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,…
Tag: Sculpture
Eastchurch Aviation Shrine
Creating representations of aircraft in stone is very difficult to do effectively, something about the lightness of early aviation and the sharp edges of most aircraft often does not translate well to stone. The Memorial to ‘The Home of Aviation’, at Eastchurch, Kent, UK, is a fascinating effort. Image: Eastchurch aviation memorial. Copyright Historic England…
Which Concorde?
The final shape for the Concorde’s wing was an ogee delta, and when viewed closely is a complex arrangement, including a downturned leading edge lip, as well as the reflexed leading edge line seen in plan view. But it wasn’t the only option, as seen here, in this row of model shapes considered by the…
Stuka! One – Shiny
Here’s something you don’t see every day. A full size model (FSM) replica of the iconic German Blitzkrieg too the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber. Here in the sculpture garden of Burghley House, in the UK. As reported recently in Militaria & History, it ‘is called Down Two Earth and is an 11m…
Outstanding Field Fort
Something a bit different today – a 350 metre wide Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress silhouette into a British field. Unfortunately the image is currently making the online rounds, but with the credit and with details removed and attributed to ‘two’ unnamed ‘farmers’. The correct details date to 2015, and are the work of two artists…
Futurism Unfulfilled
Which airport would be worth highlighting in terms of design and art? This artwork today is a painting of a Continental Airlines Douglas DC-9 in front of the iconic ‘Theme Building’ at Los Angeles International (LAX) airport in California. The sixties aesthetic of the building is today countered by the true awfulness of LAX airport,…
Credible Comet?
These ‘trench art’ ashtrays are relatively common in junk shops and antique shops. This is to a degree because most of them are modern made, and vary enormously between the very convincing, and the dubious rubbish. This represents the pre-war de Havilland DH 88 Comet racer, reasonably convincingly though the casting as usual lacks credibility…
Ice Arrow
Not one I saw coming but right on theme. At Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, in this year’s current Winterlude festival, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) have presented this photo (by Aviator Jérôme Lessard) of a remarkable sculpture of the Canadian-designed, cancelled interceptor the Avro Arrow. Remarkable work. James Kightly, Vintage Aero Writer. Via the RCAF…
Venetian Aviator Memorial
Fame transitions. To many Italians, ‘Pierluigi Penzo’ is a Venetian sports stadium, in the same way for tennis fans, ‘Roland Garros’ is a tennis tournament, not a 1900s aviator. But aeronaut Pier Luigi Penzo (born, Venice 5 May 1896, died 29 September 1928) is also remembered by this beautiful memorial in one of Venice’s treasured…
Middleton Madness
This blog isn’t the first time I’ve looked at aviation illustration and design. Here’s one from my main blog from last year – I bet you didn’t expect to see a Kim Possible TV show reference! But here’s the fascinating story of ‘Middleton’s Starjet’. Click on the image: James Kightly, Vintage Aero Writer.
A Year of Aviation Illustration & Art 