Between the wars – Gaëtan Marie's Aviation Profiles

Hawker biplanes, those magnificent flying machines

Gaëtan Marie — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 17:10:35 +0000

This set of profiles was created for Phil H. Listemann of RAF in Combat. Biplanes are always a challenge to represent, especially when the subject matter are some of the most beautiful airplanes to grace the sky ! I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I enjoyed creating them !

Fury Mk I K7270 flown by the Commanding Officer of No 25 Squadron RAF

Fury Mk I K2048 flown by the Commanding Officer of No 1 Squadron RAF

Demon K5698 with a power-operated turret, No 23 Squadron, RAF Wittering, 1938

Demon A1-59, No 3 Squadron RAAF

Demon K4500, CO’s aircraft, No 604 Squadron, RAF Hendon, 1936

Nimrod Mk I S1634, No 802 Squadron, HMS Glorious, Fleet Air Arm

Nimrod Mk I S1619 of No 800 Squadron on board HMS Courageous, Fleet Air Arm

Nimrod Mk I K2831 of No 801 Squadron, HMS Furious, Fleet Air Arm

Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing

Gaëtan Marie — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 22:28:27 +0000

The work on the Bristol Brigand is on halt for the time being, and I’ve moved on to another project: the classic and elegant Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing. Although profile views do not pay proper tribute to this superb aircraft, it was still a very interesting project to work on !

The Staggerwing made its maiden flight in 1932 and was built until 1949.

The first profile is of D17S c/n 6687, which began its career in the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. In 2014, it was painted in its wartime colours and regained its original serial FT466. Its current registration is N16S.

The second profile depicts a more “classic” Staggerwing paint scheme: D17S c/n 6701, registered G-BRVE.

The life and colours of the Gee Bee QED

Gaëtan Marie — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 08:48:36 +0000

I recently had the privilege and pleasure to work on the various decorations sported by the Gee Bee QED (or R-6H) during the course of its largely unsuccessful racing career. Here is a timeline of these decorations, showing their evolution :

1 – 1934, initial colours

2 – Flown by Lee Gehlbach during the Bendix Races, 1934.

3 – As flown by Jacky Cochran & Wesley Smith during the MacRobertson Air Race, 1934.

4 – As flown by Royal Leonard, Bendix Races, 1935.

5 – As flown by Lee Miles, Thompson Trophy, 1936.

6 – As flown by George Amistead, before the Bendix Races, 1938.

7 – As flown by George Amistead before or during the Bendix Races, 1938. Pratt & Whitney and Barr logos added to the engine cowling.

8 – As flown by George Amistead before or during the Bendix Races, 1938. The aircraft now has more sponsors mentioned on the cowling.

9 – As flown by George Amistead before or during the Bendix Races, 1938. Kendall Oil logo added to engine cowling.

10 – The aircraft is now named “Conquistador del Cielo” and has been purchased by Francisco Sarabia, 1939. It sports a large Kendall Oil ad on the fin.

11 – Conquistador del Cielo as seen during Francisco Sarabia’s 1939 Mexico to New-York record flight.

12 – Gee Bee QED in its final scheme as Conquistador del Cielo in 1939 when it crashed in the Potomac river, killing pilot and owner Francisco Sarabia.

After Sarabia’s fatal crash, the aircraft was recovered and eventually restored. It is now on display at the Museo Francisco Sarabia in Ciudad Lerdo, but the restoration and markings are not very accurate to say the least.

The de Havilland DH.88 Comet

Gaëtan Marie — Tue, 31 Jul 2018 14:29:38 +0000

One of the most elegant aircraft ever built, the DH.88 Comet is notably famous for winning the 1934 McRobertson air race from London to Melbourne. Three Comets entered the race, which was won by Charles Scott and Tom Campbell Black in G-ACSS, painted red and nicknamed “Grosvenor House”.

“Grosvenor House” in Sydney in October 1934.

Jim Mollison and his wife Amy (born Amy Johnson) entered the race with G-ACSP and were the race favourites. After making an unscheduled stop at Jabalpur, they discovered no aviation fuel was available and had to us fuel provided by a local supplier. This caused damage to the engines and although they managed to push on to Allahabad, they were forced to retire from the race.

Jim and Amy Mollison’s G-ACSP “Black Magic”.

The third Comet to participate in the race was G-ACSR, which was painted British racing green and did not receive a name. It was flown by Owen Cathcart Jones and Ken Waller and took the fourth place in the race.

More de Havilland D.H. 82 Tiger Moths

Gaëtan Marie — Mon, 07 May 2018 07:47:55 +0000

I thought I’d add a bit of colour to the site this week with a few Tiger Moths!

K2579 was one of the first Tiger Moth to serve with the RAF, and did not have the horizontal stabilizer extensions or “strakes” found on later models.

The Royal Dutch Navy was one of many operators of the Tiger Moth.

The Tiger Moth is now a classic warbird and a crowd favourite at airshows. G-APFU is one of the many preserved examples of this legendary aircraft.

G-BYTN is another preserved Tiger Moth, and sports the wartime markings of RAF N6720.

Focke-Wulf Fw 44 Stieglitz D-EMNN

Gaëtan Marie — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 11:16:39 +0000

I had started to work on the Fw 44 Stiegtlitz template last summer, and never showed the final result. D-EMNN is now based in the UK, and is a superbly restored aircraft.

Work in progress: Focke-Wulf Fw 44 Stieglitz

Gaëtan Marie — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 08:58:42 +0000

I’m currently working on the Focke-Wulf Fw 44 Stieglitz for a custom order. It’s a complicated aircraft to represent: not only is it a biplane with the usual set of masts and cables, it also has a visible radial engine…

Once the side view template is finished, I’ll start working on the top view and front view templates as well. There’s still a long road ahead!

Beech Model 18 / C-45 Expeditor

Gaëtan Marie — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 17:52:39 +0000

Despite being something of a disappointment early in its career, some 9,000 Model 18 were built from 1937 to 1969. It has now become a classic aircraft, although some are still flying commercially.

1. Bearing the colours of the USAAC early in the war, this Beech D18S is flown by the Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force.

2. The RAF was another user of the C-45 “Expeditor”.This aircraft with British colours is flown by the Dixie Wing of the Commemorative Air Force.

3. The New Zealand Wing of the Commemorative Air Force is yet another CAF unit to operate a Twin Beech: a Model D18S, registered ZK-TEX.

4. France began receiving C-45 Expeditors in 1944. This aircraft, s/n 44-47201, was a C-45F from the first lot.

Piper Cub

Gaëtan Marie — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:52:16 +0000

The Piper Cub is the aircraft that made flying accessible to most and is often called the “Ford Model T” of aviation. With over 19,000 Cubs produced until 1946, it is still a very popular aircraft and copies are still being produced today, more than 70 years after its first flight.

1. This Cub, named “Spirit of Lewis” is owned by the French Wing of the Commemorative Air Force and is based at Le Plessis-Belleville, near Paris. You can help the French Wing by buying a print or cards of this aircraft on Bravo Bravo Aviation.

2. The military version of the Cub, the L-4 Grasshopper, differed only by having a larger glazing to improve visibility. This L-4 carries its former military colours as s/n 45-4496 of the New Mexico Air National Guard.

3. This 1946 Piper Cub (c/n 17095) wears the typical Piper Cub livery: Lock Haven yellow with black flash.

de Havilland D.H.82 Tiger Moth

Gaëtan Marie — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:55:27 +0000

The Tiger Moth is a true aviation legend. Having entered service in the early 1930s, this well-loved biplane remained the RAF’s primary trainer until 1952. Many aircraft have been preserved and still fly today.

1. This D.H.82A(T-8209) is preserved at the Polish Aviation Museum at Cracow, Poland. It carries its wartime colours of No 25 (Polish) Elementary Flying School at Hucknall, 1943.

2. This Tiger Moth was built in 1939 (c/n 82292) and served with the RAF before being “demobilized” and transferred to the civilian registry as G-AGHY.

3. G-AHIZ (ex RAF PG-264) is a good example of a modernized Tiger Moth, and is still being used as an initial trainer. It has been fitted with updated radio equipment, an electrical generator (fitted between the wheels) and a rear-view mirror. It is owned and flown by the Cambridge Flying Group.

4. G-APAP is still flying today under the RAF colours of R-5136.

5. G-AZZZ is another privately-owned Tiger Moth, that was brought back from France, and then restored to flying condition in Great-Britain.

6. The Imperial Iranian Air Force used the Tiger Moth and even produced some at the Shahbaz factory.

7. PG-712 was one of the RAF aircraft transferred to the RNLAF postwar.

8. Another Dutch aircraft, this one was modified with the infamous “Fokker tail” imposed by Dutch aviation authorities.

9. Belgium was also one of the operators of the Tiger Moth. The rear seat has a foldable hood for blind flight training.