SPECIAL ISSUE No.87

February, 2013 –The Official Newsletter of the Australian Society of Aviation Artists Inc.

1988-2013 our 25th Anniversary

ASSA DIRECTORY: From the President . . . Dear Members, The ASAA is a society of people sharing an interest in aircraft, Firstly I would like to specifically the depiction of aircraft and aviation related subjects in acknowledge and sincerely any medium - drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, etc … for thank those members and non- pleasure or for profit. The ASAA has members Australia-wide and overseas, and is based in Melbourne, Victoria. members who have made a contribution to this Newsletter. Your valuable contribution is OFFICE BEARERS for 2012/2013: certainly appreciated and made my job not only so much easier, President: Brian Evans Tel: (03) 9842 6498 but also so much more Email : [email protected] enjoyable and I trust that you Secretary: Alan Swann Tel: (03) 9435 8324 will be as proud of this historic Email: [email protected] 25th Anniversary issue as am I. Treasurer & Membership Secretary: Alan Swann Tel: 03) 9435 8324 Who would have thought that our newsletter would soar to Events co-ordinator: John Leeden (Vic) Tel: (03) 9723 2152 an issue in excess of 40 pages that was full to the brim with NSW Delegate: To be appointed. Volunteer welcome. examples of member’s artwork! Email: [email protected] And it was good to see that our members are not only WEBSITE: www.avartaustralia.org.au proficient in aviation art, but also in landscape, animals and figure work, the inclusion of which in the composition, plays NEWSLETTER: a very important role in helping to create a good aviation Members of the ASAA receive a regular Newsletter. Production of painting and not just an aircraft portrait! this newsletter is a joint effort. Contributions of all kinds are required from members to keep it varied and interesting. Editorial tasks, A special thanks to Rob Knotts for his very interesting and design, layout, printing and mail-out by Brian Evans. Opinions amusing “Cartoons and caricatures” contribution, for we expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the sometimes do take aviation art a little too seriously! Society. The ASAA Newsletter articles may be reproduced by associated societies in their newsletters and publications without permission, but we do insist on acknowledgment as the source. All Once again Derek White has contributed an extremely articles, sketches, photographs, etc, that are contributed by interesting article on the “Father” of rotary engine members are published on this condition. The Society will development – Walter Owen Bentley. What courage and endeavour at all times to seek permission to reproduce material fortitude he had to press on against all odds to achieve his from other sources and / or acknowledge the source as appropriate. ambitions and visions for rotary engines. Thanks Derek.

EDITORIAL AND OFFICIAL POSTAL ADDRESS: It was also good to see Greg Thom rekindle his interest in Brian Evans, President/Editor our Society and to confirm this with some fine examples of ASAA Newsletter his work. Greg was a longstanding member until airline 90 Bowen Road workload caused him to apply his efforts to his top priority – Doncaster East Victoria 3109 Australia work!. Tel: (03) 9842 6498 Email: [email protected] It looks as though we have found in Don Fogg a talented photographer for our Society as his wonderful photographs MEMBERSHIP: of the Jamestown Air show of 2012 attest. This is of course Membership is renewed annually. The Membership period is from one of the many benefits of being a member of our society – July 1 to June 30 of the following year. we have a keen group of members who attend air shows, Membership subscription is currently: $25.00 per year - NO RAAF base open days, etc., and take lots of great CONCESSIONS. The majority of the subscription revenue goes photographs and they are all willing to share these with towards the production and mailing costs of the Newsletter. other members. And remember should you ever want specifications, technical information, camouflage, etc just MEETINGS: broadcast your need by email to all members and I’m sure Melbourne meetings and workshops are normally held on alternate that you will receive help! months commencing in August and will be gazetted in the Newsletter Events Diary. Sydney meetings are arranged and As you can imagine this newsletter has made a very large coordinated by NSW Delegate (TBA). hole in my bounty of materials for future issues of our newsletters.

Cover design: Wonderful If you have a contribution to make be it photographs, photographs of our very illustrations, samples and stories of your art work, news of upcoming air shows, art shows, etc., Please, PLEASE, own WWII fighter/trainer send it to me as soon as you can! courtesy of Greg Thom. . . . . Brian Evans, Editor

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inches the Demon’s lower port main plane clipped the track spraying tan bark over the wing. The crowd applauded his skill and later a local newspaper Sir Richard Kingsland – ‘A Boy’s reported the pilot’s performance as a ‘grand Own Adventure’ burlesque, and one of the great successes of the afternoon’. Dickie ruefully admitted he and his ‘student’ Pilot Officer Hocking should have died that

day. Ironically his reputation in Air Force circles was enhanced by the incident. A contribution from member Greg Thom: His career continued to blossom and in 1938 he ‘Dickie’ Kingsland’s Air Force career should have undertook a 12 day 10,800 km training flight around ended the day he landed his Cirrus Moth in the Australia in an Avro Anson which was later written up assembly area at a country school, invited an in the local press as the ‘most ambitious training flight attractive school teacher for a flight, and then flew undertaken’ in Australia. In March 1939 he was back to Point Cook. Except at the time he was a promoted to Flight Lieutenant and posted to instruct at trainee pilot with only 15 hours in his log book – if his Point Cook. However, his skill as a navigator was instructors had found out almost certainly he would noted and he was sent to England in a Qantas Empire have been dismissed from the Service. Flying Boat to pick up one of nine Short Sunderland Flying Boats for the newly formed 10 Squadron. For a With an unusual disdain for authority the tyro pilot 20 year old who had never been out of Australia the continued with his own ‘self- instruction’ and was 12 day trip proved an ‘exotic’ revelation. finally ‘arrested’ for low flying. Charged with ‘wilful defiance of authority’ he was confined to his room as Following familiarisation flights on vintage there were no cells at Point Cook. However, the Supermarine Southampton aircraft the pilots were Station Commander wisely recognised his potential sent to Pembroke Dock in Wales to train with RAF and instead of dismissing Dickie from the Service squadrons on the four-engined Sunderland flying fined him five pounds. Remarkably the young Pilot boats. World War 11 broke out before the ferry flights Officer graduated with his wings in July 1936 with the and squadron members were informed, much to their lowest marks ever recorded for ‘officer qualities’. delight, that they would be the first Australians into the war. Dickie’s stock had clearly risen since graduation. Dickie, born in Moree on 19 October 1916, was among 33 young men who arrived at Point Cook in Posted to Plymouth he recalled it was a very crowded July 1935 to commence flying training. In his cadet harbour in 1940. The battle cruiser HMS 'Hood' was block was Hughie Edwards who was later awarded moored there but such was the limited space that one the Victoria Cross and became Governor of Western of our Sunderlands hit the periscope of the submarine Australia, and Collin Hannah who was later appointed 'Surcouf' much to the disgust of the volatile French – Chief of the Air Staff and Governor of Queensland. apparently, at the time, it was the largest submarine Instructors were regarded as a bigoted lot who liked built!” students to drink excessively and indulge in boisterous behaviour, including midnight motorcycle 10 Squadron’s primary task was convoy protection. races around the oval without helmets or protective The patrols lasted up to 18 hours and the long periods clothing. But it was a difficult period in his life because of boredom were punctuated by moments of his 47 year old father died not long after the excitement if the crew spotted a German submarine or commencement of his course. one of the long range Dorniers on a weather patrol. On one sortie, from sheer boredom, Kingsland However, life improved after graduation with a posting decided to make an unauthorised diversion to Brest to Laverton to fly the Bristol Bulldog biplane. Dickie where the Germans had a submarine base - he was honed his flying skills on the obsolescent fabric met with a hostile reception. But there were often covered fighter to the stage where he was selected to moments of heartache when bodies or survivors were join a three man aerobatic team. In 1938, in front of an spotted amongst the wreckage of sunken ships. estimated crowd of 170,000 at Flemington Race Although Coastal Command did not suffer the losses Course, Dickie, not only performed with the aerobatic of Bomber or Fighter Command it still had its dangers. team he also flew a Hawker Demon on an On return from one long sortie, Kingsland hit an island ‘instructional flight’ with ‘Cadet Simple’. In essence the because of a poorly laid flare path and badly damaged Demon was flown with ‘reckless abandon’ replicating his aircraft. the skills of an incompetent student. The final manoeuvre consisted of a high speed dive where With experienced crews and a demonstrably safe Dickie ‘took over the controls’ at the last moment from aircraft the 10 Squadron Sunderlands were often used the student. Instead of missing the ground by a few for VIP flights. His most memorable was a flight to

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Morocco undertaken as France fell to the Germans. seaman with oil coated lungs, others dragged on The VIPs were Lord Gort, the former Commander in board more dead than alive. Chief of the British Expeditionary Force in France and the British Minister of Information, Duff Cooper. Dickie Dickie was overwhelmed by the contrast in ‘war free’ understood the purpose of the visit was to try and conditions in the States. He was briefed in the High encourage the North African French to side with the Commission and advised he was to accompany an Allies. “Unfortunately the authorities in Britain did not Australian Minister on a tour of aircraft factories. It know the local French had decided to side with the was as much to glean intelligence regarding the pro-German Vichy,” Dickie noted. “In other words we Americans attitude to the war as it was to advise the were flying into enemy territory. I ended up landing in Minister on aircraft. Dickie was told he would pick up a a narrow estuary but it soon became apparent we Catalina and fly it to Australia. His conversion in San were not exactly welcome. Soon after the departure of Diego onto the Catalina was a revelation. He was the VIPs a coded message came through from housed in a luxury penthouse suite in company with London advising ‘they were aware of the local movie stars. It wasn’t long before Dickie ‘palled up’ situation’. When I tried to reach the shore in an with a starlet who thought his accent was cute and attempt to contact the VIPs I was headed off by a owned a Buick convertible. By the time he departed police boat and had to return. Eventually another craft his thespian friends gathered at the Consolidated approached with its occupants yelling out ‘Le plant to bid the crew a fond farewell. Again it was blackout’. As the boat came alongside I stepped nearly his last. Adverse winds meant it took more than aboard with my first officer and immediately thrust my 24 hours to reach Honolulu with, as he wryly comment service revolver into the back of the senior fellow and with only enough fuel to fill the ‘Buick’s carburettor’! requested he take us to shore – which he did. I was met by a staff member of the British Consulate who Soon after returning, he was sent up to Port Moresby had been trying to pass on an urgent message. He with the Catalina he flew from the States and put in was immediately surrounded by French police and charge of 11 Squadron – his first command. Also in kept away from us. With my fractured French they let the squadron’s inventory were four ‘seconded’ Qantas me go and I headed for the Consulate followed by Empire flying boats. Progressively more Cats arrived police cars. After an exchange of shots with the police and when war broke out the squadron’s role from I eventually found Gort at the hotel. We were quickly surveillance changed very quickly. As the Japanese arrested and taken to a locked room. I still had my moved south, the Cats were pressed into service as pistol and blasted the lock apart. Naturally it attracted bombers while the Empire flying boats became life considerable attention and I shot two men advancing savers as sizeable number of planters, traders and on us and raced to the exit with Gort. The police car missionaries needed evacuating. with the driver was still there and I got in the front seat and jammed the revolver into his ribs telling him to drive us to the jetty. We all managed to get back on Up to three take-off runs were required to lift off the board but were quickly surrounded by police boats grossly overloaded flying boats. Catalinas were lost in with armed crew. At dawn we fired up the four engines daring bombing raids and Zeros were used to attack simultaneously and quickly taxied down the river hotly the lumbering Cats during raids on Rabaul. Dickie pursued by the police boats and made a precarious admitted the war in Europe had been tough but New take off.” Guinea had been personally draining. “My weight had dropped from 73 to 60 kilograms by the time I had finished my tour in New Guinea. I had been in Port In spite of a damaged float they reached Gibraltar Moresby for only 10 months but I was exhausted safely. Before Gort left the aircraft he made the crew when I got home”. swear to secrecy over what had taken place – something to do with damaging the relationship with France. Gort later sent Kingsland a brief note saying, In May 1942, Dickie was put in charge of the flying ‘Thank you very much for being my chauffeur on the boat base at Rathmines and promoted to Wing day’. So much for British understatement! In Commander – his first non-operational appointment. retrospect Kingsland had good reason to remember Quickly gaining his strength back, he took to the role the events of 26 June 1940 – two months later he was with considerable enthusiasm – even periodically awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) beating the base up in a Sikorsky Kingfisher. And during a visit to a nearby fighter base he spied a rather beautiful WAAAF officer and impulsively told his In 1941 Dickie spent some weeks cooling his heels in friend, “That’s the girl I’m going to marry!” Glasgow waiting to board a ship to New York where he was to receive further order. He finally boarded the banana boat 'Bayano' in convoy with 50 other vessels It was not long before Kathleen Adams (nicknamed to make the perilous Atlantic crossing. Every night Ki) succumbed to Dickie’s persistent overtures – they ships were torpedoed and often the young pilot were married in October 1943. Another decorated witnessed the dreadful results of the submarine Sunderland pilot, Hugh Birch was best man. offensive – the sound of agonised retching from

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At the young age of 27 he was promoted to Group Captain and took up the position of Director of Operational Training. A year later he was posted to Brisbane as Senior Intelligence Staff Officer at RAAF JAMESTOWN, S.A AIRSHOW Command. Although the war was drawing to a close it PHOTOGRAPHS was an important job with daily briefings required for Air Vice-Marshal Bostok and his American boss, Lieutenant General George Kenney. It was a Some wonderful photgraphs from our South demanding job - up at 4 am to study reports, seek Australian member Don Fogg: advice from specialists and later to brief Kenny. Dickie admitted he was close to a breakdown – he had now been under severe stress for five years and he must have been relieved when the war ended.

At the end of the war came a posting to Melbourne to head up the Intelligence branch before being appointed to Director of Organisation and Staff Duties. This involved assisting with the demobilisation of more than 150,000 airmen. Dickie avoided the cull of Group Captains and was even nominated for the Imperial Defence College (IDC) in London in 1947 at the age of 31. However, his nomination was blocked by the Secretary Department of Air.

After a dispute with Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Jones, Dickie took up the position as Airport Manager at Mascot in May 1948. A year later he was back in the air flying with TAA on a year's leave before taking Temora’s Hudson up a position as Regional Director of Civil Aviation in South Australia. Dickie was a superb leader and his skills as an administrator were quickly recognised by his boss, former Chief of the Air Staff and founder of the RAAF, Air Marshal Sir Richard ‘Dickie’ Williams and he was sent to rationalise operations in Darwin. is career was now on a roll and he was back in the embrace of the Air Force as Chief Administrative Assistant to Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sir Donald Hardman. It was a wise choice; because of his background he was able to ease the friction between the uniformed and civilian branches of the Department

A job as Assistant Secretary Department of Civil Aviation was followed by First Assistant Secretary Yak-9UM built in 2004 using an Allison V12 engine Department of Defence with the difficult task of integrating the three services. Finally he became a permanent head as Secretary Department of the Interior before a move to Veterans Affairs.

Indeed Sir Richard Kingsland AO, CBE, DFC had a remarkably adventurous life as a pilot in World War 11, but he was also a gifted administrator which saw him rise to the most senior levels in the public service.

Sir Richard died 28 August 2012 and is his survived by his wife Ki. Lovely rear view of Judy Pay's P-40F

Note: Sir Richard Kingsland’s autobiography 'Into the Midst of Things' is available from the Air Force’s Air Power Development Centre for $15.

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Judy Pay's Curtiss P-40F with Packard - Merlin engine Jim Whalley's CA-12 Boomerang

Figure 1Rainer Huefner's DR 107 Chris Sperou's Super Pitts Special

Wayne Pearce's T-28B Trojan Doug Hamilton's Lockheed 12A Electra

Nice rear view of the Yak-9UM RAAF Roulette PC-9 February, 2013 - Official Newsletter of the Australian Society of Aviation Artists Inc. Page 6

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B-17 in 1943 WW II B-17 Survival Story mid-air collision on February 1, 1943, between From a B-17 and a German fighter over the Tunis Graham Lovelock A dock area, became the subject of one of the most famous photographs of World War II. An enemy fighter attacking a 97th Bomb Group formation went B-17 "All American" (414th out of control, probably with a wounded pilot then Squadron, 97BG) Crew continued its crashing descent into the rear of the fuselage of a Fortress named “All American”, piloted by Lt. Kendrick R. Bragg, of the 414th Bomb

Squadron. When it struck, the fighter broke apart, but left some pieces in the B-17. The left horizontal stabilizer of the Fortress and left elevator were completely torn away. The two right engines were out and one on the left had a serious oil pump leak. The vertical fin and the rudder had been damaged, the fuselage had been cut almost completely through connected only at two small parts of the frame and the radios, electrical and oxygen systems were damaged. There was also a hole in the top that was over 16 feet long and 4 feet wide at its widest and the split in the fuselage went all the way to the top gunner’s turret

Although the tail actually bounced and swayed in the wind and twisted when the plane turned and all the control cables were severed, except one single elevator cable still worked, and the aircraft still flew - miraculously! The tail gunner was trapped because there was no floor connecting the tail to the rest of the plane. The waist and tail gunners used parts of the German fighter and their own parachute harnesses in an attempt to keep the tail from ripping off and the two sides of the fuselage from splitting apart. While the crew was trying to keep the bomber from coming apart, the pilot continued on his bomb run and released his bombs over the target. Pilot- Ken Bragg Jr. Co-pilot- G. Boyd Jr. When the bomb bay doors were opened, the wind Navigator- Harry C. Nuessle turbulence was so great that it blew one of the waist Bombardier- Ralph Burbridge gunners into the broken tail section. It took several Engineer- Joe C. James minutes and four crew members to pass him ropes Radio Operator- Paul A. Galloway from parachutes and haul him back into the forward Ball Turret Gunner- Elton Conda part of the plane. When they tried to do the same for Waist Gunner- Michael Zuk the tail gunner, the tail began flapping so hard that it Tail Gunner- Sam T. Sarpolus began to break off. The weight of the gunner was Ground Crew Chief- Hank Hyland adding some stability to the tail section, so he went back to his position.

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It’s final turn to line up with the runway while it was still over 40 miles away. It descended into an emergency landing and a normal roll-out on it’s landing gear.

When the ambulance pulled alongside, it was waved off because not a single member of the crew had been injured. No one could believe that the aircraft could still fly in such a condition. The Fortress sat placidly until the crew all exited through the door in the fuselage and the tail gunner had climbed The turn back toward England had to be very slow to down a ladder, at which time the entire rear section of keep the tail from twisting off. They actually covered the aircraft collapsed onto the ground. The rugged almost 70 miles to make the turn home. The bomber old bird had done its job! - A testament to the in- was so badly damaged that it was losing altitude and built strength of a B-17! . . Editor speed and was soon alone in the sky. For a brief time, two more Me-109 German fighters attacked the “All Ladies & Gents, American”. Despite the extensive damage, all of the machine gunners were able to respond to these attacks and soon drove off the fighters. The two waist While rummaging through the garage I discovered gunners stood up with their heads sticking out through a few gems, including this old TAA In-Flight the hole in the top of the fuselage to aim and fire their magazine with a cover picture by the legendary machine guns. The tail gunner had to shoot in short Ray Honisett. bursts because the recoil was actually causing the plane to turn. While not rare it is a great example of what can be done with a passion for aviation and a skilled brush hand. (not to mention a fine arts degree) Allied P-51 fighters intercepted the “All American” as it Cheers crossed over the Channel and took one of the pictures Greg Thom shown. They also radioed to the base describing that the empennage was waving like a fish tail and that the plane would not make it and to send out boats to rescue the crew when they bailed out. The fighters stayed with the Fortress taking hand signals from Lt. Bragg and relaying them to the base. Lt. Bragg signalled that 5 parachutes and the spare had been "used" so five of the crew could not bail out. He made the decision that if they could not bail out safely, then he would stay with the plane and land it.

Two and a half hours after being hit, the aircraft made

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CARTOONS AND CARICATURES – SUBSETS OF AVIATION ART

By Rob Knotts, Member of the Manchester Aviation Art Society, UK

Rob served with the Royal Air Force for 33 years as a maintenance technician, aircrew and then Engineering Officer. He retired as a Squadron Leader. His main interest now is cartooning. We gratefully acknowledge his kindness to allow us to reproduce his article that was written for the MAAVS. . . Editor

“Humour is a serious thing. I like to think of it as one of our greatest and earliest national resources which must be preserved at all times.” James Thurber

Elements of aviation art disciplines often overlooked are the cartoon and caricature.

Most of us are familiar with cartoons, from comics and illustrations in books, to the "funnies" and editorial cartoons found in newspapers around the world. A cartoon is a simplified picture. Cartoons can amuse. Cartoons are a communicating tool. Cartoons entertain the viewer. In addition, they can focus critical opinion on social issues in the surrounding world. As a teaching aid they can help students not only to enjoy the learning process, but also to retain what they have learned. In marketing cartoons focus on ensuring that key product messages remain in the potential buyer’s memory.

Cartooning has a long and noble history. Drawings made by our ancestors on caves and rocks have left a cartoon record of daily life in days long gone. Using colours made from plants and blood, with outlines drawn in charcoal, cave artists portrayed such pictures as animals, hunting scenes, people, and rituals.

A cartoon is a form of illustration with different meanings that evolved from its original meaning and use. The word cartoon comes from the Italian word “Cartone” and Dutch word “Karton”, which means strong, heavy paper or pasteboard.

Originally, cartoons were full-size drawings on paper and used for further related studies, such as paintings, tapestries, and frescos. In the User’s Guide for Joe De Marcio’s “Artists’ Perspective Modeller” the term ‘cartoon’ is used describe the perspective drawing achieved with Joe’s software. Cartoons today are simple, often stylized, drawings that are mainly humorous, satirical or informative. Because a cartoon’s message or story must have instant understanding and recognition, the images are exaggerated and unrealistic.

In Italy, in the 16th century, cartooning or caricatura emerged in rebelling against "high art". Leonardo da Vinci is credited with possibly painting the first cartoons in his studies of caricature. While the caricature was meant to be a quick, impressionistic drawing that exaggerated prominent physical characteristics to humorous effect, it has also been said to bring out the subject's "inner nature".

Cartoons with a political nature emerged as part of the Protestant Reformation under Martin Luther 1483-1546. Luther's cartoons were aimed at an illiterate population, but one that was willing to challenge authority. His cartoons deflated complicated political debates and portrayed them through the media of illustrations used to mobilize the support of both the working class and the peasantry in supporting his reforms. Basically his cartoons were politically focused.

World War II gave rise to an enormous expansion of cartoon talent. Both sides in the conflict realized the power of the pictorial image in conveying powerful messages. Cartoons and caricature were used in propaganda campaigns. People also needed relief from the deprivations of war. Cartoons, together with music halls, concert parties, humorous films, radio comedies, and other light-hearted entertainments, were much in demand. In the military cartoons helped in instruction and awareness campaigns. An example of such work, a wartime cartoon poster illustrating the importance of plane recognition and keeping vigilant, is given below.

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Can aviation cartoons and caricatures be considered to be works of art? ‘Britannica Online’ defines art as "the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others". Cartoons and caricatures certainly satisfy these criteria. Art embraces several things: a study of creative skill, a process of using the creative skill, a product of the creative skill, or the audience's experience with the creative skill. Art is something that stimulates an individual's thoughts, emotions, beliefs, or ideas through the senses. It is also an expression of an idea and it can take many different forms and serve many different purposes. Again the cartoon and caricature both fall well within the boundaries of these ideas.

I also view that an essential skill of the cartoon or caricature artist is the ability to present an image using just a few stokes of the pen and/or brush and yet retain the subject’s form and shape to allow the viewer ready identification and recognition. That to me is a work of art in itself.

Endless sources of aviation cartoons and caricatures are available in printed and electronic formats. Some offer light relief, others are used for instructional purposes, such as safety or operational procedures. Sometimes a cartoon conveys a very poignant political message. Many proudly grace the walls of professional aviators and amateur enthusiasts as works of art in their own right.

To present examples of the vast number of aviation cartoon and caricature artists would require numerous volumes. I only offer a few examples, together with a short background of the associated artists, where such information is available.

Philippe Abbet

Philippe Abbet was born in 1963 in Geneva, and now lives in Meyrin near Geneva International Airport with wife and four children. Trained as a carpenter he has always been interested in drawing. Influenced by his two brothers, aviation is his favourite subject. His latest creations are featured on internet. Examples of his work can be seen on his website (in French): www.phloxtoon.com.

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The top left hand cartoon was one of a set drawn to celebrate the centennial of Geneva’s flying club.

Tom van Andel

"Tom van Andel, from the Netherlands, started drawing at a very young age, inspired by his father, a skilled draughtsman. From the beginning he liked sketching “funny faces” and specialized in cartoons. Another interest, aviation, prompted service in the Royal Netherlands Air Force. After a long career, mainly as avionics officer, he has now retired but remains busy. His hobby, drawing cartoons is now his profession.

In 1976 he was asked by Flight Safety Department of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) to create a calendar using cartoons to present safety messages in an entertaining way. The idea behind the images on the flight safety calendar is to represent a (un)safe situation or action in a hilarious way, thus transferring the security message in a cheerful, anonymous and therefore in no way offensive manner. The first calendar appeared in 1977. His 2011 calendar is the 35th in an unbroken sequence. Also twelve books with his cartoons have been published. Examples of his work can be found on his website: www.tonvanandel.nl."

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The above cartoon, an early example of Ton’s work illustrates how critical effective communication is in an aircraft. The comical expression on the face of pilot in the front cockpit portrays realisation that he’s ‘screwed up’. The second crew member’s posture and vocal outburst portrays the important message of the need for effective communication. The twisted and damaged aircraft focuses the mind on ‘cause and effect’. Relatively few lines of artwork and a degree of shading illustrate a serious situation with an element of slapstick comic relief.

Recent examples of his work are shown below. As an aeronautical engineer I readily appreciate the humour of both situations. Ejection of digital ‘0’ and ‘1’ bits very humorously illustrates technology issues of modern computer controlled engines. The flight deck modification gently reminds me of the number of times that engineers have proposed modifications without effectively thinking them through.

Jean Barbaud

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French illustrator Jean Barbaud took courses in drawing and afterwards started working as an illustrator. He worked a lot in the animation field, like on the famous 'Inspector Gadget' and 'Le Monde Fou de Tex Avery' cartoon series (from 1977). For more then 20 years, he drew aviation cartoons for the Le Fana de l'Aviation monthly magazine. His cartoons for this magazine were collected in the album 'Gueules de Zings' by Vents d'Ouest. In the early 1980s, he drew first comic pages in Sapristi. With Thierry Cailleteau, he published the aviation comic 'Pur Zinc' in 1993. A specialist in aviation, Barbaud teamed up with writer Fred Duval to create the 'Mac Fly' series at Delcourt in the 1990s. Examples of his work are shown above.

Jean’s work can be viewed on http://jeanbarbaud.blogspot.com/

Rob Henderson

Britain’s Rob Henderson has been interested in aviation from a very early age and has drawn and painted since he can remember. At school during art classes he always ended up doing projects with an aeronautical theme, much to his teacher’s despair- but it was -"more interesting than drawing bowls of fruit and ageing models". It was from here, while enduring the day-to-day boredom of lectures, small black and white cartoons of various aircraft began to appear. These in turn developed into the basis of the aircraft caricatures he does today. Despite no formal art training and after a string of unsatisfactory jobs together with a steadily increasing demand for his work, Rob started his own aviation artwork company called ‘Caricature Aircraft Pictures’ in December 2001. The business offers original paintings and prints for clients around the globe. While offering a selection of caricature prints of various aircraft types, the heart of the business is ability of offer a personalised caricature artwork service.

Rob Henderson’s work can be viewed on: http://www.caricatureaircraftpictures.com/personalised_caricatures.htm

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Bob Leenders

Bob Leeneders lives in Vlijmen, the Netherlands. He studied at the (Industrial) Design Academy in Eindhoven. For the last 25 years he has been a self-employed cartoonist and he produces drawings for several media. Examples of his work are shown on his website (in Dutch): www.bobleenders.nl

An example of Bob’s work is shown above. In a few strokes of the pen and basic washing with the brush it shows the comical effort of the artist in the cartoon trying to capture the enormity of the aircraft.

Peter Maynez

Peter Maynez lives and works in Burbank, California. He works in the film industry as a visual development artist. Film credits include one of the ‘Shrek’ movies. Examples of his work are displayed in his blog: petermaynez.blogspot.com.

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His caricature of an Emirates Airbus 380 captures the enormity of airframe and engines at the same time maintaining the graceful poise that such a large aircraft presents when flying at low speed; indicated by the extended flaps.

Willy Peeters

Willy Peeters was born in Belgium in 1953. At a young age it was discovered he had a talent for drawing. At school a career evaluation board convinced his parents to send him to a technical school to earn a degree in mechanical engineering. On gaining his degree the economy wasn't exactly booming in Belgium so he discovered there was no room for an inexperienced mechanical engineer in the job market and he had to settle for some odd jobs, none of which satisfied him. However, he was determined to have a career in the arts he worked nights to sharpen his artistic skills in an attempt to become a comic strip artist. Sadly the major publishers were reluctant to give an inexperienced rookie a contract and relied on the established artists to guarantee sales.

After many years of trying to enter the ranks of famous Belgian comic strip artists he decided to focus on graphic arts and started a rigorous self-study schedule. Being an avid builder of scale models he was fortunate to join a scale model company where he could demonstrate his drawing skills as well as use his technical background. For almost 13 years he established a name for himself, but not in the field he had hoped for. However, he continued practicing his comic strip skills with moderate success. In 2000 he was encouraged by a friend to focus on drawing aircraft. From that day on he got hooked on drawing aviation cartoons and came up with the idea of producing a number of them to have them printed and sold as gifts for pilots and aviation enthusiasts. He also became an author.

With almost 90 different aircraft cartoons in his inventory, the majority of which have been produced for sale he found the appreciation of the public he sought. Not long ago he was accepted as artist by the prestigious American Society of Aviation Artists (ASAA).

Willy Peeters cartoon shown above appears in a website article by Brett Green entitled “Tiger Moth Flight – Take Two”. The article describes a joyful Tiger Moth flight in Queensland, Australia. During the flight another Tiger Moth joined alongside. The joy of the flight is captured beautifully in Willy’s work. Further examples of Willy’s work can be found on website: www.artsandcomics.com/

Bob Stevens

After studying art at Pasadena (California) City College, Bob Stevens joined the US Army Air Corps in 1942 and won his wings a year later. He was a fighter pilot in the Pacific until the end of World War II, when he became a civilian flight instructor and advertising director of a short-haul airline. He was recalled to active duty in 1948 as a jet pilot and set the world’s speed record in an Air Force F86 in 1950.

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In his second career, he was an editorial cartoonist for Copley News Service and his work was syndicated in more than 300 newspapers. Bob’s greatest claim to fame was “There I Was ...,” which appeared on the back page of ‘Air Force Magazine’ every month from 1964 to 1993. It was one of the most popular features the magazine ever published. The following example of his work focuses on a light hearted approach to educating flight personnel with respect to combat operations.

Another of his cartoons concerns Flabob Airport which is located in California. Established in 1925 by Flavio Madariaga and Bob Bogan, the name of the airport was derived by combining the first three letters of their names.

In the mid-70s, many scenes from the film “The Amazing Howard Hughes” were filmed at Flabob. In one of them, Hughes was producing Hell's Angels, and his stunt pilots refused to do a scene he had in mind because it was too dangerous. Hughes said he would do it himself. The plot called for Hughes to lose control of his aircraft and fly it through a barn. So, down at the Southwest corner of Flabob, the set people built a ramshackle barn out of poles and balsa wood. Before it was demolished by the airplane someone recognized a photo opportunity. A scene was set up with an aircraft, a decrepit Model T Ford

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truck and two horses. A photograph was taken. Cartoonist Bob Stevens saw the photo and it inspired the cartoon shown above.

Other aviation cartoon books by Bob include, “Prop Wash” and “There I was flat on my back”.

Chris Wren

Chris Wren was well known as a freelance aviation cartoonist in UK. During World War 2 aircraft identification became essential for the Armed Forces after 1941, when political pressure was applied to save Allied lives from 'friendly fire'. E A 'Chris' Wren portrayed caricatures of aircraft, entitled 'Oddentifications”, which highlighted salient aircraft characteristics as an aid to identification. The top left hand cartoon below shows his “Oddentification” portrayal of a Lockheed Ventura. The top right hand one merges human and aircraft caricatures. It appeared on the front of a book entitled “Identification, Friend or Foe” by Tim Hamilton.

The two lower cartoons were drawn by Chris Wren to help pilots learn how to interpret the take-off and landing performance requirements for turbine-powered aircraft as defined in the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) Special Civil Air Regulation SR-422b. They appeared in UK’s Flight magazine on 3 June 1965.

Handley Page Halifax Cartoon

This cartoon was drawn by a member of a Halifax bomber’s crew during World War 2. Sadly I don’t know the name of the artist. The drawing is quite simple but effective and very amusing. The caption “Don’t talk to me about Rear Gunners! If I listened to mine we’d be flying backwards!” highlights the frustration of the Rear Gunner in that he only sees where the aircraft has been, not where it’s going. The cartoon also portrays the humour that prevailed in wartime even in the face of adversity.

Rob Knotts

Examples of my own modest efforts shown below were developed purely for the amusement of my grandchildren and me.

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I served for 33 years in the Royal Air Force, as a maintenance technician, aircrew and finally as an Engineering Officer. My first flight, in 1958, was in a Royal Air Force Avro Anson. I did my aircrew training in a Vickers Varsity. I served as an aircrew member on Shackleton Maritime Patrol aircraft. As an Engineering Officer in the RAF I worked on Phantoms. Our eldest son lives in Canada and my wife and I frequently fly there, sometimes using Air Canada.

The Anson is shown struggling to get into the air and then chugging its way through the sky. In the Varsity one can imagine trainee aircrew inside the aircraft concentrating on trying to get things right. The Varsity itself shows a cheeky, tolerant and nonchalant air that suggests it’s been there and seen all manner of trainee aircrew efforts.

The Shackleton portrays what always seemed like slow, never ending, noise inducing flights across mile upon mile of ocean. The Phantom’s posture is one of preparing to make a high-speed dash.

The Air Canada aircraft is shown lined up on the runway ready for take-off. Engine throttles fully open, the aircraft is “straining at the leash”. It is impatiently awaiting the release of the brakes before charging down the runway to start its multi-thousand mile journey taking people on business or holiday or to be re- united with loved ones.

All probably need motion and speed lines to portray the dynamic nature of flight. Simple backgrounds are also possibly needed. Their omission, right or wrong, was my decision. At a future date I will endeavour to use these to illustrate anecdotes of my life in the world of aviation.

Airship Caricature and Cartoon

Finally, to my love of airships. Alberto Santos-Dumont (1873 –1932) was an early pioneer of aviation. He designed, built, and flew the first practical dirigible balloons. In doing so he became the first person to demonstrate that routine, controlled flight was possible. His prize winning flight around the Eiffel Tower, in his dirigible number 6, made him one of the most famous people in the world during the early part of

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the 20th century. The top left hand picture shows a caricature of Santos Dumont during that famous flight. It was published in Vanity Fair in 1899.

Santos-Dumont’s airship Number 9 (named “Baladeuse”- “The Wanderer”) was built to demonstrate the possibilities of urban travel. Powered by a 3 hp motor, with a gas bag capacity of 220 m3 he often flew the airship to drop in on unsuspecting friends in a Paris boulevard for a drink. I have left what I view as the best until last. My favourite cartoon is by Jean Barbaud. The picture on the bottom left shows an actual flight of Santos-Dumont’s airship along a Paris boulevard. On the right Jean’s cartoon portrays an associated social event. It delightfully captures a scene that sadly would not be tolerated in our modern world. It appeals to my liking of the whimsical and eccentric aspects of life and to my love of airships. The cartoon was produced for an exhibition in the Aero Club de France, Paris.

“If You Can’t Take a Joke You Shouldn’t Have Joined”

In this article I have presented examples of humorous aviation cartoons and caricatures mainly by well known cartoonists. I have purposely ignored cartoons expressing critical opinion on serious social issues in the surrounding world. Life is serious enough as it is; as James Thurber says, “We must preserve humour”.

Humour was an essential part of life in the Royal Air Force. The phrase: “If you can’t take a joke you shouldn’t have joined” was constantly voiced in unpleasant and trying circumstances. I don’t doubt that similar sentiments prevail in air forces and flying organisations around the world. Most of the cartoonists whose work I have portrayed are professional artists, a couple are amateurs. In their cartoons and caricatures all portray that essential ingredient of life, a sense of humour.

This article is dedicated to Patricia Ann Brown. Sadly Pat passed away on 15 June 2010. Pat and I trained as Royal Air Force officers together. I’m privileged to have shared her friendship and laughter. During our officer training we frequently voiced the phrase: “If you can’t take a joke you shouldn’t have joined”. The world is a sadder place without Pat’s presence, smile and laughter.

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THE ART OF COLIN PARKER

Being a Catalina lover, I could not resist including this wonderful painting by Colin Parker! His treatment of the aircraft detail and especially the weathering is superb as is the background detail including the reason the “Cat” is circling ready to alight! Congratulations Colin, I’m sure the members will really appreciate your paintings! . . . . The Editor. . . .

Here is a small gallery of some of Colin’s more recent works, each one a superb painting of the aircraft with a very fitting setting. His craft is excellent and the detail is remarkable buy yet painterly and not overdone and that is an art in itself – to include only sufficient detail to satisfy the most ardent enthusiast and still maintain the work as a beautiful painting and not an illustration!

Encounter over Beachy Head Faith, Hope and Charity – Gladiators over Malta

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Mustang Warroirs

Hornet Sting

Fightin’ Red Devils

Bandits at 3 o’clock high

More of Colin’s fine work can be found on his web sites including landscapes and photographic images of aircraft, landscapes, people, etc. Mosquito Raiders

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A Gallery of work by Greg Thom

Greg has submitted this collection of his work of aircraft that were associated with his hobby and work.

"Taxying DC-3

“Short Finals" a 76Sqn RAAF Mirage at Williamtown in 1965 -

“Afternoon Lightning”, a 29 Sqn RAF T.3 Lightning

“Hot Pursuit”- USAF F-15C on the tail of an aggressor

CAC CA-27 Sabre A94-901

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Cessna 172G “Uncertain Fate” – surplus RAAF C-47, A65-30, Essendon 1971

Meteor over the Severn estuary “Pigs at Play” 2 F.111C’s frolic over Amberley in 1976

CONTRIBUTION FROM DEREK WHITE

W.O. AND HIS ROTARIES W.O. Beand His Aero Engines In The Great War

By Derek White

Born on September 16,1888, the youngest of eight children, Walter Owen Bentley showed early interest in mechanical things. Supreme among them was the railway locomotive, and the only sport that appealed to him was cricket, so as the family lived in Avenue Road, London, near the western side of Hyde Park, two places of interest were close by – Lord’s Cricket Ground and the London and Northwestern Railway at the northern end of Primrose Tunnel.

However his family was of Yorkshire stock so the Great Northern Railway demanded his loyalty. There was even an Australian connection through his maternal grandfather who arrived in Adelaide soon after it was founded by Colonel Light and became one of its first successful businessmen and philanthropists.

Walter was a quiet, perhaps shy boy but had a happy early childhood. His favourite toy was a stationary steam engine, then a clockwork train set. Eventually cricket gear, bicycles and cameras occupied his time, and he always wanted to find out exactly how the mechanical ones worked; the bicycle was frequently dismantled, cleaned and adjusted and re-assembled with success, to his mother’s relieved amazement. Preparatory school was attacked with a similar desire to understand everything precisely

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and this meant that progress was slow, especially in subjects which were not his favourites like physics and chemistry. This resulted in frequent which were apparently accepted stoicism.

Cricket however afforded great pleasure. As an opening batsman in the school eleven he scored 79 not out at the age of twelve. At Clifton School in 1902 he even had some success at cross-country running and boxing but again did well at cricket.

He left at age sixteen to take up a position he had always wanted – that of a premium apprentice in the Great Northern Railway at Doncaster. Here were to be found such railway luminaries as H.A. Ivatt, N. Gresley, O.V. Bulleid and A. H. Peppercorn. After five years of hard and dirty work at the Doncaster plant, Bentley was one of Ivatt’s pupils and entitled to footplate experience as second fireman.

For this significant and exciting step he had to leave Doncaster and serve at Kings Cross running sheds where the work of maintenance was even filthier than at Doncaster, but the footplate experience made up for it, progressing from second fireman on goods trains, to stopping passenger trains and eventually to main line expresses – every boy’s dream!

Alas! As the old Chinese proverb says – “The least part of a journey is to arrive”. Young men of every generation have always have always sought to express their independence in travel; Walter and his brothers progressed from bicycles to motorcycles in the early years of the twentieth century, and coupled with travel, inevitably came speed. Walter still loved locomotives but motor sport offered an exciting new factor in addition to travel and speed, namely competition.

He raced his “Rex” motorcycle in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy and on the new Brooklands track, progressed to an “Indian” in 1910, and finally to his first car, a 9hp “Riley”. A “Sizaire-Naudin” (French) car followed. By now (1911) he was working as General Assistant of the National Motor Cab Company of Hammersmith, operating “Unic”, French made taxis.

In 1912, with one of his brothers, Walter had the opportunity to buy the agency of the French light car company, Flandrin et Parant, or “D.F.P”, and call themselves “Bentley and Bentley”. As their mechanic they engaged Jean Leroux and embarked on a proper competition and advertising campaign to which the 12-15 model D.F.P. offered advantages over current British light sports 2 litre cars.

A remarkable chain of events took place in the office of M. Doriot in Paris in June 1913 during a production meeting. Bentley noticed and aluminium paperweight in the form of a piston lying on M. Doriot’s desk, - an advertising piece by the Corbin foundry who did D.F.P.’s casting. Walter, with his mechanical knowledge, became convinced that high performance aluminium pistons could be used in car engines.

Corbins worked out an alloy formula of 12% copper to 88% aluminium and made a trial set which Walter and Jean Leroux fitted to a D.F.P. engine of the 12-15. After experimental lightening and other exhaustive testing there was such an outstanding gain in performance that the parent company rapidly agreed to Walter Bentley’s pet project – a performance version for the British market.

The 12-40 “Speed Model” was an instant success but Bentleys made a crucial and wise decision not to advertise that the secret of the 12-40’s performance was the aluminium pistons. It tolerated increasing revolutions at the stage when light steel pistons developed broken rings, and cast iron pistons cracked!

Many records were broken by the 12-40 “Speed Model” including an outstanding 6th place outright by the smallest car in the Tourist Trophy of June 1914, driven by W.O. Bentley. He had by this time married his first wife on January 1914. Eight months later the Great War caused a rush to the colours. Walter immediately sensed he possessed a valuable piece of information in his unique experience with the aluminium piston which, with its high power-to-weight ratio, would be especially applicable to aero engines.

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Two of his brothers had joined up in the first rush and the patriotic but unfortunate Leroux had survived only ten days,- killed in Flanders.

W.O. made attempts to enlist in mechanised units of the Army but found the authorities he approached far too busy with the initial rush and suggested return in a few months. Knowing the importance of the aluminium piston which was still unknown in Britain, he cautiously made enquiries as to who he should approach. One name frequently came up in discussion with colleagues in the industry.

It was Engineer Commander, Wilfred Briggs R.N. This excellent officer was the senior whose job it was liaising between the Board of Admiralty and the aero engine manufacturers, to guide an expanding Engine Department of the R.N.A.S. from his little wooden hut atop the Admiralty Arch.

These two men, both professional engineers and astute judges of character, hit it off at their first meeting. After discussion which included the piston that Bentley had brought with him and the records held by the 12-40 D.F.P. Briggs decided that Walter was the ideal member of his staff for the responsibility of visiting aero engine constructors with news of the latest developments such as the aluminium piston.

First however, as a representative of the Admiralty, he had to be a commissioned officer, so was appointed a Lieutenant R.N.V.R.. Bentley’s first official call appropriately to Rolls Royce at Derby, who were making air-cooled Renault aero engines under licence, while designing one of their own. E.W. Hives, the head of the experimental department was most co-operative, and the piston formula was given to his foundry specialist Buchanan.

The result was the famous 200hp “Eagle”. The next visit was to Sunbeams, and he was equally well received by Louis Coatelen, then to the Gwynne factory at Chiswick, where they were building French Clerget rotary engines under licence.

Bentley’s ideas to increase reliability were not well received, even when he could claim that they were supported by experience at the front gained on his many visits to Marlo R.N.A.S. H.Q and the squadrons in the Dunkerque area. By, 1915 Walter had an assistant, Petty Officer Aslin, a tireless worker.

Problems with Clerget rotaries included obdurator piston ring failures, wrist pins and con-rods. Problems with Gwynnes were jealous resentment of “outside interference”, resulting in obstruction to other improvements, and they were worried about effects on their business relationship with Clerget. Briggs found the perfect solution to this impasse. Bentley was to move from Gwynnes, leaving then to continue with Clergets, and go to Humbers at Coventry.

Briggs had made an ideal choice. The people at Humber were doing war work which they felt was rather beneath them – making army travelling kitchens and bicycles. The long established creators of quality motor cars were excited at the prospect of making the latest type of aero engine with high performance and reliability. Besides, they could but recall how Bentley and his D.F.P. had taken all those records at Brooklands before the war.

From the Chairman, Earl Russel, the senior people, particularly F.T. Burgess, the head designer, welcomed Walter warmly, with none of the suspicion shown at Gwynnes. With Petty Officer Aslin, now joined by an assistant, the naval trio moved into the Humber drawing office early in 1916. Two sets of drawings existed for Bentley designed nine cylinder rotary aero engines, - the 19 x 170mm 150hp, and the 140 x 180mm 250hp.

When both had been re-drawn Bentley desperately wanted to go straight into production with the larger one; but the admiralty was cautious, so the smaller prototype was tested in June 1916. Only valve problems required attention, and the engine, called initially the “A.R.1” (Admiralty Rotary One), was soon ready for submission to the Admiralty Inspector S.C.H. Davis, the same “Sammy” Davis who, eleven

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years later famously drove a badly bent Bentley 3 litre to victory at Le Mans. It was in production by Autumn 1916 but was not fitted to a Sopwith F.1 “Camel” until May 1917.

Since 1915 Walter had been making visits to the R.N.A.S. squadrons in northern France. In his autobiography he claimed that on one occasion, date and place unspecified, he had to shelter under a canal bank from a strafing Fokker, type unspecified, flown by (you guessed it) a misspelt Baron von Richtoffen! How a crouching Bentley could know the identity of the pilot is not revealed!

Gradually all R.N.A.S. squadrons with “Camels” had the 150hp A.R.1, later re-named the B.R.1 (Bentley Rotary One). In the early stages various modifications resulted in improved power, such as an increase in compression, resulting in more speed at height and a 2mm hole in the induction pipes that gave an increase in power of 11hp.

With the B.R.1 proved by a year’s satisfactory service, authority was granted in the early Spring of 1918 for the B.R.2 to commence production in time for fitting in the new Sopwith 7F.1 “Snipe”. A conflicting account of the above should be mentioned here. An eminent historian has stated that Bentley said “Almost simultaneously with the design of the B.R.1, Commander Briggs authorised me to proceed with the design of a still more powerful engine, the B.R.2.

Without delay a prototype was built by Gwynne and within a week it had completed a fifty hour acceptance “run”. Note that there is no mention here of Humber involvement, so the test mentioned here may refer to the B.R.1. This pre-existence of B.R.2 drawings is not mentioned. The difference in the accounts may be partly explained by pointing out that they are eleven years apart (1958 and 1969).

By the spring of 1918 the required volume of production of the B.R.2 for the “Snipe” in the Autumn was so great that the Daimler factory plus Humber, Crossley and Gwynne had to be involved to cope; by the Summer it was running at 120 units per week. Inevitably some components had to be supplied from out of house.

One of these items were the oil pumps, the springs of which failed on several “Camels” while Bentley was visiting 204 Squadron R.A.F. in France; considering it a matter of urgency, he hurried back to Britain, had new springs of softer correct temper made and rushed them back in a suitcase on a destroyer without Admiralty authority. This resulted in an awful reprimand from Their Lordships but may well have saved several lives.

By the Summer of 1918, when the Allies were at last starting to push forward on the Western front, and the Royal Air Force was enjoying its growing status as the Third Service, Commander Briggs’ position had been taken by a team of Air Board members; on June 19 William Weir had been created Lord Weir in recognition of his good work since his appointment as Air Board Controller of Supplies early in 1917 and being quickly Knighted in In February of that year.

He was brilliant as an organiser provided the item concerned was worthy of selection but unfortunately could hardly be a wise judge of every product. In the second half of 1917 the Air Board had called for a 300hp engine and four firms responded, Brazil Straker, Siddley-Deasy, Vickers and ABC Motors.

The latter company had been founded in 1912 by Ronald Charteris, with Granville Bradshaw as Chief Designer. There does not seem to be any record of Bradshaw having any formal engineering training, but he designed and built several small aero engines such as the water-cooled four cylinder 40hp.

This engine was installed in a Sopwith biplane flown by Australian Harry Hawker that had won the Michelin Cup in 1912. After that Bradshaw turned to designing a series of radial engines of from two to seven cylinders. Unfortunately, the larger these power plants, the more problem-ridden they became; the clever Bradshaw looked very much the enthusiastic amateur!

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Unfortunately his skill as an engineer was far less than his skill as a salesman and he was able to convince the young Sir William Weir that his engine, the A.B.C. “Dragon-fly” had the best performance of the four engines submitted despite the fact that it only existed as a set of drawings.

Front view of the B.R.2 engine, 250hp Front View of the B.R.1, 150hp

This led Weir to tell the aeroplane manufacturers that the Government chosen engine for the future was the “Dragon-fly”, so for future planning it’s statistics were used in the design of nearly all R.A.F. aeroplanes to come into service after 1918. Now, in the late summer, when the first engines had been subjected to tests, they turned out to be riddled with design faults; most serious of all for an aero engine, it was liable to catch fire in the air! Additional troubles involved dynamic unbalance, loss of power and erratic valve operation caused by vibration that was so bad that engine life varied from a few minutes to a maximum of 2 ½ hours. This was later identified as extreme, synchronous torsional vibration.

Lord Weir was no longer Controller but still a senior member of the Air Board. The consistently bad reports he received of the “Dragon-fly” were distressing; it was clear that he had been conned by Bradshaw and this made him angry but unwilling to accept the facts. Bentley, as the designer of the two most powerful and reliable rotary engines, was summoned and ordered to investigate. He observed engine tests and discussed situation with the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, then, returned to give his considered opinion that the “Dragon-fly” would have to be re-designed. Weir was angrier than ever, and instead of carpeting the man to blame, was very rude to Bentley.

In fact none of the new designs were free from faults at this stage, leaving the B.R.2 as the only proved unit ready for 1918-19. Fortunately the war ended in November or the problems caused by Bradshaw and Weir for the Royal Air Force in 1919 could have been disastrous. In the gentle light of peace the trouble could be somewhat glossed over and reputations largely saved.

During the Autumn Walter Bentley, still a Lieutenant R.N.V.R., made a last tour of the squadrons operating “Camels” and “Snipes” on the Western Front, then he went on leave; in fact he was never officially demobilised. The Great War dealt Walter a final blow. Before he could renew operations of Bentley and Bentley with a new car and begin to enjoy a home life, his wife died in the influenza pandemic that ravaged Europe and beyond.

In 1920 Bentley was invited by the Royal Commission of Awards to make a claim for the invention of the B.R. 1 and B.R.2 engines. The resultant haggling was so prolonged and the rewards so small that it

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hardly seemed worth the trouble! In the summer of 1921 a disaster occurred near Hendon aerodrome. The Australian aviation pioneer, Harry Hawker who, it has been mentioned, in 1912 had won the Michelin Cup in an aeroplane powered by a 40hp ABC engine designed by Bradshaw, was preparing for the 1921 Aerial Derby. Flying a Nieuport “Goshawk”, powered by Bradshaw’s A.B.C. “Dragon-fly” , as had happened all too often before, caught fire in the air and Hawker was killed in the resultant crash at Burnt Oak on 8th July, 1921 – a great loss to British aviation. Some accounts blame the crash Hawker’s health. Another cover up?

After Since the end of the war Walter and his assistants at Bentley and Bentley, later Bentley Motors, had been working to design the first Bentley car while remaining agents of D.P.F. A year later the first 3 litre Bentley was reviewed by “Sammy” Davis. The rest of W.O. Bentley’s life was concerned with quality passenger cars – Bentley, Rolls Royce and Lagonda. He retired in the 1950’s and died on August 13, 1971 aged nearly eighty- four.

References: “W.O. The autobiography of W.O. Bentley”, Hutchinson, London 1958. “Hendon Aerodrome – a History”, David Oliver, Airlife Publishing, Shrewsbury 1994. “Sopwith – The Man and His Aircraft”, B. Robertson, Air Review, Letchworth 1970 “Tourist Trophy”, R Hough, Hutchinson, London 1957 “British Aviation – the Great War and the Armistice”, H. Penrose, Putnam, 1969 “Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft”, C.G.Grey, Arco, New York, 1969 “British Aeroplanes 1914-18”, J.M. Bruce, Putnam, London 1957.

Lieutenant Bentley, R.N.V.R. 1916 – aero engines for the Admiralty

Half rear view of the B.R.2 engine, 250hp Side view of the B.R.2 engine, 250hp

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A.B.C. “Dragon-fly 330hp (front view) A.B.C. “Dragon-fly” 330hp (back view)

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Back view of the A.B.C. “Gnat” 45 hp engine Front View of the A.B.C. “Gnat” 45hp engine

Cam-ring, Tappets and bearing, of A.B.C. “Dragon-fly” engine

AVIATION ART – WHAT IS SELLING? Here in Australia our possible buying population is so small and scattered by the tyranny of distance and we have very few purely aviation art shows or exhibitions that meaningful statistics can’t really be collected nor assessed. Most of our sales appear to be direct commissions or are derived from various general art shows. A lot of the commissions come from pilots/ex pilots or family members of wartime pilots. In the Autumn issue of the Guild of Aviation Artists “Quarterly News”, they have published the statistics from their recent “The Nockold’s Trophy 2012” showing and the results are very interesting for they declare the sales by both topic and the media used for the paintings. These results may, but not necessarily give a good indicator of what to pursue or at least try. See what you think!

EXHIBITION SUBJECTS: No. submitted Number sold % Up to and including WW1 51 27 53 Post WW1 60 21 35 WW2 130 41 31.5 Post WW2 126 18 14.3 Civil 35 8 23 Helicopters 28 5 18 Airships 3 1 33 Balloons 4 3 75 Gliders 4 2 50 Others 14 6 43 TOTAL 455 132 29%

The top mediums were Oil at 43.7%; Watercolour at 17%; Acrylic at 13.2% and Gouache at 7%

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Dan Burke

After twenty years in his field (advertising), Dan began teaching, eventually taking up lecturing contracts at The University of Western Sydney – Nepean, faculty of Visual & Performing Arts in the Design School. He was afforded recognition of prior learning (BA Design) to enter the 2 year Visual Arts Masters (Hons) program. Having successfully completed the MA year he moved on before doing the honours year.

Later, while at Western Sydney Institute of TAFE (Nepean) in the Design School he obtained an Advanced Diploma in Graphic Design & Communication. This was followed by a Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching from Curtin University of Technology in Perth.

Dan is currently working his way through whatever work comes along – art, graphic and web design etc. Dan was our NSW Delegate for several years and his aircraft art is also exceptionally professional.

“A little castle, a big valley, and some Chocolate shops”- by Dan Burke

The Blue Mountains to the west of Sydney are part of The Great Dividing Range, which stretches almost the entire length of the Australian east coast. That’s a formidable mountain range.

Unlike The Rockies in North America the Blue Mountains are a very old weathered mountain range and geologically quite different. There are several places here though where the vista becomes nothing less than breathtaking. Probably the most popular photo spot is Echo Point at Katoomba, the tourism hub on the Blue Mountains. The view from Echo Point is of the Jamison Valley, perhaps the larger of several valleys in the region.

“The Ruined Castle” is a small sandstone formation poking up through the trees on a ridgeline a few kilometres out into the valley from Echo Point. It’s important to remember there is a good chocolate shop a few hundred metres away too, not to mention the Paragon at the top of Katoomba Street – I’m almost feeling homesick, having lived a third of my life on the mountains I know how good that chocolate is!

My painting is acrylic and the aim was to portray some of the late afternoon light as it escaped the valley floor for another day. Down in Silicon City

A caravan is a wonderful thing, assuming of course, that it’s not wobbling and shuddering down the highway in front of you. Once the object of choice for many families to drag behind their automobile like a cacophony of tins on strings at the end of a wedding, the caravan is now more widely known as the object of choice for the grey army to drag behind them as they make their way down the retirement highway.

For many decades those vans that finally began to drift apart have been pensioned off to van parks all over the country for a makeover, a quick addition or a hysterectomy of sorts. There they lay gutted and worn, patched and repainted or completely covered by an amazing array of flimsy “annexes”, those bright melanoma’s of the van park world.

“Mastic!” was the old catch-cry all over the park, ugly black and grey glug used to block the rivulets generated by the slightest shower, nature’s fingers of hidden destruction capable of wearing any known material down into the mud. It had little flexibility to deal with the harsh Aussie climate, particularly if the van park was at the beach as so many of them were. If the climate didn’t get the van it would rot out the stumps it stood on after the tyres hardened and crackled, and their axles turned the sand rust red. Then the whole lot would disappear into the rabbit warrens below and onwards to the bowels of hell!

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Over the top you say? Well, the stories of van parks all over the world are tall by nature but there may be children reading so I have to keep this legal, and clean…

Down amid the aluminium walls of the van park mingled with tents and annexes, guide-ropes and washing lines some smart-Alec came across a new weapon in the endless struggle against mother nature… Silicon. Delivered to the pointy end of the problem by what is basically a big clumsy syringe, Silicon fixed all. In the absence of rivets Silicon could even be used to stick stuff together, not for long, but for long enough.

Like a wonder drug the use of Silicon swept across the nation’s van parks so effectively that it is now built-in to every van before it even hits the road so that by the time it ends up here on the front row it only needs a touch up. No-one seems to have found an improvement on most other aspects of vans though, including the humble rivet.

However, if Silicon is the glue that protects, the humble rivet is the glue that binds.

This long white van straddling two sites on the front row which had always been exceptionally well held together by both Silicon and rivets almost disappeared into a rabbit warren despite it’s massive size, (or because of it) until it was saved by a tow-chain and a few beers.

There can be many types of glue in a van park. Note the hand-made bench and neatly improvised front step – timeless characteristics of any good van park. Most caravans of perhaps the pre 70s had a light timber framework inside those light aluminium panels which was usually very accurately cut but it was rarely sufficient to hold the thing together completely. Rivets did that. Apart from all the useless paraphernalia and plain old junk dragged down to Silicon City from home over the years one of the few useful bits was a rivet gun.

You just had to make sure the rivets used were aluminium and it didn’t matter that the rivet gun itself was held together by a few pieces of old wire. Of course at the end of the day I could write a long detailed treatise on life in a caravan park by the sea but too many people might come looking for me – for all the wrong reasons! No matter how much they love their vans though, holiday makers, particularly those who have a van at the beach go there for this: This entry was posted in Sketching and tagged Beach, Caravans, Fishing, Silicon on November 8, 2012

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Back to the topic… the light at echo Point changes by the minute and with cloud and haze, or none at all, produces a spectacular vista that would be hard to beat anywhere in the world. I always knew I would paint at least one picture of this place. This painting will also be available as a print, contact me via my website if you are interested: \http://danburke.com.au/dblog/posts/

The Sunbathers

What does a good little boat do when the boss is away? Sunbathe of course. That’s “sunbake” in Aussie. One afternoon excursion to an old haunt turned up most things as they once were. Decades ago we used to bring our dog down here to Birchgrove to chase a ball and once in a blue moon to do a little sketching, nowhere near often enough of course. .Many of the boats look different but still leisurely floating about on the edge of a beautiful harbour. The “Titanic” was tied up at the wharf (no, not the real one) and one of the little tenders lazing about on the pontoon was the “Iceberg”, tender to the Titanic. All very marine. I put my reference aside from this excursion and have looked back on it a few times since, then recently decided to dust off the watercolours.

Here is the work in progress, timely too at the start of summer:

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“Should be done in the next few days, check back again soon… Well, here it is, as promised!”

The intention is to make this painting available as a print. Please advise me via the website contact page if you are interested. Dan Burke

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These cartoons are from Rob Knotts’ paper “Cartoons and Caricatures. Rob is a member of the Manchester Aviation Art Society . . . thanks Rob . . . Editor February, 2013 - Official Newsletter of the Australian Society of Aviation Artists Inc. Page 35

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RAAF “HERITAGE AWARD” ENTRY 2010 by John Leeden.

Title: The Last Air Strike of WW2

ome years ago I read an article in "Aeroplane Monthly" about the last air strike of WW2, which was carried out on the 15th Aug. 1945 by RAAF Beauforts from 7,8 and 100 Sqns. on Japanese positions in Northern S New Guinea, so I decided to base my entry for the 2010 RAAF Heritage Awards on that theme. In 1949 I was in my first of 3 years as an RAAF Engineering Apprentice at Forest Hill near Wagga Wagga. Forest Hill was also the graveyard for Beaufort, Beaufighter, and Vengeance aircraft and a couple of Catalinas. Among the Beauforts were two earmarked for the Canberra War Memorial - Scotty's “Homin' Pidgin” and “Cock-O- the North”, the latter having been part of that final airstrike. A bomb painted on the aircraft mission tally showed the date 15 Aug 45. They never made it to the War Memorial as they were sold for scrap for 5 pounds each along with all the others to Grant's Smelter outside the Base and melted down.

From articles and information I had gathered I settled on a composition showing 100 Sqn. Beauforts flying over the Torrecelli Ranges on their way to the target and, as I had an old photo of “Cock-O-the North” from the graveyard I decided to make it the centre of interest. After deciding on the final composition, I then had to determine the medium. All my previous entries had been in oil, so this seemed a logical choice, but in recent times I had worked in pastel with reasonable effect and some success, so I decided that was the way to go. Why pastel over oil, or for that matter acrylic?

Whilst I enjoyed painting with oils, I often struggled with the mixtures, sometimes overworking to the point where the result was mud. Mixing colours and tones to achieve a particular effect or result may be easy for some, but for me it was often hard work, enjoyable, but frustrating. With pastel, the colours are laid out for you. For every colour there is a range of tones from the darkest to the lightest, they can be blended and are permanent. Oils may darken, watercolours may fade, but pastel is permanent and will always retain it’s lustre and freshness. Pastels can also be adapted for any kind of subject matter and are the most direct of all painting media. I love to draw and for me pastel is an extension of that discipline.

I used the smooth side of MI-TEINTES pastel paper which still has a slight "tooth" and holds the pastel pigment quite well. The coarser grain on the other side does not lend itself to the fine or detailed work required where machinery is concerned. I used Rembrandt and Art Sprectrum soft pastels, Holbein medium pastels, Conte pastel pencils, Carb Othello coloured charcoal pencils and Conte carbon pencils.

I used a very pale yellow mi-teintes pastel paper and attached it to the support using tape and alligator clips. I traced the drawing onto the pastel paper using an "H" carbon pencil, after which it was lightly sprayed with fixative.

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I laid in the basic sky colour first, gently and evenly blending it into the surface using cotton wool, covering the aircraft and most of the landscape to set the tone and then proceeded to work on the background mountains, gradually working forward through the valley to the mountains in the middle and foreground. As this was early morning I added low mist and cloud as I went. I endeavoured to convey the low altitude at which the aircraft flew over the mountain tops by the placement of the thin line of the river in the valley below, the jungle between the mountains and the shadows from the early morning sun. Blending was mostly done with delicate use of the soft pastels, small pieces of cotton wool and occasionally a finger, being careful not to work the pastel too much as this can produce a clogged surface which cannot be worked over.

I used carbon pencils to suggest the basic details of the aircraft, overworking this with the desired pastel or coloured charcoal pencil, being careful not to use too much pressure. These pencils had to be constantly sharpened to achieve any kind of fine detail. I worked with the board tilted forward on the easel as this enables most of the pastel dust to fall away from the subject.

The different camouflage schemes on the aircraft resulted from which aircraft were serviceable on that day for the strike. “Cock-O-the North” sported the hastily applied black under-surface for night operations, much of which had worn off around the engine cowls, nose and wing leading edges. The motif on the nose was Jose Carioca, the Walt Disney Macaw.

When completed the picture was not sprayed with fixative as this tends to dull the work. I submitted the completed and framed picture with some misgivings as nobody had entered a pastel before and was very pleased when it was judged the winning entry. For the 2012 award I submitted another pastel, the subject a target marking "Mother Hen" Boomerang about to lead RNZAF Corsairs on a strike out of Bougainville. For me it was very satisfying to "break the ice" for pastels and I hope this may encourage others to try this delightful medium - messy but delightful.

Finally it was quite amusing at the 2010 presentations in Canberra to see the bemused expressions on the faces of the USAF representatives at the Air Power Conference being conducted at that time when they found out the last air strike of WW2 was indeed carried out by the RAAF. Another interesting fact is that the first air strike against the Japanese was also carried out by RAAF Hudsons out of Kota Baru, Malaya.

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The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS)

Aviation Statistics: Our Busy Aircraft.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service Pilatus PC-12 aircraft – one of the 61 aircraft operated by the RFDS taking off from a bush strip

In the financial year ending June 2012, the 61 aircraft of the RFDS and a number of chartered aircraft undertook over 74,000 flights taking over 80,000 hours and covering a distance of nearly 27 million kilometres. Our Statistics at a Glance:

 Has 21 aircraft operating bases;

 Flies 61 aircraft and charters a number more;

 Employs 186 pilots, 69 engineering staff and 18 operational co-ordinators to support our doctors, nurses and clinicians;

 Services more than 80% of Australia 97,150,000 km 2) an area nearly the size of the USA;

 Attended 273, 731 patients (average of 750/day);

 Carried out 40,705 aerial evacuations and transfers (average of 112/day);

 Conducted 14,412 health care clinics (average of 39/day);

 Flew 25,597,696 kms (average of 72,870/day);

 Flew for 80,986 hours (average 221/day);

 Made 74,148 landings (average of 203/day) “Round-Up” - pencil drawing by Dan Burke

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CONTRIBUTION FROM RAY HONISETT

RESEARCH

Ray's down-sized study that was submitted for client's approval H FLAK IS TERRIBLE – by Ray Honisett

rtists’ studios are, by their very nature, messy places where a sheet of paper, a photograph or a piece of A equipment one has recently been using miraculously disappears into the chaos only to reappear much later

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(if ever) when searching for something entirely different. This was repeated in my mess a while back when I came across a critique of my Australian War Memorial (AWM) painting of the W/C Hughie Edwards-led raid on the Bremen docks in 1941.

The critique had been written by Gavin Fry, then curator of the post 1939 AWM painting collection, for the Memorial’s house magazine and it immediately revived memories of the research difficulties associated with the commission.

Having read several descriptions of the action, my broad concept had been of the aircraft flying very low over Bremen, preferably the dock area, as it was a major port containing several obvious targets. The plan was agreed to during my first meeting with Sir Hughie who was back in Australia at the time. From his logbook and a crystal clear memory he furnished a myriad of essential details: his aircraft’s code letters and number, time of day, weather, the disposition of squadron aircraft over target, barrage balloons and his personal feelings at the time – heightened responsibility, fear, and concentration.

With insight from the central character, a wealth of photographs of Blenheim IVs in correct colours and markings from my own library, my research seemed well under way The only remaining gap being the target itself Where on earth was I to find accurate photographic reference of the Bremen docks in 1941? In this instance the War Memorial was unable to assist and a cursory search of local libraries yielded next to nothing, certainly nothing with a pictorial component. German wartime publications seemed to have harboured a reticence about displaying close- up pictures of what would have been plum targets. RAF photo-recon shots would be mostly verticals, any obliques would be most unlikely to have been taken from the extremely low level at which the attack took place and the existing few taken by 105 Squadron aircrew were only of details of saw-toothed factory roofs. It began to dawn on me that I may have a substantial reference problem ahead.

I took my problem to long- time friend Arthur Hyland, whom many will remember as having a prodigious knowledge of technical and specialised books and of knowing every enthusiast who had ever entered his store. Arthur was unable to fulfil my need with any current publication or recall any past possibility. However, never without a helpful suggestion, he put me in contact with several groups and individuals whose particular interests were naval and maritime history. None could find anything approaching what I had in mind, although all offered future help with anything falling within their orbit. The offer was later taken up, being of substantial help, but still no joy with Bremen docks.

It was time to move from those sources that had seemed likely to those with only remote possibilities

Several times each week, on my way to and from work at RMIT, I would pass the Victorian State Library, often wondering just how many thousands and thousands of books, etc., reposed under that gold dome; how much history and knowledge. Gradually I came to believe if ever I was to find the Bremen reference in Australia it could well be somewhere on those vast shelves or archives. This appeared to be my final source before having to resort to Bremen itself – find some obscure historical society that MAY have the reference material that I required! This was speculative in the extreme, considering I neither spoke nor read a word of German.

I’ve lost count of the number of hours subsequently spent with patient State librarians who would huddle over computers, then disappear for a time, returning with arm loads of books for my examination. Nothing! The few containing anything pictorial were not even close. It had become embarrassing and I was ready to surrender. But not the librarians – the exercise had become a challenge and they cast their nets in further, more obscure directions, even tapping into the contents of State Libraries in other Australian states. All results were the same until a librarian emerged from the archives carrying not the usual load of books but what appeared to be a thin, about two thirds tabloid-sized newspaper and a broad smile. What I had assumed to be a newspaper was, in fact, a semi-promotional, in-house magazine for the Bremen – Amerika Shipping Line. Promising. The front page carried a photograph of three distinguished looking ships’ captains dressed in dark uniforms with many rings of rank on the sleeves. The caption was in German, of course, but, from their stern expressions, I gathered they were about to retire, or be promoted, or to be shot!

Page two, though, was the pot of gold. It carried a half page photograph of the Bremen docks with two foreground crane-encrusted piers, ships, tugs, barges, waterfront buildings and an industrial background. The shot had been taken from the opposite side of the harbour, At a height of around 20 metres – probably from another building or even a crane at the ideal height for my viewpoint. The paper was dated late 1938. It wasn’t 1941 but it seemed reasonable to assume such substantial and permanent looking structures would be little changed in three years, even with the transition from peace to war. The librarian was as delighted with the find as was I and accepted my

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effusive thanks graciously, adding that the paper simply appeared at the top of a pile of uncatalogued pieces awaiting sorting – “all a bit of a mess, really”, he commented.

From my clear copy of the precious photograph, the naval and maritime historians confirmed it to be of a Bremen terminal of the Bremen-Amerika Line and even identified some large background gantries as being part of the shipyards of A.G. Weser, shipbuilders and constructors of 160 U-Boats. And, honouring their earlier offer of assistance, the historians supplied helpful advice and photo reference for Bremen tugboats, German cargo ships of the era and a Sperrbrecher that would have preceded any shipping movement down river.

Finally satisfied that all necessary reference was to hand, I felt confident in pulling it together into something resembling my earlier, vague concept. The result was a down-sized study in Acrylics for approval by Sir Hughie and the War Memorial. Sir Hughie examined the study for quite a few minutes before slowly nodding and saying, ”Yes, it could well have been like that”. With a positive response from the AWM, too, I then executed the final painting, larger, of course, and in Oils but with similar content and feelings of the study. Unfortunately, Sir Hughie Edwards died before the final painting was completed.

In my experience the research and reference gathering are almost as pleasurable as painting, itself. An adventure with a degree of luck added. Steeping myself in the subject first seems to heighten the anticipation of coming to terms with canvas and paint. However, of greater importance is the fact that any (even vaguely realist) painter can only be as good as his or her reference – whatever form that may take!

A reproduction of Ray’s finished painting can be seen in the publication, “RAAF – Artwork from the collection of the Australian War memorial” ISBN 1 9207 09 X, published in October, 2002, and of course the original can be seen at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra. ACT.

Contribution from Hugh Bird

Two wonderful paintings by Hugh Bird

F/A – 18 - Magpies at Al Kut Oil on canvas, 3’ x 4’ (90cm x 120cm)

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oil on canvas – 30” x 30” (80cm x 80cm) - 8th May,1995 – Spitfire over Melbourne’s Shrine, by Hugh Bird

Rouges Gallery – Our contributors

Greg Thom Steve Leadenham John Leeden

Hugh Bird Graham Lovelock Ray Honisett

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Brian Evans,

President/Editor Alan Swann Secretary/Treasurer Danny Burke

D

D

Rob Knotts, our UK guest

contributor Colin Parker

I can think of easier ways to water ski! Wow – what flying skills!!

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CONTRIBUTION FROM GRAHAM LOVELOCK

WWI RESEARCH INTO AUSTRALIAN PILOTS AND THEIR AIRCRAFT

Those of us who live in Victoria, are fortunate in having the birth place of Australia’s military aviation right on our doorstep at Point Cook. Civilians, members of the newly formed Aerial League of Australia, with great foresight pressured the government to form a military aviation school. This was in 1910, just months after the first powered flights had taken place in Australia. The first at Victoria Park Racecourse in Sydney – Colin Defries in a Wright Flyer A, and the second at Diggers Rest, north-west of Melbourne – Harry Houdini in a Bleriot. The latter being formally chosen as the first because Houdini had done a full circle.

The outcome of this sudden interest in aviation resulted in the Australian Defence Minister of the time travelling to England in 1911 to investigate that countries’ progress into military aviation. Minister Pearce was impressed with the flying at Brooklands airfield, as well as hearing news of rumours of war with Germany ahead. In July 1912, the Department of Defence ordered four training aircraft: two Bristol BE biplanes1 and two Deperdussin monoplanes. England’s Royal Flying Corp (RFC) was just in its formative stage at this time also.

At the end of 1912, a further aircraft was ordered, a Bristol Boxkite. This type had proved to be a good training aircraft in England. Meanwhile back in Australia, the military leaders, backed by the government of the time, got the go ahead to begin an aviation corps of the military.

Although only on paper, the Australian Flying Corps AFC) was born on 20 September, 1912.After much investigation, Point Cook was chosen as the site to establish our first military airfield. This site being chosen for several reasons: It was relatively close to a major city; Port Phillip Bay was close by to also enable sea-borne operations and, furthermore, Point Cook has a vast relatively flat landscape to provide safer flying conditions.

In early 1914, the first two instructors, Harrison and Petre, oversaw the construction of Point Cook as a military airfield. On Sunday 1 March, these two men made the first flights in the Bristol Boxkite. The Australian Flying Corps was airborne! The first intake of pilot trainees commenced their training in August 1914. The Central Flying School of the AFC had taken it’s first tentative steps.

To read more about this fascinating history, I thoroughly recommend a fairly recent publication called “Fire in The Sky” written by Michael Molkentin. This book covers every facet of the AFC from its inception in 1912, the training of the pilots and ground crew to all the actions of the Corps throughout the 1914- 18 war. All the stories of the pilots, their aircraft and their support crews are told in a very easy but informative read. At times, I felt like I was reading a novel!

The big picture of the historical background of the war unfolds as Molkentin relates the daily life of our Australian pilots and crews. If you are like me, you will be surprised to find out that “Over 500 Australian airmen served in the units, flying in Mesopotamia, Palestine, Britain and on the Western Front between 1915 and 1918. There were 57 Australian aces”2. The AFC fielded a VC and forty DFCs. The post-war futures of the pilots who survived the blood-shed in the AFC are also covered.

1 Interestingly, what is believed to be the wing of one of these BE2As can still be seen at the Australian National Aviation Museum at Moorabbin Airport. 2 From the forward in “Fire in The Sky”, by Mark Binskin AM, Air Marshal, Chief of Air Force. February, 2013 - Official Newsletter of the Australian Society of Aviation Artists Inc. Page 44

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“Fire in The Sky” contains a set of rare black and white photos as well as over 60 pages of notes, bibliography and index. If you are looking to draw or paint an action story from this period, you are sure to find the details in this book.

Another great book I would recommend to give you detailed information on Australia’s military aircraft from WWI is “Military Aviation of Australia 1909 to 1918”, this one being the first in a four volume series on the complete history of our military aviation up to 1971, the 50th anniversary of the RAAF.

This book, written by Wing Commander Keith Isaacs, contains the art-work of Harold Freedman, and David Hammond. The Freedman work is that taken from his mural done for the Australian War Memorial (AWM). Hammond has done the dust jacket and small line drawings of each aircraft throughout the book.

I was lucky enough to pick up a copy of this book at a shop in the Dandenongs just a few years ago. Copies are still available on the internet for around $50. A great source of profiles to assist with detailed accuracy can be found on the Royal Aircraft Factory BE 2c from internet. Several good websites Harold Freedman's AWM Mural containing hundreds of aircraft, WWI types amongst them: http://www.the-blueprints.comhttp://hyperscale.com

http://aeroillustrations.com A RAF BE 2e sketch from David Hammond

The last one being our own Juanita Franzi’s website.

Another option to aid our rendering of these early aircraft is to use photographs of the fine examples that are still on display at museums, such as the RAAF Museum at Point Cook, or even some that are still flying at these times. New Zealand has several great examples of these today. Sure, many are replicas, but they are mighty fine ones. Finally, but by no means least, there is an abundance of scale models of almost any aircraft you could name out there. Just for fun, I’ve added a couple of my own drawings from school days below. As a young boy who had moved near to Moorabbin Airport, I was enthralled by anything with wings that flew over my home. So when I had to illustrate my projects on WWI, what better opportunity did I have than to draw some WWI aircraft. From memory, I believe I copied these action scenes from small comic books of the period.

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NOTES

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NOTES

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Item contributor Page

1. Cover – Australia’s Own Wirraway Greg Thom 1 2. From the President Brian Evans 2 3. “Sir Richard Kingsland “A Boys Own Adventure” Greg Thom 3-5 4. Jamestown Air Show Photographs Don Fogg 5-6 5. WWII -17 Survival Story Graham Lovelock 7-8 6. Trans Air Magazine Cover Painting – Ray Honisett Greg Thom 8 7. Cartoons and Caricatures Rob Knotts 9-19 8. The Art of Colin Parker Colin Parker 20-21 9. A Gallery of Works by Greg Thom Greg Thom 22-23 10. W.O. and His Rotaries Derek White 23-30 11. Aviation Art “What is Selling” GAvA Brian Evans 30 12 A Little Castle, a Big Valley and Some Chocolate Shops Dan Burke 31-34 13. A Little Humour Rob Knott 34-35 14. RAAF “Heritage Awards” Entry John Leeden 36-37 15. The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS)- Our Busy Aircraft Brian Evans 38 16. Research Ray Honisett 39-41 17. Contribution from Hugh Bird Hugh Bird 41-42 18. Rogues Gallery – The contributors Brian Evans 42-43 19. WW1 Research into Australian Pilots and Their Aircraft Graham Lovelock 44 - 45 20. Table of Contents 46

Auckland Airport, May, 2012 – note the Kuwait Airlines Boeing 707 behind the QANTAS aircraft

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