Roy Cross, Aviation Artist.

[Cuban8]

I was so pleased to hear that the marvelous artist,  Roy Cross,  so famous for his work with Airfix turns 100 today. 

Such an influential man, and in many ways the driving force behind the excitement of buying a favourite Airfix model - our imagination bought to life before our eyes with his stirring box pictures.

I often leaf through a couple of books I have  of his Airfix artwork,  and am immediately transported back to the mid sixties as a youngster taking in all the detail of a B17 being harried by the Luftwaffe and dropping its bombs amid bursting flak -  or a Spitfire streaking away from a vanquished 109 smoke pouring from its engine.

Great days, great art......Happy birthday Roy and thanks.

[stu knowles]

Me too, Growing up in the late 50's and 60's all the comics had war stories, Matt Braddock VC, 'Clicky Ba' and a regular dose of Commando comic books.  Stir in Airfix and Roy Cross's wonderful artwork and hear we are 60 years on still building warbirds and with no wish to get it out of my system yet.   It was a wonderful education.

 

Edited April 23 by stu knowles

[Cuban8]

I'm in two minds about how Airfix and others' box art has been sanitised - from what I've been reading, some of RC's work has been airbrushed to remove bombing, flames and machine gun fire. I don't know how true that is, but it's a fact that modern Airfix artwork lacks most of all that - which in my opinion is a pity and I'm not sure what it's supposed to achieve.

As a side subject....does anyone remember the American Civil War battle picture card sets that we could buy as kids during the 60's? Used to come with repro Confederate dollar notes. Very detailed artwork and very, very bloodthirsty. Great!😉