SOUND BARRIER

COVER STORY - NICK TRUDGIAN INTERVIEW PART TWO

AIRFIX 1/48 BLENHEIM
HALIFAX BB324

DIGITAL ISSUE ONE

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ONLY Still Colouring In - Interview with Nick

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 WELCOME TO WINGLEADER MAGAZINE!
A BRAND NEW HISTORIC AVIATION PUBLICATION FOR THOSE WHO STILL
RUN TO THE WINDOW WHEN SOMETHING FLIES OVER...

W
Managing Director:
Simon Parry (Co-Founder)
Editor and Design Director:
elcome to the first digital edition GET INVOLVED
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Technical Director: issue marks the culmination of a this issue, we aim to cover many genres
Wesley Cornell (Co-Founder) lot of hard work over the past twelve months such as aviation art, modelling, archaeology,
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Contributors to this issue:
into something that we hope you will all enjoy. interesting story do let us know via the
Chris Sandham-Bailey editorial@wingleadermagazine.co.uk
Nick Trudgian
Simon Parry
address. We will also be instigating a readers’
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views expressed in Wingleader Magazine are not necessarily on paper!
the views of Wing Leader Ltd, its editors or its contributors.
Mark Postlethwaite January 2019

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 WINGLEADER MAGAZINE PATRONS
EDITORIAL

THE STORY SO FAR

I
During the recent Crowd Funding campaign over 350 people pledged anything
n the summer of 1986, 22 year old aviation software called XU Magazine. Using crowd from £10 to £750 to help us secure the future of Wingleader Magazine.
artist Mark Postlethwaite was asked to funding to get it off the ground, the magazine Although we don’t have the space to list them all, we acknowledge each and every
paint a few cover paintings for Aircraft quickly grew to become the market leader one of them for their generosity and belief in our project.
Modelworld magazine based in Surrey. On the due to its innovative approach and cutting Amongst those 350 are our Special Patrons who are listed below. Their extra
staff of Aircraft Modelworld at the time was edge technology. This success triggered contributions really made a difference.
28 year old Simon Parry who had recently set discussions between the three as to whether
up his own publishing company ‘Air Research’ the same principles could be applied to an
and was looking for cover art for some of his aviation magazine. With Wes’s experience in Lee Smith David Meanwell John Hopkinson
first books. The pair duly worked on several the magazine sector and Mark and Simon’s Jim Carter Pete Belcher T C Burns
projects together and established a firm vast amount of aviation material and contacts, Ray Peterson Kristjan Albertsson Delmar Davis
friendship forged by their common interest in it seemed to be an obvious move and Lawrence Harrison Mark Welch Jan Barnhoorn
WWII aviation history. Wingleader Magazine was born. Keith Davies Paul Rushton James Burrell
In 1990 Mark and Simon set up Red Kite A very successful Crowd Funding campaign Matthias Kobler Guy Sander Charles Simmons
as a joint venture to publish aviation books was held in November 2018 which raised over
with a particular emphasis on a large photo 200% of its £12,000 target in just two weeks.
content and high quality reproduction. These The team are now working on articles for
books proved to be an immediate success Wingleader Magazine in preparation for the
with several titles selling out within a year or launch of Issue One in January 2019.
so. Throughout the next two decades, both Being unique in its concept and approach,
continued with their specific fields of interest, the founders hope that the aviation
Simon in aviation archaeology and research community welcome and support this new
and Mark by this time as a professional venture which will open up so many stories
aviation artist. that may never have seen the light of day in
In 2010 Mark and Simon formed Wing conventional books and magazines.
Leader Ltd to be an online retailer for all books
published under their imprints. They brought
Mark’s old friend Wesley Cornell in to design
the website and to keep the technology at the
cutting edge as online retailing developed.
The concept of Wing Leader Ltd was always
to include more than just books, as between
them Mark and Simon had amassed a huge
WWII photo library of over 25,000 images in
the form of online library ww2images.com.
In 2014 Wesley Cornell launched a new
magazine for accountants using the Xero

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THE NEW AIRFIX
BLENHEIM MKIF
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MODELLING

Airfix have just released a 1/48 scale

Blenheim MkIf to the delight of the
modelling world. Blenheim author and
modeller Alan Price got his hands on a
pre-production model to see how good it
really is.

W
hen the editor and I were
working on the Blenheim book,
we were conscious of the new
Airfix kit of the aircraft being release in the
same year, possibly around the same time as
the book. This would be an important release
for Airfix, one of their big new kit releases
this year, and for modellers too as prior to
this the there had only been one other large
scale Blenheim, a short run release by Classic
Airframes. While this kit is not bad, being
a short run kit it requires a certain level of
modelling skill to build and get the most out of
it. I built one of these kits back in 2015 and it’s
not bad at all, if rather a lot of work!

Many readers of this article have probably

built Airfix kits in their youth – or maybe are
still building them today, like me. The name
Airfix is synonymous with plastic model kits
but the Airfix of today is not the same as it was
in the past. Whilst the company has always
produced good kits, today the company is one
of the leading lights in the modelling world,
producing high technology, accurate and
detailed kits which are a pleasure to build. I’ve
been building prototype kits from Airfix as a
model reviewer for several years now so I’ve
seen how they have come on and I was really

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The complexity of the interior can be seen here.

MODELLING
The pilot’s seat and controls fit to the bomb bay
and spars which form the centre section of the
model. Here is the completed cockpit interior
after painting. Photo etch seat belts from Eduard
add a touch more detail.

looking forward to this Blenheim. Looking at

the 3-D renderings on their website it looked
to be highly detailed and also very accurate
in shape. I can tell you now that it did not
disappoint. I was fortunate enough to be able
to get a pre-production kit from Airfix (and a
big ‘thanks’ must go out to Martin Ridge at
Airfix for this) which had production standard
parts, decals and instructions. This means that
what you see here will be the same as the kit
that can be bought in the shops.

The Blenheim is a fairly large aircraft, being

some 42 feet long and 56 feet in wingspan,
which means in 1:48 scale it’s almost a foot
long and over a foot across the wings making
quite large as a model. As a kit, this results in
6 runners of plastic parts plus one clear runner
containing all the transparencies. While this
initial release is for the Mk.1F, the kit appears
to contain all the parts required to make a
Mk.1 including the standard cockpit windows
(no armour glass), open bomb bay option and Due to the complexity of these kits it’s a serves as a base onto which the cockpit is painted and detailed then glued into place.
a full load of bombs. Light Stores Carriers and good idea to follow the instructions carefully built. After assembling all the parts required, The fuselage was then closed up.
suitable bombs are also included. In terms of as it’s quite possible to ‘build yourself into they all had to be painted. I won’t go into
colour schemes we get decals for two of the a corner’ and find you cant fit something the many stages of painting required but The next job was to clean up the seams
aircraft featured in the book profiles, YX-N, as it needed to be done at an earlier stage, over the cockpit green base layer I applied where the fuselage had been glued together.
K7159 the night fighter and day fighter YP-Q. so my assembly sequence followed the kit several layers of effects to help bring out the Filler goes over the seams which are then
Airfix’s marking guide is fairly accurate but instructions for the most part. detail and make the parts look more three- sanded back – this ensures the filler is sanded
note that the serials are wrongly placed on dimensional. Once all the parts had been away rather than the plastic, which would of
the starboard side of K7159 and YP-Q is shown Construction of the kit begins with the painted, they were assembled into one side course affect the shape of the model. After
with an all black underside. fuselage interior, in this case the bomb bay of the fuselage. The radio equipment was also attaching the front upper section of the

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MODELLING

Above: The completed cockpit was assembled into the port side
of the fuselage. Note how the interior of the fuselage is painted in
fuselage the nose glazing was attached. While
the same manner as the cockpit.
these parts fitted well, care was required to
Below: As was expected, the fuselage halves fitted with little
ensure they lined up correctly. Work now
issue. The red areas on the fuselage are filler which will be sanded
moved on to the wings and here we have more
back later.
amazing detail. The undercarriage has to be
assembled and fixed in place before the upper
and lower wing sections can be glued together.
Airfix have moulded the entire undercarriage,
not just the bit that sticks out of the engine
nacelle. As a result there is a rather complex
assembly to build including front and rear
spars, oil tank and all the undercarriage
assembly itself. Of course, all of the parts
need to be painted and weathered as they
are built so this adds to the time taken. With
Top: The undercarriage is superbly detailed, and the wings assembled I now had the major
the delicate parts build into a surprisingly sturdy parts of the airframe complete, i.e. the wings
assembly. and fuselage. The tail surfaces and control
surfaces were all assembled and cleaned up
Inset: The complex cockpit glazing fits well but then I replaced the trim tab actuators on the
great care is required to avoid getting glue on it rudder and elevators with brass tube, this is a
during assembly! simple job but makes a huge improvement to
the look of these parts.

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 Left: The gun turret is another superbly detailed

MODELLING
item and quite tricky to assemble and paint. Airfix
even supply a jig to help assemble the parts.

Right: With all the main parts together and

cleaned up, the model was prepared for painting.
The undercarriage and cockpit have been masked
and the canopy glazing sprayed cockpit green so
this colour is visible on the inside of the cockpit.

Below: The panel lines were preshaded with black,

this helps to shade the paint making it look aged.

The major parts were now all brought

together and in one evening I had the entire
Blenheim airframe assembled. Everything
fitted beautifully and only minimal clean up
of the wing joins was required. My attention
turned to the engines next. These are yet
another complex assembly and very well done,
the exhaust collector ring even has the stubs
which connect to the engine cylinder heads. As
with the undercarriage, the parts need to be
painted prior to assembly so I painted as much
as I could then started assembly. The fully
assembled engines were then set aside until
the time came to paint the cowlings later on.

The model was now almost ready to paint

so first it was first primed with Mr. Hobby’s
Mr. Surfacer, this is rather like a car body high
build primer, but for models. Painting models
today is not a case of brushing on a few
camouflage colours and applying the decals.
Painting can, and often does, take almost as
long as constructing the kit. Pre-shading and

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 Left: The first stage in painting the camouflage
was for the starboard wing to be painted white.
MODELLING

The effect of preshading can be seen on the

white. Careful masking was required to mask
the white. The black was then airbrushed on and
the masking removed revealing the completed
underside. The entire underside was then masked
while the upper surfaces were painted.

post-shading techniques were used on this

model (that is where darker or lighter colours
are applied before/after the camouflage
to alter the shade of the paint) to create
the finished effect. I usually start painting
with the underside of the model so for the
Blenheim, that meant painting the white
wing & fuselage first. Once this had dried,
the white wing & fuselage was masked and
the rest of the underside was painted black.
The entire underside was then masked and
the upper surface camouflage was applied,
spraying the brown first then the green. The
camouflage pattern was created freehand
with the airbrush, using the book photos as a
guide plus the known form of the camouflage.
My pattern differs slightly to Chris’s profile
artwork in the book – this is my interpretation
of the photos but it does show how difficult
Left: The engines are a complex assembly and deciphering these photos can be. To create the
rather tricky to paint with all the different over painted upper wing roundels, I masked
metallic colours required. Here the exhausts have the original size of the roundel and darkened
been painted and the engines themselves have the area by airbrushing on some very thin
been painted black. Xtradecals provided the markings, I used
their new Blenheim set X48187 though I used
roundels from another Xtradecals set as the
upper wing roundels were the wrong size.

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Right: To represent the over painted areas
around the roundels, the area was masked and

MODELLING
airbrushed with thin black paint.

Far right: The upper surfaces were painted

by applying the brown first then the green, all
freehand with the airbrush. The engines were
test fitted to determine where the camouflage
needed to be sprayed, the exhaust collector rings
have also been sprayed at this point.

Below right: The decals were applied paying

careful attention to the photographs to ensure
the placement was accurate.

Weathering was applied to the model using

oil paints to create fuel stains and dirt. The
engraved detail on the surfaces was brought
out by applying a wash to the model then
wiping off the excess. The engines, wheels,
undercarriage doors and open flaps were
then attached and the model was given its
final finish with a coat of matt varnish being
airbrushed over it. The props were glued into
place and an aerial lead attached using fine
elastic line. Finally the canopy masking was
removed, the gun turret fitted in place and the
model was complete.

This new Airfix Blenheim is a great kit, it

has excellent detail and everything fits well.
While this is not a beginner’s kit, for those
of you who have some experience of plastic
modelling, this is a kit that can be built up into
a simply superb Blenheim. I’m hoping to build
a few more of the aircraft in the book so I for
one will be picking up one or two kits when it
hits the shops.

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 THE FINAL RESULT
few issues with the paintwork I wasn't happy a magazine or book. The aircraft has previously
with but overall, the model came together been shown with red/white/blue/yellow
MODELLING

very well. The huge amount of detail on the kit roundels which we now know to be incorrect
What about the results of this build - the really repays all the time and effort that went and this is also how decals have been produced
finished model? Whenever I have just finished into constructing and painting it. The cockpit to replicate this aircraft in model form.
a model I tend only to see what went wrong in particular looks superb and really draws the Finally, for those of you wondering about
- the mistakes and faults in what's there. Its viewer in when looking at the model. the airfield backgrounds in some of the
always interesting to go back a few weeks I think it gives a very good impression of photos, these are prints from the Noy's
later and look again - invariably those little what this aircraft probably looked like in 1939 Miniatures range.
niggles have been forgotten! In this case the and I believe this is the first time this aircraft
end result was very satisfying, there were a has been portrayed correctly in model form for

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 MODELLING
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 THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT
MODELLING

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 MODELLING
profile by
Chris Sa
ndham-B
ailey

This is Blenheim MkIF L1426 from 25 Squadron, photographed before

September 1939 (when the squadron’s codes changed from RX to ZK) in
some unusual markings. The aircraft is standard in terms of upper surface
camouflage, being Dark Green over Dark Earth to the ‘A’ scheme. The black
and white underside has been painted in an unusual manner, in this
case the starboard wing underside is white and the white continues onto
the fuselage, terminating at the centreline. The rest of the fuselage and port
wing are black. Note that the underside of the starboard engine cowling is
also black, this feature is seen on a number of aircraft of this period.
The aircraft has the toned down style of national markings that came about
during the 1938 and 1939 Defence Exercises. Fuselage roundels are blue and
red as are the upper wing roundels. The wing roundels have been repainted
to a smaller size, leaving a somewhat lighter area of camouflage around the
new roundel. This may be an effect of the reflectivity of the paint making the
new paint appear lighter however it is likely that the paint is a slightly lighter
shade than the surrounding paint. Careful examination of the photograph
suggests there may be a similar though less noticeable effect around the
fuselage roundel.
Fuselage code letters are grey and the aircraft serial number, painted in the
usual place on the fuselage, is black. The Squadron badge on the fin appears
to be in a light grey or white. It is interesting to note that this aircraft has
appeared as L1428 in some profiles and has been shown with yellow/blue/
white/red upper wing roundels. While it undoubtedly wore these roundels
on the upper wing it is unlikely they appeared in this style with the red/blue
fuselage roundels.

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 THE BLACK AND WHITE Initially all Blenheim MkIs were painted black
underneath as they were all part of the bomber
MODELLING

force, but in December 1938 four squadrons

were equipped with Blenheim MkIFs which had

UNDERSIDES SCHEME
been converted to fighters with the addition of
a gun pack under the fuselage. These aircraft
had the starboard wing underside painted white.
The black and white underside was common to
all RAF fighters at the time and was intended
to aid identification of friendly forces from the
ground. This was all part of Dowding’s air defence
plan where the Observer Corps would identify
enemy or friendly aircraft from the ground and
report their positions to the Fighter Command
Operations Rooms. After various experiments, it
was found that this high contrast finish was the
only scheme that worked well above 10,000ft.
The orders were slightly vague in that they
stated that ‘the lower surface of the starboard
mainplane and half the undersurface of
the fuselage was to be painted white, the
corresponding port side to be painted black’.
These orders didn’t specifically refer to
the entire fuselage or indeed the tailplane so
variations inevitably appeared as these markings
were applied at squadron level.
With the Blenheim MkIFs, the majority of
ground crews painted the entire starboard
undersurfaces white although many avoided
painting the starboard engine cowling. Many also
left the starboard aileron black as a precaution
against unbalancing this sensitive part of the
control surfaces.
On the subject aircraft of this article, the
groundcrew appear to have taken the orders more
literally and just painted the starboard wing and
the area inboard of the wing on the fuselage.
This finish remained in service until 6th June
1940 when Signal X915 was issued which called
for all day fighters to be re-painted with Sky as the
underside colour.

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 Right: This line up of 604 Squadron Blenheims shows variation in the
application of the white undersides on the nose.

MODELLING
Below: Believed to be a 600 Squadron Blenheim MkIF, this photo clearly
shows how the white undersides have been quite roughly applied. The
application of paint around the cockpit glazing would certainly lose some
points in a modelling contest! Note again with this aircraft how the
starboard engine cowling has been left black underneath.

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MODELLING

For more information and some

superb archive photos of this classic
aircraft take a look at the Modeller’s
Photo Archive publication on the
Blenheim MkI and MkIF published by
Red Kite and available from

wingleader.co.uk

Above: Another 600 Squadron Blenheim, this time with the pre-war codes of MV,
with only the starboard wing painted white. Fuselage, tailplane and starboard
aileron have all been left as black.

Below: Ever since the only currently flying Blenheim took to the air in its 23
Squadron early war scheme, historians have argued as to whether it too should
be finished in the white/black scheme. This rare and recently discovered
photo would suggest that the squadron did indeed apply the white paint to the
starboard wing although again the forward engine cowling has been left black.

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DUXFORD EAGLES 2001

Nick Trudgian
‘Still colouring in’ Part Two
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 A much younger Nick with legendary German Ace Günther
Rall who is sadly no longer with us, unlike Nick’s coat
which is clearly still going strong!
AVIATION ART

Editor Mark Postlethwaite joined

fellow professional aviation artist
Nick Trudgian on an Oxford park
bench to feed the ducks and reflect
upon their 30 years of avoiding having
to do a proper job. In this second part
of the interview Nick reveals some
of his trade secrets including how
to transform a chimp in a frock into
Emma Watson with a simple visit to
Specsavers...

MP So here we are, in part two of our covered many aspects of Luftwaffe activity
general ramble through life as an aviation as well as U-Boats and tanks. It’s a privilege
artist. We ended part one just after you left to have my artwork printed on such precious
the Military Gallery and became freelance sheets of paper.
once again. Do you still publish prints? For mostly non-German subjects I have
co-produced many prints with British-based
NT Yes, we do. Just not as many. Since Vector Fine Art and in more recent years I
2006 I have been working with a German have been painting US aviation subjects for
publisher who had the foresight, an incredible Valor Studios. I used to get fed up with the
25 to 30 years ago, to collect many sheets long drive to go to Bath to sign prints for the
of top quality art printing paper and then he Military Gallery, now I have to go to Denver!
asked many of the remaining Knight’s Cross- But they are really nice people and I usually
awarded veterans to sign them. He also asked get to see some American trains while I am
top army and submarine veterans too and he there so I come home happy. There have been
travelled far and wide to amass what is surely occasions where because of my deadlines
a unique collection of signed paper. All kept on other projects I was in America for just 24
in bank vault conditions with security and hours. Customs officials looked baffled when I
climate-control, the sheets were waiting for an told them how long I was staying, but at least I
artist to become available, and I was! Another don’t get jet-lag doing that.
stroke of luck. I do one of these big German My artwork nowadays is almost entirely
paintings per year and now the collection has commissions and much of it drawing. It’s

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 AVIATION ART
Right: Nick’s pencil remarques are regarded
by many as the best in the business. The line
work, contrast and control of perspective is
exceptional, especially in such a confined space
as a print border.
This selection of recently remarqued prints also
shows Nick’s flexibility when it comes to subject
matter, the Dunkirk scene at the bottom would
make a great painting in itself!

interesting to reflect how for 19 years in the

Military Gallery I didn’t do any commissions at
all. We designed paintings purely for print and
if the originals found a buyer that was a bonus
and I’d have iced buns for tea! Those days have
gone. What we are left with is a hard core of
collectors, genuine enthusiasts for art and
aircraft. Most of them tend to buy fewer prints
but, instead, they commission drawings and
perhaps even an oil painting or two ( more
iced buns ). That suits me because the logistics
of print-selling are very demanding on space
and time. really sharp point on the pencil by rubbing it you drained all the colour out of it, relying usual, Ruth was right and the glasses proved
against emery paper. I do that every couple solely on shades of grey. After all, light a godsend. The ‘chimp’ was repainted to look
MP Talking of drawings, your remarques of minutes. The once cream-coloured carpet and shade describe form much more than more like Emma Watson and I did’t get eye-
are in my opinion (and many others’) the best under my desk is now dark grey. colour does. Where my best drawings have strain anymore.
in the business. Is pencil work something I love drawing because it’s so elemental inspired paintings I can apply the colour with In my first days with the old Military Gallery
you’ve always enjoyed, and how do you create … just graphite on paper. Without colour confidence, knowing that the underlying in the late 1980s, I heard them talking about
the remarkable clarity in your drawings? Do to help tell the story, lighting, contrast and structure of the scene is strong. ‘remarks’. I didn’t have a clue. ‘Remarques’,
you have any hints and tips for artists like me composition are everything. I am very fond of People said my drawings suddenly got they told me, were original drawings added
who generally struggle to even keep their black and white photography and old movies better about ten years ago. That’s when I to the tint borders of a select few prints. They
pencils sharp?! for the same reason. I adore oil painting started wearing glasses. Ruth told me to get tended to be just slightly differing versions
with its boundless possibilities to realistically my eyes checked after she saw me painting of the same aircraft; merely a quick sketch.
NT That is really kind of you Mark. I have recreate bygone scenes and moods in full a semi-nude woman, (nose-art I hasten to They had to be brief because I was paid less
always loved pencil drawing and never tire of it. colour and yet drawing is the exact opposite, add), on a P-38 Lightning. She said the woman than 10% of the retail price of the print to do
How do I keep pencils sharp? Well, not beautiful because of its simplicity. looked like a chimp in a frock from Planet of them. Nowadays, when I only sell remarques
with pencil sharpeners, I find they shatter the One of my many tin pot theories is that the Apes. I thought she looked a lot like a girl direct to collectors, I have the opportunity
‘lead’. Instead I use a scalpel and then put a a colour painting should still work well if I used to go out with in Cornwall. Anyway, as to do them as proper little artworks in their

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AVIATION ART

Left: Nick’s art now is mostly commissions with

much of it in the form of pencil drawings such as
this one depicting the famous encounter between
Franz Stiegler and the crew of B-17 ‘Ye Olde Pub’.

appears, (not a very efficient way of painting

I must admit!), whereas you use oils so you
must have a clear idea of what you’re doing
before you start?

NT I call it ‘slapping the paint on’ rather

than ‘throwing it’ but I’ll have to try your
method, it might be faster.
I paint in what most people think is a
back-to-front way. I do the planes first and
then paint the backgrounds around them.
Mad, you might say, and you’re probably
right but I am too old to change now. With
an aviation picture I usually start with the
national insignia..RAF roundel, German cross
etc. Then I work out from that. That is not at
all the classical way of painting where, like
you Mark, an artist usually starts by roughing
in the background and then gradually pulls
own right, drawn entirely to the wishes of the parallel lines rather than ‘shading’ flat greys I once had to draw on a sheet signed my everything into sharper focus with successive
collector. Some of the old remarques from my in the more usual way. I work like a surgeon Richthofen and the surface was like breakfast layers of paint.
early years come back to me to be upgraded with only the space for the drawing exposed cereal. Other paper can be like shiny bathroom
and collectors are increasingly buying those and everything else carefully covered up. Good tiles, almost useless. It’s extra stressful if the I paint in a very deliberate way because of
on the secondary market and asking me to paper is as important as my lovely German paper belongs to a collector and worth a my experience as a commercial artist painting
add further remarques to them. Multiple Staedtler pencils and fortunately the paper fortune. I keep my coffee well away from the in gouache. That thick, water-based paint is
remarques on one print used to be rare but that we use for the colour prints suits my style table on those days. ideal for tight deadlines because it dries so
doubles are now common and recently I added perfectly, making remarques a pleasure. The quickly. There wasn’t time to build up layers of
seven to one print. It makes rolling the print clay-coated surface is perfect for my technique MP And back to the paintings, can you paint, instead, usually one layer was applied
up for shipping a nerve-wracking business. and it also allows me to use scalpel blades to talk us through how you’d approach a typical and it had to be right first go. I once started
gently scratch highlights into the surface of the painting? As I paint in acrylic, I tend to a commercial illustration at 5 a.m. after
In paintings I like to see brush strokes and, drawings, a bit like scraper board. just throw paint onto the canvas and keep working all the way through the night on other
similarly, in drawings I build up hundreds of Sometimes I don’t get a choice of paper. overpainting it until something reasonable projects. The painting was finished by 8 a.m.

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 AVIATION ART
SPITFIRE COUNTRY 2001
“It’s good to have some secondary interest in a picture and what better than a Messerschmitt, lying Battle this was one of my best selling prints. As a result of this print the Battle of Britain Memorial
bent in the corner of an English field? The Spitfires could have been from any squadron but at the last Flight asked me for advice as to who they should paint their MkII in Basil’s colours. Of course, I referred
minute they became Basil Stapleton’s 603 Squadron so that the painting could be used as the cover them to the real expert, David, who had helped me in the first place!”
on his biography by David Ross. No doubt because it contained all the imagery we associate with that

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 MOSQUITOS AT DUSK Left: Mosquitos of No.464 Squadron RAAF
AVIATION ART

disturb the timeless tranquility of an English

coastal village as they head out towards the
Continent on another low-level mission.

MP When I start a painting I usually load

eleven different colours on my pallette, which
usually means I’m ready for a tea before I even
apply any of it to canvas! What does your
pallette look like?

Well, again I am very weird. My landscape

and sky backgrounds are painted with just
three colours … lemon yellow, rose pink and
blue, with white paint to make colours paler.
No matter whether I am painting a hot desert
or freezing winter, moonlight or sunsets,
picked up by motorbike courier and the image NT Oh yes, there was one man who So, instead, I exhibited the painting at a railway those three colours allow me to mix up any
was ‘on press’ in a London print works before commissioned me to paint a big oil painting for art show where a lovely couple asked to buy tone and hue I wish. Being ‘cool’ colours they
lunch. We were paid for speed as much as £650 that took me six weeks, but when it was it. Out of a misguided sense of professionalism automatically create naturally distant hues
quality. I couldn’t cope with that stress now. finished he told me he wanted to have it for I let the first man know what I intended to do and with such a limited palette it’s impossible
Interestingly, that illustration, which was for nothing! He liked it and wanted to make prints and then, lo and behold, he blew his top and to mix a colour that’s out of place. I haven’t
a General Motors advertisement, paid twice as from it, but he wouldn’t pay me even a penny insisted he have the painting after all. owned a tube of green or purple for 30 years,
much for just three hours’ work as I’d earn for because, instead, I would have ‘good publicity’. The happy outcome was that the nice couple it’s much more interesting to mix them up.
the 5 weeks it took back then for one of my 3ft He told me it was a life-lesson and I should commissioned me each year to paint a different The exception to my rule is when I paint
wide oil paintings of planes or trains! Despite thank him... I sold the painting to someone else. railway scene … anything I wanted! They the main subject of the painting, usually the
the relatively poor earnings from oil painting it Then there was another man who told me actually weren’t railway enthusiasts at all, they nearest aeroplane. Then I do use brighter,
was still my dream and I pursued it alongside he really didn’t like the painting I had done for just liked art and artists. There’s the life-lesson. warmer colours … flame red, bright orange
the commercial work. him and wasn’t willing to pay for it. He didn’t To all who dream of becoming an artist, it can and yellow and very dark brown, and they
even want me to modify it, which pleased me be a bumpy road, but be true to yourself and so create a wonderful 3D effect. The main subject
MP Didn’t you once tell me about some of because it was, honestly, the most successful long as you stick at it, the good times will come. seems to leap out of the scene because of its
the difficult people you painted trains for? picture I had painted up to that time. You just need a thick skin sometimes. livelier warmth and contrast.

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DEFENDERS OF BASTOGNE 2013

AVIATION ART
”Hurriedly sent by General Eisenhower to defend the town ‘at all costs’ the 101st Airborne Division put up the painting took to paint, but I really enjoyed this one. It’s always a great pleasure to meet the veterans
a valiant defence despite being greatly outnumbered. This is one of the prints I have done for Valor Studios and for this print I did a signing in Philadelphia with Edward “Babe” Heffron, one of the 101st’s famous
in Denver. My good friend Andy Keenan built all the models for me and they probably took just as long as “Band of Brothers”. Sadly, he died just a short time afterwards.”

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 Left: WINTER PATROL 1993
AVIATION ART

“Being an early one, the prints were graced with

some fabulous German signatures and today
are hard to find. In research for this painting I
discovered that the Caucasus Mountains are
even higher than the Alps so here we have Dieter
Hrabak’s JG52 looking for trouble among the
high peaks in late 1942.”

MP The Aviation Art market has changed

beyond all recognition now with WWII
veterans no longer available to sign prints,
how do you see the business nowadays?

NT Of all aviation artists it’s very

appropriate that I am having this chat with
you Mark. We have known each other for
so long, have much in common and yet our
experiences of the industry have almost been
polar opposites. You have, through a lot of
hard work, independently built a fabulous
reputation on very solid ground that nobody
can shake. I on the other hand, put my career
MP How does being an independent a distance. I can sort of see why the publishers have made had I not bothered to reply to his in the hands of a big publisher, gambling that
aviation artist in 2019 compare with being did it. Perhaps I’m mangling that old saying, letter all those years ago. with their energetic promotion I would make
part of the world conquering Military Gallery “It’s better that people think you might be Today, with the market smaller and enough of a name for myself before the wind
business back in the 1990s? an idiot than open your mouth and prove collectors more particular about what they changed. Having taken different paths we find
it”. Maybe publishers thought it best that want, it’s essential that artists have direct ourselves today in similar circumstances with a
NT The thing that baffled me when I first collectors thought we were something special contact with them, and also the dealers print market that is no longer the driving force
worked full time in aviation art was the desire rather than meeting us and finding out how and gallery owners kind enough to stock of our industry. The publishers I now work
by the Military Gallery to keep us artists away normal we were. I bent the ‘house rules’ by our artwork and prints. Let’s face it, nobody with have an enlightened attitude to artists.
from the people who bought the art. It’s true replying in person to those people who were actually needs art in the same was as they That mutual respect and a dash of humility
that we attended occasional air shows, even kind enough to write in with compliments, and need clothes or food, but by having artists from me are essential because these days the
gallery tours of the US and Canada, but not criticisms. The very first collector I replied to who are accessible it creates a world-wide quality of a print matters much more than the
very often. There seemed to be a belief that an was Nick Maue who subsequently became a community of like-minded aviation art name of the artist who painted it.
artist should be in an ivory tower, surrounded close friend and has helped me with research enthusiasts, furthering what is still for many The relatively few but very well known
by mystery. Even those people that bought on every single project, right up to today. people a rewarding hobby and a welcome artists of the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s enjoyed a
original oil paintings were, it seemed, kept at I shudder to think how many errors I would distraction from everyday life. degree of notoriety that we are unlikely to

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 AVIATION ART
TANGMERE HURRICANES 1994
”For those who like all forms of vintage transport there’s an MG sports car, bus and train in this one. train modified to be accurate. The station name boards have been painted black to prevent spies knowing
It was later used for a jigsaw puzzle and all those details proved popular. This is supposed to be rural where they were. Could they be that dim? The Hurricanes are from No.601, the ‘Millionaires’ Squadron.”
Sussex although the station is actually based on one in east Devon with architecture, paint colours and

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 Left: ALPINE THUNDER 2002.
AVIATION ART

Having retreated into the Austrian mountains

and now flying from their base at Salzburg,
Me262s of Adolf Galland’s JV44 scorch over an
alpine lake in April 1945. The nearest aircraft
is the unique Me262 flown by Oberstleutnant
Heinz Bar, armed with a 30mm cannon in the
nose. A P47 Thunderbolt shot down on this sortie
brought Bar’s final total to 16, making him the
most successful of the Luftwaffe jet pilots.
“The strange thing about this painting was that
I really didn’t like it at all while I was doing it. Oil
paintings sometimes control me as much as I
control them and this one led me down its own
peculiar path. Now, looking back, it’s one of
my favourites.”

be utterly breathtaking in its ability to create

superb imagery.

MP How do you think we old timers fit

into this new market place with young artists
and new techniques like digital art coming on
stream? Is it a threat to traditional painting.

NT The biggest threat to representational

painters like us was the invention of
photography in the early 19th century and yet
here we are getting on for 200 years later and
see again. As with the music industry back in Taylor, another very lucky person. We were NT If I were starting from scratch today people still want pencil and paint, or prints of
the 1960s, just a small handful of publishers part of a ‘print making machine’ and I believe I would do aviation art part-time, at least at those things, on their walls. I am a bit worried
dominated the market and chose who got we were both content to concentrate on the first. I would find a way of earning a living with because my ‘party piece’ is dramatic and
promoted and who didn’t. In the painting art while other people handled the logistics a pension scheme, ( sore point ), and then transient lighting. That’s tricky to do in paint,
world there were many artists with very great and our publicity. Despite that wonderful leg- paint just what I wanted to paint in my own literally taking a lifetime to try to master it, but
ability who didn’t accept, or weren’t accepted up, here in 2019 I cannot rest on my laurels. time. The best art usually comes that way. now there is software that can render images
by, what now seems an archaic regime. I I have to be as much on top of my game as I Then I’d get a website and make digital prints. of virtually any lighting conditions you wish.
remind myself how lucky I was to be taken ever was. Perhaps for some, digital painting would be Soon, it’ll be at the press of a button. But,
on as the ‘second artist’ by the all-powerful more exciting than working with actual paint. you still need the traditional skills of the artist
Military Gallery in the latter part of that MP And do you have any advice for ‘up and The only down side with that is that collectors in order to create the whole composition, to
phenomenon. I received nearly 20 years of coming’ artists ( I remember we were called that still love having actual artwork on their wall. capture a moment in time and give the viewer
promotion, following in the wake of Robert 30 years ago… now we’re more down and out! ) But there’s no denying that digital painting can more than just the sum of its parts.

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 AVIATION ART
BREACHING THE DAM 1996
”As far as I am aware I was the first artist to paint the Mohne Dam’s attack from the perspective of known where to shoot back. A year after I painted this I visited the actual spot. Having spent so long
a German. In research for this painting, a gunner, who was up on one of the dam’s towers that night, painting the scene I had the strongest sense of deja vu I have ever experienced. The road surface and
said how the moon was so bright that if the Lancasters hadn’t been shooting at him he wouldn’t have the capping stones of the parapet have all been changed since the night of the raid.”

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 Left: PEIPER’S LAST ADVANCE 2012
AVIATION ART

“The Battle of the Bulge, one of my favourite

themes, and this time from the German point of
view with ‘King Tigers’ and ‘Panthers’ of Joachim
Peiper’s armoured spearhead, deep in the snow-
blanketed and difficult terrain of the Ardennes at
Christmas 1944. Of course, it came to a grinding
halt as the fuel and ammunition ran out but it
showed that the Germans would not give up
easily. I like painting snow and went to town on
this one. My studio is freezing in winter and too
hot in summer so I contrive to paint snow scenes
in August and tropical scenes in winter…it’s a lot
cheaper than having air-conditioning or heaters!”

play the hits from their glory days instead of

the stuff off their new album?
Ruth and I have an agreement that if I get
like that she should whack me on the head
with a shovel. Worryingly, she spends a lot
more time in the tool shed than she used to.
I have never tired of the exhilarating feeling
of starting a new painting and there are still so
many aviation subjects to paint. And I want to
paint other things too. I really like tanks and
ships and there are quite a few trains I’d like to
paint. It’s endless. And, without that pension,
what choice have I got?
Also, and it may just be me being weird future will also require business and self- NT Yes, the ducks have done well today. To end with a cliche, my best picture is
again, even with some of the best CGI special promotional skills. They don’t come easy to They clearly like iced buns too. the one in my head, usually the next picture,
effects in movies I feel a little hollow and many artists, myself included. But it’s an which somehow never quite turns out as well
unconvinced. Take the 1960s children’s TV exciting time when the internet, social media Ambitions? I’d like to paint more of the as I’d wish. And that’s what keeps me going.
show ‘Thunderbirds’ with its puppets and and digital printing mean that artists can run a rarer aircraft types. I am hoping to do a Plus, ‘colouring in’ is still great fun. It’s not like
flying machines dangling on strings. We publishing business from home. Henschel 129 this coming year and some more having a proper job is it, so, on a nice day like
were obliged to complete the picture in our WWI subjects. Generally though, my ambition this, we get to meet up and feed the ducks.
minds, ignoring the strings and the firework MP Well, having fed every duck in the is to get better at painting and drawing rather Now what about that beer you mentioned…
pyrotechnics and yet somehow the end result immediate vicinity, it’s probably time we than worse. There is a tendency among some
was more real. But, having said all of that, it is headed back to our respective pensionless creative people to live off past glories, to
wonderful to be able to create exciting imagery homes to work until we die. On that cheery expect people to buy their stuff even though To contact Nick please visit his website
on a computer and it’ll only get more exciting. note, do you have any unfulfilled ambitions in it’s no longer what it once was. How often do www.nicolastrudgian.com
Whatever approach an artist takes the aviation art? we go to concerts and wish the band would

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 Photo Archive: Halifax BB324
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PHOTO ARCHIVE

In late spring 1943, Handley Page Halifax

BB324 ZA-X of 10 Squadron took part
in an air to air photo session whilst
on a routine air-test. The subsequent
photos appeared in dozens of post-war
publications but rarely in the pin-sharp
detail seen here. The photographer clearly
had a very steady hand!

T
he development of the Handley
Page Halifax bomber from prototype
to MkVII is a long and complicated
story, a constant process of refinement that
transformed an underpowered, draggy and
quite dangerous aircraft into a bomber that
was eventually better than the Lancaster in
many ways.
BB324 is an example taken from the early
part of that process when the RAF found
that the constant adding of equipment and
armament (in the MkII) had reduced the
aircraft’s performance to dangerous levels.
The temporary solution was the B II Series I
(Special) where squadrons removed both the
mid-upper turret and the nose turret as well as
a few other ‘lumps and bumps’. BB324 is one
of these unit modified MkIIs and over the next
few pages we’ll point out the transformations
required to make it a B II Series I (Special).

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 PHOTO ARCHIVE
C A
B

This lightened view of the undersides of BB324 shows the usual skin rippling to good effect.
If you compare it with the inset photo of W1245, a standard B II, you can see some of
the differences that were applied to the Series I (Special) including the removal of the fuel
jettison pipes under the wings (A), the streamlining of the nose by removing the nose turret
and observation blister (B) and the removal of the mid-upper turret (C).

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 This view nicely captures the sleeker lines of the B II Series
I (Special). Note how the mid-upper has been removed at
PHOTO ARCHIVE

squadron level and patched over. There are still plenty of

‘lumps and bumps’ which would be removed in later versions
such as the four fuel tank breather pipes on top of the wings,
the fixed landing light, the fixed tail-wheel, the aerial mast and
of course the nose which would eventually be redesigned into
a smooth perspex dome with provision for a machine gun to be
mounted in it. (Inset shows a MkV with the redesigned nose
and missing aerial and fuel tank vents.)

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 This close-up of the photo on the previous page shows some glorious detail including;
A: The whip aerial for the GEE navigation system.

PHOTO ARCHIVE
D B: The ‘towel rail’ aerial for the Lorenz blind landing system.
C: The ‘Wings for Victory’ nose art showing a bulldog wearing a sailor’s hat.
D: The fuel tank breather pipes.
E 70/30 chalked on all engine cowlings, possibly a reference to coolant mixture.
F: The trailing aerial fairlead.
D

F
B

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 In terms of colours and markings, BB324 was finished in the standard RAF
PHOTO ARCHIVE
This view against the light shows the wing mounted fuel tank breather
pipes to good effect. The other ‘lumps’ attached to the ailerons are bomber scheme of dark green and dark earth uppersurfaces, with night
mass balances. These devices help move the centre of gravity of the undersurfaces. Codes and the serial number at this stage of the war were
aileron to the point where it hinges with the wing. This balances the dull red.
aileron and helps avoid uncontrolled flutter when the wing flexes.

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 Of course, the Halifax only really came into its own wth the installation of more powerful

PHOTO ARCHIVE
Bristol Hercules radial engines with the MkIII pictured left. The streamlining carried out
with the Mk II variants and the redesign and enlargement of the tail fins (to solve a deadly
aerodynamic problem), all contributed to make the later marks of Halifax equal and even
superior to the Lancaster in many ways.

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PHOTO ARCHIVE

Above: Being lightly loaded for an air test,

BB324’s pilot has a bit of fun by shutting
down both starboard engines and feathering
the propellers. ‘Feathering’ means turning
the blades sideways into the airflow so that
the slipstream doesn’t turn them.

A final view of BB324 as she breaks away

from the camera aircraft with all four
engines running again. The Halifax’s slim but
deep fuselage is very apparent in this view.
This spacious fuselage resulted in a much
higher percentage of Halifax crews making
successful parachute escapes from their
aircraft when compared to Lancaster crews.

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 SOUND BARRIER

PHOTO ARCHIVE
THE FACT AND FICTION
BEHIND THE VERY BRITISH
APPROACH TO MACH 1
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 ARCHIVE

On 6th September 1948 John Derry became

POST-WAR

the first British pilot to break the sound barrier,

an event subsequently made into a classic
British film directed by David Lean. Here we
PHOTO

separate the facts from the fiction from this

landmark in British aviation.

Sound Barrier - Fact

For de Havilland test pilot John Derry
there was nothing special about Monday 6
September 1948. The plan was for him to
make dives in DH108 VW120 to take pressure
plotting photographs with trim flaps up and
down at various Mach numbers. It was the
sort of job he had been doing since February,
but before his main task Derry intended to get
further film records at Mach 0.96 to match up
with those from a similar flight he had made
on 26 August to learn more about the nose-
down pitching and how best to control it.
The weather was ideal - cloudless and
warm. His first sortie of the day was a
10-minute check flight in the Ghost-powered
Vampire (TG278) followed by a trip to
Farnborough in another Vampire (VV219),
which he would be demonstrating at the SBAC
display the next day, the first time the show
was held at the Hampshire airfield.

Left: John Derry flew Typhoons with 182

Squadron at the end of the war and joined De
Havilland as a test pilot in 1942. His composure
under great pressure is evidenced by his account
of his barely controlled supersonic record flight.
He lost his life on 6 September 1952 when his
DH110 broke up in the air at the Farnborough
Air Show.

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 Meanwhile VW120 was waiting for him, the aircraft into a 30° dive to reach higher and there was a strong feeling of very high Below: VW120 in the form that it broke
having been left with the favoured forward Mach numbers. drag, which meant a gradual push forward on the sound barrier. All three DH108s

POST-WAR
CG at 0.177. At 10am, wearing a pressure As the speed built up, the familiar nose- the stick to stop the Mach number falling. This were continuously modified and shared
waistcoat and oxygen mask as on the previous heaviness started at Mach 0.91, easing off at gave a small but sudden nose-down pitch and components such as undercarriage legs
high Mach number dive, he took off from 0.93 when a wallowing motion set in, followed the aircraft felt unstable. with other de Havilland aircraft such as
Hatfield and was soon high over the Windsor- by an up and down pitching at 0.94 that was Then came a rapid succession of dramatic the Vampire.
Farnborough area in a beautifully clear sky. hard to handle, but similar to experiences on events, which Derry was able to recall in
On levelling off at 45,000ft, he could see earlier flights. Nothing unusual or worrying at exact detail in spite of heightened tension
the ground clearly. Opening the throttle he this stage. At 0.95 came the sudden curious as he and the 108 dived into completely
reached Mach 0.85 in level flight, but then steadying, at which point Derry opened up the uncharted territory.
the usual problem of escalating jet pipe Goblin to 10,750rpm - but, oddly, the extra With a little more elevon movement
temperatures took over and he had to put thrust did not result in higher Mach readings to steepen the dive, VW120 went into an

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 immediate violent and unstable nose-down
pitch, pulling -2g, although recovery at this
point was easy. It did not stay that way.
POST-WAR

Another careful push forward on the stick sent

the aircraft into a much fiercer and very fast
nose-down pitch that was completely unstable
and, in just over one second, the 108 tipped
over the vertical and into the first stages of a
bunt, with a very uncomfortable force of -3g.
As he rode the equivalent of an aerial
bucking bronco that was at the very edge of
control in a screaming dive, Derry still had his
mind on taking film shots of the instruments
at critical points and pulled back on the stick in
the hope of getting a shot before full recovery
from the dive. As he came back through the
vertical, the Mach number rose to 0.97 and
continued rising while the dive was between
60 and 80°.
Then all control was lost.
Derry pulled back desperately on the control
column with both hands. It was useless. The
machine plummeted in a vertical dive and
at this point he saw the Machmeter needle
go past the magic ‘1’ and knew he was flying
faster than sound - but he couldn’t pull out.
He slammed the throttle shut, expecting the
aircraft to slow down. It made no difference;
the Machmeter stayed resolutely on the stops
at 1.04. Still he was pulling back with all his
strength on the stick, gritting his teeth, bracing
his feet against the rudder pedals. Nothing.
Height was being lost at an alarming rate. The

Left: de Havilland test pilot and first Briton

through the ‘sound barrier’ John Derry looks
out from the small window of the strengthened
canopy at the camera of legendary photographer
Charles Brown.

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ground was less than a minute away. It was a The drama seemed to be over - but just throughout the dive was that there was no The Machmeter was examined by
desperate situation. as VW120 was level a savage undamped buffeting, which was in sharp and pleasant instrument test engineer K.G.Rendle and the

POST-WAR
‘Little time was wasted when once it was oscillation set in, pummelling an already contrast to conventional designs at transonic corrected reading was Mach 1.02: Derry had
realised that the elevons were immovable,’ he shaken Derry even further. He immediately speeds. At Mach numbers between 0.98 and done it - Britain had become the second nation
wrote afterwards. returned the trim flaps to neutral and 1.0 the machine was extremely stable, in spite officially to join the supersonic club.
There was only one thing left to try; the trim everything calmed down. The aircraft was of large amounts of negative g. And even when
flaps. It was these that saved the day. Applying flying straight and level at 23,500ft. Derry beyond control in a vertical dive, it was still Extract from ‘A Very British Sound Barrier’ by
full up-flap, the aircraft gradually began to pull then climbed to 29,000ft and cruised back ‘rock steady.’ Brian Rivas.
out, with very little g, but also losing very little to Hatfield, in his mind going through the Three-quarters of an hour after take-off
speed. At Mach 0.98 the pull-out increased extraordinary gyrations of the long dive, which he touched down at Hatfield and taxied back
and the elevons began to have some effect. itself had taken only about one minute, and towards the hangar, leaving the little aircraft
Derry knew that the trim flaps might become wondering whether the Machmeter was in the hands of the waiting ground crew. He
too effective in the denser air at lower altitude accurate when it touched unity. Once it was said nothing to them about the dive, as it
and would suddenly bite, which could stress checked and corrections for error were made, would have been such an anti-climax if the
the airframe beyond its structural limits as the he would know whether he was indeed the Machmeter turned out to be in error. He
pull-out became too violent, so he trimmed first British pilot to go supersonic. wanted the result to be official before saying
back to about four degrees. One very positive characteristic he noticed anything to anyone.

ndham-Bailey
profile by Chris Sa

An unusual guise for VW120 are the colours worn for the SBAC Challenge Trophy Race at Elmdon
Airport, Birmingham, on August Bank Holiday 1949. At this stage in its career VW120 sports the
triangular red ejection seat warning under the cockpit, and the fin flash is now red, white and blue
instead of just red and blue.

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 THE DH 108
POST-WAR

The DH108 was a purely experimental project conceived to evaluate properties of tailless aircraft,
which in 1944 were considered to be the future of advanced aircraft design. Flight characteristics and
knowledge were initially to be incorporated into the proposed tailless
DH106 ‘Comet’ airliner – but fortunately those plans were dropped in favour of a conventional tail
layout. The DH108 program continued to provide data on swept and tailless aircraft at all speeds. Just
three examples were built, this is what happened to them:

TIMELINE
15 May 1946 – TG283’s maiden flight at Woodbridge.
23 August 1946 – TG306’s maiden flight at Woodbridge.
27 September 1946 – TG306 broke up in the air over the Thames Estuary at Mach 0.9, killing
Geoffrey de Havilland.
24 July 1947 – VW120’s maiden flight.
14 October 1947 – ‘Chuck’ Yeager breaks the sound barrier in the USA with the Bell X-1.
12 April 1948 – VW120 broke the 100 km closed circuit record with 605.23 mph.
Geoffrey de Havilland brings TG/283 alongside the camera plane. First of 6 September 1948 – VW120 broke the sound barrier in a dive.
the three DH108s, TG/283 was never intended for highspeed flight as 15 February 1950 – VW120 crashed at Brickhill, Buckinghamshire, killing RAF test pilot
its purpose was to explore the properties of swept wings at slow speed. Squadron Leader Muller-Rowland.
The devices at the wing-tips contain anti-spin parachutes that could be 1 May 1950 – TG283 crashed at Hartley-Wintney, Hampshire, killing RAF test pilot
deployed if the aircraft was unable to recover normally. Squadron Leader George Genders.

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 TG283

POST-WAR
Based on a Vampire nose and cockpit,
this aircraft was limited to just 280 mph
and was used to test low speed handling
characteristics with a wing-sweep of 43°.

The DH108 made its maiden flight on 15

May 1946 from Woodbridge, Suffolk, after
the aircraft had been transported from
Hatfield by road.
Above: Seconds before she takes to the air, Above: TG/283 made a brief return to Woodbridge on 19 July 1946 after the
TG/283 gathers speed with Geoffrey De fitting of full-span leading edge slots. These devices remained on it for the rest
Below: Watched by senior de Havilland staff
Havilland at the controls. of its days.
and directors, TG/283 is fuelled for its
maiden flight. The anti-spin ‘chute on the
wing is clear and the early canopy.

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 As test and development aircraft the DH108s were
being continuously modified. Here TG/283’s wing is
POST-WAR

covered in long wool tufts and shorter ones are fixed

to the elevons and trim flaps. Their purpose is to allow
photographs to be taken of the air-flow and show how
the fences and slats affect it. The wing has been sprayed
black to make the tufts more visible.

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 POST-WAR
TG/283, the first and longest-lived of the
DH108s, crashed on 1st May 1950 during a
flight from Farnborough. The purpose of the flight
was to further explore its stalling properties,
but it turned over into an inverted spin. The
pilot, Eric ‘Jumbo’ Genders (above), operated the
anti-spin parachutes, but only one deployed and
it crashed at Hartley Wintney, a few miles from
Farnborough.

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 TG306 Background photo: TG306 was the second
DH108 and its purpose was to explore the
POST-WAR

boundaries of highspeed flight approaching

the sound barrier. Geoffrey gives de Havilland
Designed as the high-speed version, this had personnel a moment to remember with this fast
a 45° wing-sweep, leading edge slats and a and low flypast over the Hatfield in TG306.
more streamlined nose. The cockpit canopy
was made smaller, had a stronger metal- Right: Tuesday afternoon, 24 September 1946,
framed canopy and the pilot’s seat was TG306 is cleared for flying with its new gloss
lowered in the fuselage. grey finish. Geoffrey de Havilland prepares for a
high Mach number test.

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 POST-WAR
Above: Geoffrey de Havilland (Jnr), one of the
most iconic pilots in British aviation history and
the son of Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, founder of
the aircraft company that bore their name.

At Hatfield TG306 has been ‘cleaned up’ ready for high speed tests in preparation for an attack on the
world air speed record. The anti-spin parachute nacelles have been removed from the wingtips, the
cockpit framing has been strengthened and the aircraft sprayed light gloss grey. TG306 made just 19
flights between 23rd August and 27th September 1946 and all the flights were made by Geoffrey de
Havilland. The nation was shocked to hear that the legendary pilot had been killed when TG306 broke
up over the Thames Estuary. The largest single part found was its Goblin engine.

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 VW120
Below: ‘Air Racing’ was very popular in the
post-war years. On 1st August 1949 the
SBAC Challenge Trophy Race took place at
POST-WAR

Elmdon Airport, Birmingham. John Derry

should have easily won, but an undercarriage
Took the ideas incorporated into TG306 a stage
door failed to close and the drag slowed
further and was even more streamlined. With
VW120 so it finished behind the Hawker
a newer more powerful version of the Goblin
P1040 and a Vampire, flown by John
engine it was predicted that VW120 should
Cunningham. A few days later, on 18 August
exceed the speed of sound and lessons learned
1949, John Derry demonstrated the aircraft
from the accident to TG306 should prevent it
to the young air-minded King Bhumibol of
breaking up.
Thailand (inset).

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 POST-WAR
Below: De Havilland test pilot John Cunningham prepares for the maiden flight in the
third DH108 VW120. Like the short lived TG306 this was prepared for highspeed flight.
Cunningham took over the DH108 test programme, part of which to explore the very
conditions that caused the death of Geoffrey de Havilland.

VW120 was eventually handed over to the RAE

Farnborough, where testing continued with RAF
pilots. On 15 February 1950 VW120 crashed at
Brickhill, Buckinghamshire, killing
Squadron Leader Stuart Muller-Rowland. The
aircraft broke up in the air and wreckage was
spread over four-and-a-half miles and the cause
was never established beyond doubt.

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 Sound Barrier - The Fiction Swift. In pushing towards the ‘Sound Barrier’ X-1 had broken the sound barrier in October What is complete fiction is the miraculous
The film ‘The Sound Barrier’ – directed by Garthwaite gets into an uncontrollable dive 1947, the film was taken by cinema-goers as a ‘reversing of the controls’ at Mach 1. This was
David Lean, with screenplay written by Terence and crashes. Fellow test pilot ‘Philip Peel’ factual account. also accepted as ‘fact’ by many of the British
POST-WAR

Rattigan, was released on 25th July 1952. played by John Austin continues the testing There are some elements in the film that public, but was simply a ‘tool’ used by David
and also gets into dive and cannot pull-out. are based on fact and David Lean did interview Lean to exemplify British ‘pluck’ and avoid a lot
Although released nearly four years after He then remembers a similar incident when some of the aircraft designers of the time. of highbrow aerodynamic gobbledygook!
John Derry first broke the ‘Sound Barrier’ flying a Spitfire and decides to push the stick Geoffrey de Havilland’s crash is mentioned,
in the UK, the film is very much a fictional forwards, whereupon it is revealed that an as are the vibrations and oscillations that
account of the story. Nigel Patrick stars as aircraft’s controls are reversed at the speed of were encountered above Mach 0.8. Aircraft
Tony Garthwaite, test pilot for the Ridgefield sound and all is well ! getting into uncontrollable dives is also true, a
Aircraft Company. The aircraft flown by ‘Tony phenomenon called ‘Mach Tuck’ where airflow
Garthwaite’ named ‘Prometheus’ is VV119 In the UK in particular, where few members over the wings no longer produces the same
the Supermarine 535 - prototype of the of the public knew that Yeager and the Bell lift above Mach 0.8.

‘Star’ of The Sound Barrier film, the Supermarine 535 VV119, which was For the full dramatic story of British
called the Ridgefield Aircraft Company’s ‘Prometheus’. VV119 was a one-off aviation’s journey through the sound
experimental development aircraft progressing from the design of Attacker barrier read Brian Rivas’s excellent book
towards the Swift. ‘A Very British Sound Barrier’ published
by Red Kite and available from;

wingleader.co.uk

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The Amiens Raid 75th Anniversary - What really happened that day.

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