When I was kid the box art on the FROG Tupolev SB-2 made me buy it. it was depicted roaring along at about fifty feet above the snow, ski equipped landing gear fully-extended, nose guns blazing away while carpet-bombing a group of German tanks. Ah, memories. :D
I like the “anywhere USA Air Force base” reference. I’ve seen that so many times in illustrations from the ‘50’s and ‘60’s. It always makes you want to be there. Great piece.
Thanks for the nice comment - greatly appreciated! And yes, that was certainly a special era for Aerospace illustration which actually inspired my career.
I still have ALL those kits, and ALL the boxes, you show at 00:38.!!! And my Aurora CF-105, it's still in his box.!! ( Lack of room).!!! Cheers mate, and keep up the good work. I'm always waiting for it.!!
Thanks for the great comment Jaime - really appreciate the kind words. Art school wasn't fun in the beginning, but then I got to use aviation art for my projects. Game-changer!
I'm very happy that you made this channel for us fans, I'm an artist, and the insight you give of the craft is top notch, and very educational! Thank you very much sir!
Brings back many memories. I was an USAF brat. My late father was SAC as a supply specialist right on the flight line. I always loved seeing the models for sale in the base hobby shop in the seventies or when in the states local hobby shop in nearby town.
Anyone who was in SAC is pretty special in my book! And yes, base hobby shops were the BEST for us modelers back then For me, it was Misawa, Japan - Hasegawa kits were 65 cents each in 1967. Still have a few of them in my studio. Many thanks!
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 that was my birth year. 21 years later I was in Japan courtesy of USMC. Kadena AFB had a awesome hobby shop as did Camp Hansen. I was up at Camp Schwab.
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 being a SAC brat was fun as well. They would at times ie air show on base have a few birds ie B-52,KC-135,F-4 etc fully open to us kids ie get to sit in the seats (you could tell which ones dads were aircrew by their interest in one position over others.) by few I mean one example of each. And you always kept to the left of the yellow and red lines on the flight line
I know you understandably concentrate on American kits and box art but for me, the inimitable Roy Cross is my favourite. Especially his B17G 'A bit .'o' Lace' and the Lancaster landing with an engine out. Both for Airfix kits. . Both convayed a real sensation of the action. I am fortunate to own a book with his artwork in that is a signed copy. When I went to high school, first lesson in the art dept. Teach said, "you all have a sheet of paper and an assessment of art implements. Do what you want and I will walk around and assess your level. I had just finished a kit of the Sunderland flying boat. So off I went drawing a Sunderland low over the water fighting off a JU88. He kept stopping behind me, looking then walking around the class. I noticed that I was the only one he was stopping at. Paranoid me was wondering what I was doing wrong. After class he said, right. Put your name on your work and go to your next lesson. Onthe way out he signalled for me to wait. I thought, S#@T here it comes. He said 'A Sunderland isn't it?. I said "yes sir" He said "I flew in those during WW2. Would it be OK if I made a copy of your picture?" I told him he could keep the original. Following week he said he had had it framed and was in his living room at home. We would sit at break times and he would talk about his time flying Sunderlands and Lerwicks during the war. Things like testing depth charges, then landing quickly to net the stunned and dead fish to sell. Those were my best memories from school. Thank you Mr Walshaw.
Max suggested we pay a visit, and I see why. Brilliant video. I've subscribed and will be playing catch up on what clearly will be a great collection of your videos.
Mike,I have admired your artistry and your writing skills for a long time,and this video about model box art has made me feel ( almost) young again. Personally,I think your painting of the EAL Lockheed Electra is your finest work. This and your article "Electra-Jet powered Goddess"in Wings some years back are simply outstanding. As a young boy,I had the honour and privilege of being a passenger on an American Airlines Electra. Mom knew how m I loved aeroplanes and sat me down in the window seat in line with the # 3 engine...Needless to say,I was an Electra enthusiast from that moment on! Thanks Again!
Growing up with Airfix, Matchbox, Heller, Esci and others in the 70's, in Sweden. These old box arts have a funny way of twisting and turning time as we know it, been buying the kits that I built (and some that I couldn't afford) as a cheeky wee monkey back in the day, every time I get another one or dig around those I have (which to build next), I found myself caught in a time warp and hours have passed when I return to reality....
I've loved the Revell Thunderbolt box. Stopped me dead in my tracks every time I saw it, but I never bought it since I specialized in German WWII planes.
Memories of making that hard and costly decision of which model to buy and hours in construction. Sadly they only exist today in my memory. Except for that one large storage box of models I promised myself would be enjoyed in retirement. Hooray we're finally there. Thanks for such great background on wonderful memories
I didn't know this video existed. I commented on one of these other videos by Mr. Machat, about Jack Leynnwood etc. . I am so grateful for this series on Model Box Art. I collect vintage Aurora, Revell, etc. . I feel inspired also, to get back to doing my Artwork.
Informative and fun presentation of one of my greatest passions, vintage model kits and their evocative box art. Excellent job on this Mike. Please keep 'em coming.
As an aspiring illustrator (not very good, but some talent, some creativity), I appreciate your discussion of the color elements in an effective painting. Thank you.
This is a great presentation! My wife and I draw comics, and I'm always looking to learn more about drawing aircraft, so getting advice from a professional is a real treat! My wife wants me to add: The green in the background of the Leynwood C-130 painting under the yellow sky is probably an out of focus hillside. A more detailed hillside would have detracted from the detail of the plane. Either way, it's still an amazing painting! Thank you again, and looking forward to more of your videos!
Celebrating Aviation with Mike Machat.... That would have been so cool. I often wonder if the original prints for these are still around in storage somewhere.
I deeply enjoyed your video and thank you for sharing your thoughts. I agree..."Many of these renditions are museum quality." The artwork has a pulse and a unique conscious tug. I deeply enjoyed the Aurora Monster Series and their Prehistoric art. The aircraft and space models reflected a time of optimism, Super Science, and a unique experience for the builder to be a part of the big universal picture. I also feel by illustrating art over a picture of a pre-built model gave the modeler more flexibility. For example, "I recall my skill set in the beginning was terrible." Trying to compete with a pre-built professional photo would be frustrating and very intimidating. The box art left room for error, experimentation, and I have no doubt...compelled Kids to try again. Thank you! With kind regards, Donny
Thanks for the nice comment Donald, and agreed on all points of model box art magic. Photos of actual build-ups were introduced in the mid-1970s in response to "Truth In Advertising" laws (and litigation from parents, I might add), claiming that box art was deceptive because the real models did not look like that, or fire guns or missiles as depicted on those covers. Revell once had to revise a battleship's cover art to eliminate the crew figures on deck since they weren't actually in the model!
Three things... My late grandfather was a "career farmer". in very rural South Carolina. After his only grandson (me) came along when he was 72, he started building models with me watching and then helping as one of several bridges between the generations. (Model railroading would later do that for my daughter and I.) And, he built many of the models you showed in this video. He gave many of them away to "less fortunate" kids in his rural community. Or, to other family members. He was a "regular" at "Gantt's", which was otherwise a variewty store in Wagener, SC. Second... Wasn't the PB4Y "Privateer" a B-24 with a larger single vertical stabilizer, compared to the twins of the USAAF B-24? Finally, did you ever build any of the Revell kits? If you did, did you ever notice the "Revell Authentic Kits" logo molded onto the inside of them? When I was a toddler, one of the "games" my grandfather would play with me when he was building the kits, was to have me search for that logo! Many TNX for bringing back pleasant memories.
I was 6 yrs old in 1961 when I took to model building. Revell's box art caught my eye better than any others. They used two themes - "Famous Aircraft Series" and "Famous Artist Series" - with similar colors and layouts. This carried over to their ship models as well.
The F-105 at 6:39 depicts FH-107, this is one of the pre production prototypes and was used for cold weather testing in Alaska hence the orange tail and wing tips. This very aircraft is alive and well at the Hickory Aviation Museum and has been restored to this same color scheme.
Wonderful video! I really enjoyed your analysis of the artwork and it brought back lots of memories as the ones you featured were what was on the hobby shop shelves when I started modeling back in the 50s. One small correction, the Revell F-102 was actually 1/48 scale (some say 1/49), not 1/32. It was a very difficult kit in that the landing gear was retracted and extended by opening and closing the canopy via a complex system of levers and bell cranks. The chances of a 10 year old getting that to work were less than zero. I found a reasonably priced one several years ago, tried to build it, and still couldn't get it to work right.
Great comment, thanks, and yes, the Revell F-102 was 1/48-ish scale, so good catch. I'll post a correction. I had both versions of that kit with and without all the ground equipment, and agreed, it was just too much model. The silver plastic also seemed a bit rubbery to me. Thanks again!
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 I think the rubbery plastic was intentional to facilitate snapping together some of the working parts and to make the models more durable as toys to be played with after construction.
Anybody ever notice how on models of a German WWII fighter, the subject of the box art is posed in such a way that you almost never see the entire tail? That is so that the same box art can be used on kits distributed in Germany, where ANY use of the swastika is strictly prohibited. I have talked to some German friends about this, and they concur. On such kits, the decals are printed in Germany- minus the swastika. I was told that complete decal sheets had to be smuggled to them from friends in America or the UK.
The anywhere AFB is actually Edwards AFB with an added water tower I would say. PS: As good as the first illustration is I think the artist missed that the commanding pilot of a helicopter actually sits on the right side and not on the left as in a fixed wing cockpit.
I love acquiring beat up/damaged boxes and restoring the artwork to its original look. Boxartden.com is the place to see restored model kit box artwork.
Great comment, thanks, and I love restoring vintage box art as well! Great folks over at Boxartden - have known them for many years and wrote stories for their original website.
Another noteworthy example: I always thought it was odd that the original 1957 box art for the Revell's Regulus II showed it roaring down the runway with wires connecting the main landing gear to the nose gear strut which in real life would make landing gear retraction impossible. This was discussed in a Wings or Air Power magazine article about 15 years ago. As I recall, the article explained that the wires were used to safety the gear on the ground, and Leynnwood included little anomalies like that in his box art intentionally to encourage people to pause, pick up the kit, and examine it more closely.
Thanks for the comment David, and yes, that Regulus II cover with the landing gear safety wires is a classic "Leynnwood-ism!" I remember building that model at age 12 and wondering how the gear retracted. There's a Chance Vought photo showing the missile parked at Edwards North Base, and those wires were pretty robust.
An excellent presentation. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes, when I was a kid the box art sold the kit. Did not care about scale, accuracy, or what was in the box. The box art said it all. It was great to hear the story behind the art; colours, positioning, graphics, background. I just thought it was a neat action illustration. A lot of work went into creating those illustrations. I just subscribed and Max did send me. :-)
Terrific question, but not a happy answer - most of the original art did not survive when model companies eventually merged or went out of business altogether. Back then, those boards were simply considered expendable "product" and not the iconic imagery we talk about today. Occasionally, some will surface on eBay with stratospheric prices, but I'd estimate less than 10% of that work was ever kept by the companies.
Didn't realise you did a piece on Box Art - thoroughly enjoyed it. If you want to see some amazing aviation art look no further than Roy Cross, who produced most of the iconic AIRFIX model box covers here in the UK back in the 60's and 70's. Here's a link: th-cam.com/video/kGr-mfkNcYM/w-d-xo.html. They make the U.S Revell, Aurora, and Monogram model box art look slightly lame. James May (Top Gear / Grand Tour) did a really good piece on him.
Good catch, and that's what happens when an Art Director is in charge of the illustration. Artist Jack Leynnwood was a pilot, so I'm sure he was cringing right along with us! Thanks for the comment.
Confused: I'm a "Highway Patrol" fan, and on all copter episodes the pilot of the Bell 47 chopper sits on the left side of the cockpit. And the image is not back to front, judging by the serial letters and numbers!
![SAFEPLANET - ดาวเคราะห์ [ THE PLANET ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4X1XL3I_k3c/mqdefault.jpg)
When I was kid the box art on the FROG Tupolev SB-2 made me buy it. it was depicted roaring along at about fifty feet above the snow, ski equipped landing gear fully-extended, nose guns blazing away while carpet-bombing a group of German tanks. Ah, memories. :D
I have a fascination with box art, nostalgia I suppose but also the work itself. I am going to post a quick video with a link tot his one.
Thanks Max, this is great!
Your channel is so much better than taking art appreciation in college. LOL 👍🏻
Wow, thanks!
I like the “anywhere USA Air Force base” reference. I’ve seen that so many times in illustrations from the ‘50’s and ‘60’s. It always makes you want to be there. Great piece.
Thanks for the nice comment - greatly appreciated! And yes, that was certainly a special era for Aerospace illustration which actually inspired my career.
Love all of this! Mike Machat you are a true legend!
Appreciate the comment, thanks!
Mike and Max. What a pair!
Revell always had the best box art. Beautiful visuals.
I still have ALL those kits, and ALL the boxes, you show at 00:38.!!!
And my Aurora
CF-105, it's still in his box.!!
( Lack of room).!!!
Cheers mate, and keep up the good work.
I'm always waiting for it.!!
I agree the C-130 Boxart is stunning. Also love the original issue Tradewind box art.
Box Art-101 for sure... Mike, your video is better than all the art classes I had in college, and a lot more fun too. Thanks!
Thanks for the great comment Jaime - really appreciate the kind words. Art school wasn't fun in the beginning, but then I got to use aviation art for my projects. Game-changer!
I'm very happy that you made this channel for us fans, I'm an artist, and the insight you give of the craft is top notch, and very educational! Thank you very much sir!
Appreciate the comment, thanks!
Brings back many memories. I was an USAF brat. My late father was SAC as a supply specialist right on the flight line. I always loved seeing the models for sale in the base hobby shop in the seventies or when in the states local hobby shop in nearby town.
Anyone who was in SAC is pretty special in my book! And yes, base hobby shops were the BEST for us modelers back then For me, it was Misawa, Japan - Hasegawa kits were 65 cents each in 1967. Still have a few of them in my studio. Many thanks!
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 that was my birth year. 21 years later I was in Japan courtesy of USMC. Kadena AFB had a awesome hobby shop as did Camp Hansen. I was up at Camp Schwab.
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 being a SAC brat was fun as well. They would at times ie air show on base have a few birds ie B-52,KC-135,F-4 etc fully open to us kids ie get to sit in the seats (you could tell which ones dads were aircrew by their interest in one position over others.) by few I mean one example of each. And you always kept to the left of the yellow and red lines on the flight line
@@anaetadesireechandler4122 Familiar names, all, and thank you for your service. Appreciate having you aboard the channel!
…”drop the weapon pod on your sister’s head”… cracks me up! So true!
I know you understandably concentrate on American kits and box art but for me, the inimitable Roy Cross is my favourite. Especially his B17G 'A bit .'o' Lace' and the Lancaster landing with an engine out. Both for Airfix kits. . Both convayed a real sensation of the action. I am fortunate to own a book with his artwork in that is a signed copy.
When I went to high school, first lesson in the art dept. Teach said, "you all have a sheet of paper and an assessment of art implements. Do what you want and I will walk around and assess your level.
I had just finished a kit of the Sunderland flying boat. So off I went drawing a Sunderland low over the water fighting off a JU88. He kept stopping behind me, looking then walking around the class. I noticed that I was the only one he was stopping at. Paranoid me was wondering what I was doing wrong. After class he said, right. Put your name on your work and go to your next lesson. Onthe way out he signalled for me to wait. I thought, S#@T here it comes.
He said 'A Sunderland isn't it?. I said "yes sir" He said "I flew in those during WW2. Would it be OK if I made a copy of your picture?"
I told him he could keep the original.
Following week he said he had had it framed and was in his living room at home. We would sit at break times and he would talk about his time flying Sunderlands and Lerwicks during the war. Things like testing depth charges, then landing quickly to net the stunned and dead fish to sell. Those were my best memories from school. Thank you Mr Walshaw.
Again, wonderful work. Thank you.
Max suggested we pay a visit, and I see why. Brilliant video. I've subscribed and will be playing catch up on what clearly will be a great collection of your videos.
Max directed me here.
@@decam5329 Many thanks!
Thanks for the nice comment mark - greatly appreciated and welcome aboard!
Mike,I have admired your artistry and your writing skills for a long time,and this video about model box art has made me feel ( almost) young again. Personally,I think your painting of the EAL Lockheed Electra is your finest work. This and your article "Electra-Jet powered Goddess"in Wings some years back are simply outstanding. As a young boy,I had the honour and privilege of being a passenger on an American Airlines Electra. Mom knew how m I loved aeroplanes and sat me down in the window seat in line with the # 3 engine...Needless to say,I was an Electra enthusiast from that moment on! Thanks Again!
Thanks for your comment, and totally agreed on the Electra. Had two flights on Air California Electras and both were unforgettable!
Growing up with Airfix, Matchbox, Heller, Esci and others in the 70's, in Sweden. These old box arts have a funny way of twisting and turning time as we know it, been buying the kits that I built (and some that I couldn't afford) as a cheeky wee monkey back in the day, every time I get another one or dig around those I have (which to build next), I found myself caught in a time warp and hours have passed when I return to reality....
Great comment, thanks!
Duececoupe :
And about the boxes of Accurate Miniatures, Andy Monogram.??
Picked up an old ('81) Italeri catalogue about a week ago, now I'm looking at one from Heller....they had some stunning boxarts!
We just saw this, just great. Really like the C-130 box top
Thanks John! More model videos to come.
I've always loved box art and concept art that captures the imagination of people in the service, industry and enthusiasts alike.
The steamwheeler in full afterburner! 🤣
Great video. Like a semester of package design theory in a matter of minutes.
Thanks, and 'glad you enjoyed it. 'Appreciate the comment!
I've loved the Revell Thunderbolt box. Stopped me dead in my tracks every time I saw it, but I never bought it since I specialized in German WWII planes.
Yea Mike, Max gave a shoutout for your channel and he was right, great channel!
Memories of making that hard and costly decision of which model to buy and hours in construction. Sadly they only exist today in my memory. Except for that one large storage box of models I promised myself would be enjoyed in retirement. Hooray we're finally there. Thanks for such great background on wonderful memories
Appreciate the comment, thanks!
Enjoying this
I didn't know this video existed. I commented on one of these other videos by Mr. Machat, about Jack Leynnwood etc. . I am so grateful for this series on Model Box Art. I collect vintage Aurora, Revell, etc. . I feel inspired also, to get back to doing my Artwork.
Informative and fun presentation of one of my greatest passions, vintage model kits and their evocative box art. Excellent job on this Mike. Please keep 'em coming.
Thanks Glenn, and yes, more model videos are in the works!
Thank you. My favorite memory was the bf109g in the slush. The b24 over the uboat was new and beautiful. I would have purchased it.
Thanks Marc, and glad you enjoyed the video!
As an aspiring illustrator (not very good, but some talent, some creativity), I appreciate your discussion of the color elements in an effective painting. Thank you.
Appreciate the comment thanks, and keep up your artwork!
This is a great presentation!
My wife and I draw comics, and I'm always looking to learn more about drawing aircraft, so getting advice from a professional is a real treat!
My wife wants me to add: The green in the background of the Leynwood C-130 painting under the yellow sky is probably an out of focus hillside.
A more detailed hillside would have detracted from the detail of the plane. Either way, it's still an amazing painting!
Thank you again, and looking forward to more of your videos!
Thanks for the comment Scott - greatly appreciated! (And thank your wife too.)
Absolutely love Jacks box art for Revells 1/32 F4U and the Revell 1/32 P-51B I wish I could get prints of these for my mancave
I often wonder how much extra money Revell could have made by selling large prints of all those now-iconic boxtop paintings!
Celebrating Aviation with Mike Machat.... That would have been so cool. I often wonder if the original prints for these are still around in storage somewhere.
I deeply enjoyed your video and thank you for sharing your thoughts. I agree..."Many of these renditions are museum quality." The artwork has a pulse and a unique conscious tug. I deeply enjoyed the Aurora Monster Series and their Prehistoric art. The aircraft and space models reflected a time of optimism, Super Science, and a unique experience for the builder to be a part of the big universal picture. I also feel by illustrating art over a picture of a pre-built model gave the modeler more flexibility. For example, "I recall my skill set in the beginning was terrible." Trying to compete with a pre-built professional photo would be frustrating and very intimidating. The box art left room for error, experimentation, and I have no doubt...compelled Kids to try again. Thank you! With kind regards, Donny
Thanks for the nice comment Donald, and agreed on all points of model box art magic. Photos of actual build-ups were introduced in the mid-1970s in response to "Truth In Advertising" laws (and litigation from parents, I might add), claiming that box art was deceptive because the real models did not look like that, or fire guns or missiles as depicted on those covers. Revell once had to revise a battleship's cover art to eliminate the crew figures on deck since they weren't actually in the model!
Three things... My late grandfather was a "career farmer". in very rural South Carolina. After his only grandson (me) came along when he was 72, he started building models with me watching and then helping as one of several bridges between the generations. (Model railroading would later do that for my daughter and I.) And, he built many of the models you showed in this video. He gave many of them away to "less fortunate" kids in his rural community. Or, to other family members. He was a "regular" at "Gantt's", which was otherwise a variewty store in Wagener, SC. Second... Wasn't the PB4Y "Privateer" a B-24 with a larger single vertical stabilizer, compared to the twins of the USAAF B-24? Finally, did you ever build any of the Revell kits? If you did, did you ever notice the "Revell Authentic Kits" logo molded onto the inside of them? When I was a toddler, one of the "games" my grandfather would play with me when he was building the kits, was to have me search for that logo! Many TNX for bringing back pleasant memories.
Total EYE CANDY!
I was 6 yrs old in 1961 when I took to model building. Revell's box art caught my eye better than any others. They used two themes - "Famous Aircraft Series" and "Famous Artist Series" - with similar colors and layouts. This carried over to their ship models as well.
Great comment, thanks, and check-out "Famous Artist/Famous Aircraft" story in this video: th-cam.com/video/Wlj7A1vdYLI/w-d-xo.html
Here is the video with a shour out and link to this video: th-cam.com/video/Qp8gd9mNk1k/w-d-xo.html
The F-105 at 6:39 depicts FH-107, this is one of the pre production prototypes and was used for cold weather testing in Alaska hence the orange tail and wing tips. This very aircraft is alive and well at the Hickory Aviation Museum and has been restored to this same color scheme.
Great video! Good explanation, beautiful examples. But you left out Roy Cross, who is my favorite artist in this genre.
Checkout Max's Models: th-cam.com/users/maxsmodels
Very cool learnt a lot from this
Many thanks!
Subscribed. Stunning work, but please do some Airfix coverage!
Max Directed me to this. Am trained artist..lovethis
Thanks for the nice comment John - greatly appreciated!
Wonderful video! I really enjoyed your analysis of the artwork and it brought back lots of memories as the ones you featured were what was on the hobby shop shelves when I started modeling back in the 50s. One small correction, the Revell F-102 was actually 1/48 scale (some say 1/49), not 1/32. It was a very difficult kit in that the landing gear was retracted and extended by opening and closing the canopy via a complex system of levers and bell cranks. The chances of a 10 year old getting that to work were less than zero. I found a reasonably priced one several years ago, tried to build it, and still couldn't get it to work right.
Great comment, thanks, and yes, the Revell F-102 was 1/48-ish scale, so good catch. I'll post a correction. I had both versions of that kit with and without all the ground equipment, and agreed, it was just too much model. The silver plastic also seemed a bit rubbery to me. Thanks again!
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 I think the rubbery plastic was intentional to facilitate snapping together some of the working parts and to make the models more durable as toys to be played with after construction.
@@davidfifer4729 Excellent point, thanks David! That F-102 was indeed the largest airplane Revell had produced up to that time.
Anybody ever notice how on models of a German WWII fighter, the subject of the box art is posed in such a way that you almost never see the entire tail? That is so that the same box art can be used on kits distributed in Germany, where ANY use of the swastika is strictly prohibited. I have talked to some German friends about this, and they concur. On such kits, the decals are printed in Germany- minus the swastika. I was told that complete decal sheets had to be smuggled to them from friends in America or the UK.
Great comment, thanks Michael, and yes, I'd heard that about the decal sheets from the U.S. going to Germany!
The anywhere AFB is actually Edwards AFB with an added water tower I would say. PS: As good as the first illustration is I think the artist missed that the commanding pilot of a helicopter actually sits on the right side and not on the left as in a fixed wing cockpit.
I love acquiring beat up/damaged boxes and restoring the artwork to its original look. Boxartden.com is the place to see restored model kit box artwork.
Great comment, thanks, and I love restoring vintage box art as well! Great folks over at Boxartden - have known them for many years and wrote stories for their original website.
Another noteworthy example: I always thought it was odd that the original 1957 box art for the Revell's Regulus II showed it roaring down the runway with wires connecting the main landing gear to the nose gear strut which in real life would make landing gear retraction impossible. This was discussed in a Wings or Air Power magazine article about 15 years ago. As I recall, the article explained that the wires were used to safety the gear on the ground, and Leynnwood included little anomalies like that in his box art intentionally to encourage people to pause, pick up the kit, and examine it more closely.
Thanks for the comment David, and yes, that Regulus II cover with the landing gear safety wires is a classic "Leynnwood-ism!" I remember building that model at age 12 and wondering how the gear retracted. There's a Chance Vought photo showing the missile parked at Edwards North Base, and those wires were pretty robust.
An excellent presentation. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes, when I was a kid the box art sold the kit. Did not care about scale, accuracy, or what was in the box. The box art said it all. It was great to hear the story behind the art; colours, positioning, graphics, background. I just thought it was a neat action illustration. A lot of work went into creating those illustrations. I just subscribed and Max did send me. :-)
Thanks for the nice comment Garfield - greatly appreciated and welcome aboard!
Hi Mike, maxsmodels sent me
Thanks David - 'hope you like the channel!
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 well, i did subscribe.
What happened to the original artwork?
Terrific question, but not a happy answer - most of the original art did not survive when model companies eventually merged or went out of business altogether. Back then, those boards were simply considered expendable "product" and not the iconic imagery we talk about today. Occasionally, some will surface on eBay with stratospheric prices, but I'd estimate less than 10% of that work was ever kept by the companies.
Didn't realise you did a piece on Box Art - thoroughly enjoyed it. If you want to see some amazing aviation art look no further than Roy Cross, who produced most of the iconic AIRFIX model box covers here in the UK back in the 60's and 70's. Here's a link: th-cam.com/video/kGr-mfkNcYM/w-d-xo.html. They make the U.S Revell, Aurora, and Monogram model box art look slightly lame. James May (Top Gear / Grand Tour) did a really good piece on him.
Thank you! Jackson Pollack is not an artist, these guys are.
Thanks Michael - appreciate the comment!
That's why you should go to art school. The art sells the kit.
The Earth in the future will be towed closer to the Moon.
At 05:30, that art is wrong.!!
In helicopters, the pilot, ALLWAYS
seats on the RHS.!!
(Right hand side).
Good catch, and that's what happens when an Art Director is in charge of the illustration. Artist Jack Leynnwood was a pilot, so I'm sure he was cringing right along with us! Thanks for the comment.
Confused: I'm a "Highway Patrol" fan, and on all copter episodes the pilot of the Bell 47 chopper sits on the left side of the cockpit. And the image is not back to front, judging by the serial letters and numbers!