Fly Past

STORY BEHIND THE SCENE CHRIS FRENCH

90 FLYPAST September 2018

Back in time
The expertise of staff and
volunteers at Stow Maries helped
me a great deal. Their knowledge
of the site’s history was invaluable
when it came to portraying the
airfield as accurately as possible.
I was given plenty of access to
the site, and I also used old maps,
photographs and other historic
documents to help piece together
the scene.
Although they’re not there now,
the position of the original wooden
hangars is known, as well as that
of a [portable] Bessonneau hangar
[made of timber and canvas] that
was erected at the northern end.
I produced a few sketches from

different viewpoints and the

charitable trust selected the

one they felt showed the site to

best advantage.

My next step was to generate

a very basic 3D computer model

using map data to position the

buildings accurately, and to gain an

understanding of the relative sizes

of the structures and the aircraft.

As well as the distinctive water

tower and pilots’ ready room, I

included RFC personnel sporting

contemporary uniforms and flying

clothing to accompany the Sopwith

Camel, Royal Aircraft Factory

SE.5a and B.E.2e biplanes. These

all had the white parts of their

roundels and fin flashes darkened

down, and engine cowlings painted

black to make them less visible to

the enemy during night operations.

I even put the squadron’s pet

bulldog in the painting.

The aerodrome hosted its

Centenary Fly-In over the weekend

of September 17 and 18, 2016, and

I was delighted to have delivered

the finished work, titled Ready For

The Off, in time for visitors to see.

I hope it’s a fitting tribute to those

pioneering days of military aviation

and the undoubtedly brave men

who flew from Stow Maries and

other bases in the Great War.

http://www.stowmaries.org.uk

http://www.chrisfrenchart.co.uk

Artist Chris French is the Vice-Chairman of the

Guild of Aviation Artists.

Airmen at Stow Maries.

A Sopwith Camel from ‘B’ Flight.