The story of the Widget.
Jets Inspire “The Widget” Design
Today the triangle is a registered image used in Delta's aircraft livery, advertising, printed material, at airports and on ground equipment and Delta facilities. The first red, white and navy blue triangle emblem was introduced in 1959, when Delta entered the jet era with the introduction of the DC-8. Its shape resembles the swept wing appearance of a jet seen overhead.
Delta's advertising department described the trademark colors of red, white, and blue: “Within the strong outline of the triangle, the blue portion points to the sky where we fly—the point represents the pinnacle of professional achievement. Just entering the blue is the swept wing of the jet, represented by the broad white ‘V.’ The flat broad base suggests Delta's solid foundation. Colored red, it can be regarded not only as the exhaust behind the jet but also the flame of leadership that keeps the point headed upward.”
Reading that description, I'm even
more convinced that serious drug use isn't just a phenomena of the late 20th and 21st centuries, but was occurring as far back as the 1950s
Seriously though, whatever the symbolism (or no matter how many tabs of LSD one must consume to understand the symbolism), I do think that the widget is a cool logo for Delta, and am glad to see that it's coming back.