all over busses, tradesman trucks, etc. Far, far more than just lettering or insignia, you can do any kind of artwork you want - even photographs. Every member here has seen a thousand examples on the road. They're everywhere.
Any vinyl application that's going to go over seams, rivets, other fasteners, curves, etc. you want to have professionally applied. Don't try and do it yourself. You're looking for a vendor who does "Vehicle wraps", because they understand how to work over projections, seams, and curves, and how to seal down the edges against peeling up. The inks they use will be designed to be colorfast against harsh UV exposure on a vehicle outdoors. If you can find someone who's done airplanes or at least racing cars before, that'll be good for your peace of mind. They do exist. You can have the artwork created to your concept either by the shop themselves or, more often and more professionally, by a separate design/graphic production firm. You don't want to create the artwork yourself, either. While the requirements for artwork for large-format printing are easier than those for conventional print, they're still more stringent than for web graphics, and you need to know what you're doing if you want to avoid color shifts, "jaggies" in the printed piece, or problems processing.
Properly printed, on the right material, and professionally applied, these should last for years, even with full exposure to the elements.
A local vehicle wrap company will be employed, Pace Graphics, in Dallas Texas. They have experience with aircraft. All decals were purchased from Aero Graphics, in Colorado. They have a superb reputation.
