The Alien - He-115 in RAF service

[Nils]

In 1938 Norway and Sweden purchased 12 He-115's each, for delivery that summer of '39. Sweden received their dozen before the war broke out (the received the swedish type designation T2, Torpedobomber 2), but Norway only received it's first 6 planes before the export license of the last 6 were withdrawn by Luftwaffe.

They represented however a valuable addition to Norway's obsolete navy air force for the short, hectic months after the german invasion of Norway. Finally the boys felt they had a plane that could make a matter against the geman invaders. But only six planes streched over that vast coastline of Norway plus relatively unexperienced crews, made the odds fighting the huge, modern Luftwaffe a hopeless fight. In the end a handful of the Heinkels escaped the german forces after norway's defeat in june 1940.

One went to Finland and were taken into service there immedately. The rest of the survivors fled to Britain. One of them was even a catured former Luftwaffe plane, which had emergency landed due to fuel shortage and captured by norwegian forces and flown to safety.

After they entered UK the planes were rebuilt and fitted to RAF standard, getting british equipment, four fixed forward firing Brownings were mounted in the wings, a bead sight were mounted on the nose, for pilot's aiming. The long greenhouse glazing were covered with plating, plus a number of other changes were added. At least one was broken up not long after it arrived. The crew's probably went on to Canada where the new norwegian airforce academy, Little Norway, was established in Toronto

At least one of the Heinkels saw a short carreer as agent ops plane in the Mediterranean, based on Malta. When in operation, the plane(s) were probably unmarked, painted in a flat black paint.

They were operated by free french airforce crews, flying for RAF, under it's huge umbrella of airforces.

Parts of one plane were discovered by maltese fishermen some years ago and is now displayed in the war museum in Valetta, It's original norwegian id code (F.52) is visible on some of the parts.

 

My interpretation shows one of the Heinkels on the step, at the moment just before taking off from the Solent, during the testing period.

https://flic.kr/p/VtjYxw

 

[Gorby]

At the best of times I find life confusing (perhaps I shouldn't spend so much time on this site), so I may have misinterpreted this. As it in 'Aviation art' I'm assuming that you have created the photo from a model, is this correct? I only ask because it looks like a real, period photo. Stunningly well done if this is the case.

 

The background story was very interesting, I always like to learn new things.

[Nils]

The photo as you say is created as digital art, the plane is a 3D model that I've created digitally and then put into a backdrop, sometimes a photo and sometimes the background is a digital model too.

It's a bit hard to explain, but to say it short, there's unbelieveable many possibilities in the digital world to create new stuff. Too easy one could say sometimes, creating fraud is just as easy as creating art.

But this image is a 3D model plane put onto a landscape as backdrop. All melted digitally together in Photoshop

I attach an example of the Heinkel as a close up, unpainted model so perhaps it's easier to get it. Most moveable parts are also animated, i.e. hinged and moveable in the proper way it was for real, ailerons, flaps, rudders flipping up and down, canopies, hatches sliding and so on ..

 

 

Edited September 28, 2017 by Nils

[Gorby]

Wow, Brilliant! As you say, the possibilities for creating fake 'historical' photos is more real that I thought. 

I'm sure you would only use your super-powers for good.

[Nils]

I try to be as loyal to history as I possible can. I can sometimes create fictive scenarioes but I always try to be as close to the period as I can dig up. Very often research is the biggest part of the whole image. A model as this can quickly generate 2-300 hours work with all researching, modelling and texture work.Then the work with creating the environment starts. Perhaps I work slow compared to many, but these figures are a good estimate for my speed.

[Nils]

Here's a version with fully 3D modelled environment, instead of the photographic backdrop on the first image.

 

 

Edited October 2, 2017 by Nils