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issue 78 september 2013
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Editorial Cover image “Interceptor” by Steve Kerry
Our featured artist is Steve Kerry who from necessity became a digital artist and is responsible for our amazing cover. and for the rear cover, his Korean War entry. If you have not yet surfed over to the Guild of Aviation Artist’s website - www.gava.org.uk it should not be missed. The Aviation Paintings of the Year, 2013 gallery is a fantastic resource. The range of talent and style is immense. I was particularly impressed by the use of motion blur and the use of abstraction, particularly in the backgrounds. The paintings selected for the introductory gallery feature several aircraft which fall within “British Aviation 1945 - 1965”, our October exhibition. See if you can find a superb painting which would have graced our Korean War theme. Its by onetime member Ron Wong Happy and successful painting.
Rear Cover Image “Dancing with Migs” By Steve Kerry
Dave
If any member has an objection to the Society holding Membership records on a computer and using the information for society purposes deemed suitable by the Committee, eg; the production and distribution of a membership list, please notify the Editor
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Contents Introducing Steve Kerry, digital artist
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Steve’s reply to Ron Sargeant
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East Lancs Railway’s Forties Week-end
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July Meeting - Sketching from models
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June Meeting - Jim Mackendrick Trophy
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Rob Knotts on Lighter than Air Art part 1
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Roger Markman reports from the depths of the web
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Barton - Painting Afternoon 1st July, Exhibition &th July
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August Meeting - Canberra- illustrated talk by P. Grove
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News Round Diary Dates - keep up to date
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Artist members who are unable, for whatever reason, to deliver their entries to competition meetings can have a maximum of two works included in the MAvAS website Gallery. These works will not be included in the competition, nor will they appear on the Museum display panel, but the usual details of title, medium, artist and price must be supplied to Editor, Dave Bates. In addition, Dave will require good quality photographs or digital images of the work in question, i.e., sharp, having accurate colour, no frame showing and without any reflections or shadows. Images that fall short of these standards will be rejected. Digitals need to be sized 4.5ins wide, height to suit and 200dpi.
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Featuring Digital Artist
Steve Kerry
I was born in Surrey in 1960, although I don't really remember much about it to Australia and I spent the next 36 years there. I grew up with a passion for all things aviation. When I was 17 I tried to jo but my eyesight was so bad that I completely failed the medical. When I t the chart on the opposite wall, in fact I couldn't even see the chart! Fail test without my glasses effectively ruled out the Army, Navy, Air Force, pol even the railways as potential employers. After drifting through a variety Admin Officer for the Victorian Government. In 1991 I took an extended leave and spent 3 months travelling around the U When the grand tour was over I returned to Australia, but 6 months later I one hand and a one way ticket in the other. Around 2005 I joined the Guild of Aviation Artists (GAvA) and three years lat Around that time I also developed a tremor in my right arm, which turned Disease. My days of oil painting are over, I can't hold a steady paintbrush create art with the help of my computer. Whether by choice or not, I am n I had some lively discussions with the Guild about this. I painted a digita created the same picture again in pastels. The Guild were happy with the p one would be rejected before it even reached the selection panel. It was but it seems the medium is more important than the image it portrays! As membership at the end of the year. I'm also a compulsive book hoarder, with an aviation reference collection t shame. You can never have enough reference material. I now live in Hull with my wife Carol and 4 cats.
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Working digitally. Left thumbnails for Lockheed lightning painting. Below Work In Progress, featuring Wirlwind and Komet.
t. When I was 5, my parents moved
oin the Royal Australian Air Force, took off my glasses I couldn't read ling to pass even a basic eyesight lice, fire brigade, ambulance, and of jobs, I ended up working as an
UK on a motorcycle. What a blast! A MavAS digital first was the sale I was back with my UK passport in from the panel of Steve’s Speedbird.
ter became an Associate Member. out to be the onset of Parkinson's h any more. Fortunately I can still now a digital artist. al picture of a DH Mosquito, then pastel version, but said the digital s the same picture in both cases, s a result, I didn't renew my Guild
that would put most book shops to
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In the last issue Ron Sargeant gave his opinion on digital art, although what he actually described was a process known as photo manipulation. This is the equivalent of taking a photo (or finding one in a magazine or book), cutting it out, and sticking it onto a new background. This is often done for publication because it is fast and relatively easy. Anyone looking closely should see it for what it is. Digital painting is an entirely different process, and closely duplicates traditional painting. My setup is very similar to working with oils, as that was my preferred medium when I could hold a steady paintbrush. This is a digital tablet. It plugs into a PC (or Mac) and provides a drawing surface for a stylus (digital pen). When you draw something on the tablet, you get the same thing appearing on the computer screen. If you press gently you get a thin line, if you press hard you get a thick line - just like a traditional paintbrush. You can pick a colour from the palette, or if you don't like the colours provided then you can mix your own. You can also lay down several colours side by side, then mix them together in the same way as traditional paint - including the risk of making your palette 'muddy' if you are not careful! Here's a painting I started the other day. Anyone wanting to be an artist, digital or otherwise, should develop basic drawing skills to at least this level.
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The sketch was cleaned up and put against a blue background.
Highlights were added on the top surfaces, and along the leading edge of the wing
In the same way, areas of deep shadow were filled in.
The rest of the plane was then blocked in with a mid-grey tone.
At this point I liked the way it was going, so I added the drawing to my "work in progress" folder. Hopefully I'll get it finished before Christmas! You may have noticed I didn't press a button marked "Paint a Catalina", nor did the computer use any photographs or "do the work for me". A computer, like a paintbrush or pencil, is just a tool. The best tool in the world, whether it is a paintbrush, a computer, or a pointed stick, can do nothing until someone picks it up and uses it. True art comes from the artist who uses the tool, not from the tool itself.
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East Lancs Railway's Forties Weekend MAvAS provided their traditional exhibition at Bury for East Lancs Railways’ Forties Weekend on the 25th to the 27th May. What was less traditional was the weather which, at least on the Saturday and Sunday, was beautifully sunny and warm. Monday however rather returned to cold, damp custom. .MAvAs had also taken the decision to restrict ourselves to a single display in the cabin adjacent to the entrance rather than also use a railway carriage at the far end of the platform, as in previous years, as this had seemed a rather distant outpost. We did moderately well on sales, at least on the Saturday and Sunday. Peter Nield sold his popular MiG 15 Polish defector painting and Steve Ridgway in particular did well with print sales, whilst Ron Leigh sold a number of books. Total funds raised by the society from sales was £41.00 which is quite respectable. I think it fair to say that our paintings made a good display in the cabin and Steve Ridgway was able to demonstrate his scraperboard technique (and bask in the sunshine) outside with a display of his prints. We had a reasonable throughput of visitors through the cabin although our general impression was that the whole event was slightly less well attended than in previous years. We were able to exhibit 42 paintings and, as Exhibition Officer, I’d like to thank the following members for their attendance as stewards to the exhibition: John Williams, Colin Taylor, Roger Markman, Steve Ridgway, Jean Shevelan, Keith Stancombe and Peter Nield.
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Sketching fr
12 members attended the meeting which was devoted to “Sketching f Models”. Host, Peter Flitcroft, brought in a large scale Mosquito plus slig smaller models of the Spitfire prototype and P-51 Mustang. Peter brought in three small figurines – Venus standing, a semi-prone winged a and a kneeling female figure. These were for members to try as a cha from aircraft if they so wished. In the end, members produced 5 sketc of aircraft and 6 of the figurines. Clearly (as was also shown in the port sketching event on 2nd April), we could all do with a little help to impr our sketching skills. If anyone has any practical ideas how this migh achieved, please make your thoughts known to the Committee.
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rom Models
from ghtly also angel ange ches trait rove ht be
Meeting July 2nd
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Jim Mackendric Trophy
Winner Terr Accepts The for his paint
Tonight`s meeting was for the “Jim MacKendrick Trophy” competition, the weather was fine and 19 members attended together with visitor M 19 paintings were assembled for the event plus, for the first time, an e paintings by Jim and these will feature in future annual J.M.T. competi painting by Terry Jones showing a pair of MiG-15s on patrol. Presentatio brought in the wrong pot. Even so, the event went ahead and the corre see in the photograph is actually the MAvAS Trophy from the “Defunct New paintings were assembled on the panel next morning by Ron Sarge
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ck
ry Jones e trophy from judge carl Jacobs ting “Full throttle”
, the subject this year being “Aircraft of the Korean War”. For once, Mark Hunt and Adjudicator Carl Jacobs of Bury Art Society. example of work by the late Jim Mackendrick. We possess around 10 itions. The winner selected by Carl was “Full Throttle”, a dramatic oil on of the Trophy proved to be tricky as last year`s winner, Mr Dozey, ect Trophy was passed on to Terry after the meeting. The Trophy you Airlines” competition on 5th February. Still, all`s well that ends well! eant, Colin Taylor, Keith Stancombe and Peter Nield.
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Fighting Leathernecks by J.D
Bogie-Bill - High Flyer
by P.G.Nield
Navy Marines Mule by R.Sargeant
Bell 47 Medivac Panther Blues by R/Sargeant
Fury and Ocean
Firefly Launch,HMS Ocean by P.Rose
by W.Lee
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D.Williams Full Throttle by T.Jones
MiG Mayem by T.Smith
c by K.Stancombe
eming
Sea Fury Launch by C. Taylor
Co-operation 16 by D.Bates
Dancing with MiGs by S.Kerry
Lockheed P-80 Shooting St by P.W.Grove
Sea Fury, Carmichael`s MiG by C Taylor
Close Combat
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Combat Begins by R.Sargeant
tar
The Hunters by C.Jones Cessna Bird Dog by R.Rumbold
Choppers by S.Kerry
Col. W. M. Mahurin by J.Shevelan
by R.Sargeant
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Part One For centuries man aspired to fly like a bird. Centuries of dreaming, study and experimentation, sometimes of a foolhardy nature, preceded the first successful flight. However, ideas flourished well before flight was first successfully demonstrated and have done since. The free balloon, with buoyancy offered by hot air or hydrogen, was spawned by the airship. However, mention the word 'airship' to most people, and it probably generates three images – the tubby Goodyear blimps used for advertising, the blackened skeleton of the R101 following the untimely end of its infamous flight or the Hindenburg in flames. However airships have a much more glorious history. The first powered airship flew in 1852, and the first rigid airship in 1900. The US military used blimps throughout World War II until 1962. Even now one modern airship is still flying under US Navy colours. This article looks at artwork associated with lighter-than-air craft. Their size dwarfs conventional aircraft. In addition, superstructure such as bracing wires and stays detracts from the clean lines offered by the envelopes that hold the buoyancy gas. Human images appear miniscule against the bulk of the craft, thus it is necessary to focus on only a small portion of the bulk of a balloon or airship if figures are to be portrayed. Nevertheless artists have portrayed such craft in peace and war throughout their history. Engravings, art forms in themselves, were the only way of pictorially presenting concepts and ideas in the early days of balloons and airships. As time progressed artists captured attempts and successes on canvas. In pre-camera days without the efforts of such artists our pictorial knowledge of man's early attempts at flight would be extremely limited. Following the arrival of photographic images artists still captured, and continue to do so, the elegance, daring and innovation of lighter-than-air flying machines. However, before looking at airships we need to spend a little time in studying the history of the first lighter than air craft - balloons.
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In 1670, a Jesuit priest, Francesco de Lana, a professor of mathematics and physics in Brescia, Italy wrote about an “aerial ship.” This craft would be carried aloft by four large spheres from which all air had been removed to make them lighter than the surrounding air. He proposed to make the spheres out of very thin copper. The principle was sound but the spheres would have been immediately crushed by the pressure of the surrounding air. The first recorded s u c c e s s f u l demonstration of a lighter-than-air vehicle is attributed to a brilliant young Jesuit priest, Father Laurenco de Gusmao of Brazil who built and displayed before the King of Portugal working models of paper balloons rising above a small basket of flame. This demonstration is reported to have taken place on 8 August 1709 in the presence of the royal court of Portugal. Gusmao was first to show the principle of a hot air balloon—even if he did cause a minor fire in the palace chamber during the demonstration . The first truly public demonstration of a lighter-than-air machine took place on June 4, 1783, in Annonay, France, when Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier, two brothers who owned a paper mill, sent up an unmanned hot-air balloon. Their original test balloon was made of paper and linen and opened at the bottom. When flaming paper was held near the opening, the bag, called a 'balon', slowly expanded with the hot air and floated upward. The balloon flight was a success even though the physics was not well understood by the brothers. After their success, the brothers went to Paris and built another larger balloon. On September 19, 1783, in Versailles, the Montgolfiers flew the first passengers in a basket suspended below a hot-air balloon—a sheep, a rooster, and a duck. The flight lasted eight minutes. The balloon flew nearly 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) before returning the occupants safely to earth.
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The next major milestone occurred on October 15, 1783, when the brothers constructed a hot-air balloon that, at the end of a tether, rose 84 feet (25 meters) into the air with its first human passengers, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier. With a capacity of 60,000 cubic feet, Pilâtre de Rozier stayed aloft for almost four minutes. A short while later, on November 21, 1783, the first confirmed aeronauts, de Rozier and d'Arlandes, made a free ascent in a balloon and flew from the center of Paris to the suburbs, about 5.5 miles (9 kilometers) in some 25 minutes. For the first time man had escaped earthly bounds to enjoy the freedom of the skies. Vicenzo Lunardi was a pioneering Italian aeronaut, born into a family of minor Neapolitan nobility. He entered the diplomatic service and came to England as Secretary to the N e a p o l i t a n Ambassador. There was a flying craze in France and Scotland. James Tytler, a Scot, was the first Briton to fly. However, even after a year since the invention of the balloon the English were still sceptical, and so George Biggin with 'Vincent' Lunardi decided to demonstrate a hydrogen balloon flight at the Artillery Ground of the Honourable Company in London on 15 September 1784. Julius Caesar Ibbetson, a British 18th century landscape and watercolour artist captured the scene on canvas.
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Sadly, as with all technology, the 'Winds of War' sought to exploit lighter-than-craft. Balloons were used to transport mail and people during the siege of Paris in the French Revolution. The US Civil War and the Boer war both saw tethered balloons deployed as observation platforms. The following painting shows a force of British Royal Engineers transporting a spotter balloon across a river in South Africa. In the non-military world balloons captured the imagination of adventurers and their public. One can imagine the delightful and idealistic tranquil journey of a balloon drifting lazily over the landscape while its passenger/pilot took in the views; the reality was doubtless different as piloting a balloon is a demanding task that requires considerable concentration. Moreover landing can be fraught with hazards and problems, as shown in the following sketch.
"Delights and Problems in Ballooning"
To be continued
Flight Characteristics of the P-51 Airplane 22
Roger Markman braves the depths of the web
To watch this film just type the exact wording of the title above into the Google search box and hey presto, you should find it appears on the search list complete with a stills shot from the film! Click on the picture and enjoy! After watching this film, should you find yourself flying any P-51 airplane, remember that Air Force procedures as described in directives have precedence over anything shown in this film.
It is a US Army Air Force training film designed to familiarise pilots new to the P-51 with the “airplane�. The model is the P-51B powered by the Merlin engine and not the original Allison. This is the beginning of the legend, the first really capable Mustang. The explanation of the air seal around the ailerons is fascinating. That is new information to me! However what makes this film so astounding is the discussion of compressibility and Mach numbers!!!!! Yes I didn’t make an error, compressibility and Mach numbers!!!!!! The Hollywood actor playing Chief Designer Ed Schmued (Lee J. Cobb, very famous post war) explains at length what Mach numbers mean and how at relatively low speeds compressibility can be encountered, if the aircraft is flying at altitude in thin air where Mach one is slower than at ground level. Note the wonderful moment where he jokes that the answer when two six figure numbers are multiplied together, has to be trusted to the guy that worked it out! A pre calculator age! We then see the pilot diving vertically until he gets the stick shaking and the whole aircraft buffeting! Compressibility and Mach numbers!!!!!! Amazing!!!!!!
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I may be wrong but at this time I don’t believe that there was any such training in the RAF. Similarly when Heini Ditmar flew a Messerschmitt 163 at around 620 mph in 1941 (off an air tow similar to the Bell XS-1 air launch from a B-29) I have read that no one believed him when he reported compressibility buffeting. Yet here we have a training film that gives an amazing description of Mach numbers and compressibility buffeting made in 1943!!!!!!!!!!!! I am in awe!!!!!!!! It is also worth noting how little was automated in cockpits at that time, or indeed today for that matter!! Flying was, and perhaps still is, a mass of checklists and switching, settings and gauges. I suppose it is a matter of a whole technology and simple familiarity. The computer I am typing this article on is so familiar to me; at least in the few limited ways in which I use it, that I don’t need to be re taught every five minutes how to start it up properly and why such procedures must be followed. It is automatic in my head if not in the machine itself. In the same way experienced pilots of the piston engine era thought booster pumps and air intake settings, propellers and flaps, mixtures and throttles. It was a mechanical, hands-on oily technology that could bite with fatal results; if taken for granted for an instant! All this comes over so well in this and similar training films. I hope this film helps inspire some aviation art. I also hope it inspires a deeper look at this “hands on oily technology” that in our digital age seems to be increasingly distant; almost a folk memory.
Footnote on Heini Dittmar from Wiki During and after the , Dittmar worked as an aircraft designer and . On 2 October 1941, flying the , he became the first human to fly faster than 1,000 km/h (620 mph). This record was achieved over the -specified 3-km distance and was measured using an theodolite. Later, on 6 July 1944, he reached a speed of 1,130 km/h (700 mph) in the Me-163 BV18 VA+SP.
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Painting Afternoon 2 July nd
Roger Rumbold arranged a painting afternoon at Barton Airfield for Warrington Art Society and Mavas on Monday the 2nd of July. The weather was fine but the airfield was fairly quiet and there was not a huge turnout, Dave Steeden, Keith Sancombe, Roger and me from Mavas and a couple more from WAS.
Members Peter Grove, Taylor arrived early in t Stands and Panels br assembled. Thanks to C a reasonable number of to display some thirty p have been a bit better although attendance s crowds were plentiful exhibition attracted a pleased to donate ÂŁ25 t who support medical re
Bart
Manchester Cit Barton Fun Day on Sunday 7th July
John Williams, Peter Nield and Colin the morning and by 9-00pm the Society rought in by Peter Grove were all Colin`s efforts as Exhibitions Officer, f works was supplied and we were able paintings. Even so, a few more would r. The weather was magnificent and, seemed to be down on last year, the and during the course of the day our lot of attention, and the Society was towards the selected charity, “Sparks”, esearch into children’s health.
ton
ty Airport
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Peter Grove on the ENGLISH ELECTRIC CANBERRA
WEW (Teddy) Petter Chief Designer Moved from Westlands
First Flight 13th May 1949 Test Pilot Roland Beaumont Prototype with modified fin
First Production Aircraft
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The American Canberras Look more sexy
B57A B57B
B57D
B57 E
B57F B57G Argentina - B62 B2)
Some of the Many Export Versions
Chile - PR9
Sweden - B2
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NEWS ROUND Good news and bad news this issue the good news is that Chairman Harry Holmes is continuing to recover from his car crash and prolific professional Charles Thompson is recovering well from his stroke earlier this year. The Bad news is that our friend in the museum Nick Forder has been made redundant . Nick has been our point of contact and smoother of paths for many years. We would like to extend our best wishes to Nick for his future endeavours .
More good news is that the Guild of Aviation Artists has uploaded their 2013 Gallery. There are some stunning paintings not all by the “Old Masters� A site for sore eyes.
Oops Ron Leigh is not retiring from NHS in July but one of his objectives is still to expand his already established DJ activities. So, if you have a need for a well organised supporting event at any time, just contact Ron on 01244.450244
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Diary Dates Saturday/Sunday 14th and 15th September “Exhibition at Southport Air Show” Exhibition Officer, Steve Ridgway E-mail : steve_ridgway@hotmail.com Entries require hooks and string plus MAvAS label
Tuesday 1st October “Avro Trophy Competition” Subject, “British Aircraft 1945 to 1965” Adjudicator Darren Horsnell
Tuesday 5th November “Aviation in National Geographic Magazine” An illustrated talk by Peter Flitcroft
Saturday 9th November “Digital Art Forum” Open discussion – pros and cons No fighting allowed 10-00am to 4-00pm
Tuesday 3rd December “Market Place” Annual seasonal event Bring items for sale or swap
Meetings are held from 7-00pm to 9-30pm in the Conference Room in the Air and Space Hall at the Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester on the first Tuesday in the month unless otherwise stated.
Editor: Dave Bates Tel: 0161-284-3467 Email: davidbates@ntlworld.com Society website: www.mavas.co.uk 30