Today’s a very early example of aircraft nose art, and something rarely seen in normal anthologies of the genre. A fine painting on the very nose of the nacelle of a Aviation Militaire Belge (Belgische militaire luchtvaart or Belgian Air Arm) Farman F-41. Poster Zdeněk Skolil confirms it’s pilot 1st Sergeant Viscomte Maximilien Vilain XIII…
Category: 3D
Toys of Yesteryear
Today a photo of a British toy shop window – A caption gives it as ‘Henley, UK, 1960, by Stuart James’. It’s an interesting mix that social historians could, I’m sure, make a lot of. Aircraft aren’t particularly prominent, but they’re there. Right in the middle, is model box of a de Havilland DH 106…
Travolta’s Smallest Airliner?
The one and only John Travolta (just arrived in Australia as I write) well known as a film star, sometimes known as a pilot, and an owner of several large aircraft, including his own Qantas colours bedecked Boeing 707 – yes, a real, full-size airliner. This is due to be donated to the Historic Aircraft…
Rare Egyptian Camel
Yes, not the humped quadruped, but a Camel from Sopwith. Or in this case, from the sub contracted manufacturer Ruston. The ‘Scarf & Goggles’ blog says: “The completion of Ruston’s 1000th Camel was felt to warrant some celebration, with the result that this aircraft, serial number B7380, was delivered on 25 January 1918 wearing an…
Comestible Concorde
Here’s a Concorde cake. Because why not? I don’t have any further information – obviously in France rather than the UK, and featuring the Air France scheme. Only other detail is the visor seems to be the pre-production version. Does anyone know more? [Sauce (ahem) on Facebook ‘Avions moches, bizarres, ratés, projets abandonnés et aviation…
Sussex’s Sonia Imprint
Today a strange story. Firstly a bizarre imprint ‘artwork’ created in a violent accident. Then a design process by my friend and colleague, professional artist Ronne Olsthoorn, to explain the imprint. On 26 July 1945, the British cruiser HMS Sussex was attacked by two Japanese bomber aircraft acting as kamikaze suicide weapons. One bounced off…
Min Scout
Today’s we have a brochure cover that would’ve seemed modern, contemporary when new, but is clearly a product of its time too, with the fonts – the late seventies. It reflects the start of a revolution in aviation, the ultralight. Over to Fiona Shanahan who suggested the story: “Then it was known as a…
Flight Deck!
Today a toy that will bring back memories for the seventies Airfix generation. It was issued in two forms; the original blue Royal Navy McDonnell Douglas Phantom and a later yellow version, much simplified overall. Here, above is the simpler version. The exciting box contained the bits to enable you to launch a Phantom jet…
Skeletal Metal Dragon
Here’s a neat memorial. Photographed against a lovely sky, it’s evidently a skeletal metal sculpture of a de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide. In fact it’s representing the visually identical de Havilland DH.89B Dominie, the Royal Air Force’s radio trainer, or radio ‘flying classroom’, and made for and erected at the former RAF Madley airfield, Herefordshire,…
The Case of the Generic Airliner
Today, rather than the perennial posters, here’s a nice souvenir, via Twitter contact Rob Feeley, of a metal cigarette case with an embossed Blackpool tower on it. But what catches our interest is the airliner passing the tower on the right. Now, while Blackpool has had a significant history of pleasure flying aircraft around the…
A Year of Aviation Illustration & Art 