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Finding Bismarck, 26 May 1941


Nils

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I tried to recreate a scene from the search of the fleeing Bismarck escaping the british Home fleet forces, 26 May 1941 (80 years ago!)

One of the three Catalinas spottted her through the cloud cover and reported back to the search party, but was instantly peppered by the german ship, with all her barrels..

I wanted to show 209sqn Catalina WQ-Z, the second before her pilot throws the plane in an evasive turn from the glowing metal.

 

Bismarck_Sighting_2

 

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Thanks Keith

I figured if I post it here, I'd be able to weed out all little errors with all the expertise is this forum..  feel free to point out your comments of correction :)

Edited by Nils
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Great artwork, but as you are looking to weed out errors, the roundels and fin flash on the Catalina are of the later, post May 1942, type and so they should be the earlier type. This, not terribly good photo, which looks like a still from Coastal Command' shows what I mean

https://images.app.goo.gl/zDAgwL83ma7RFkGBA

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  • 1 month later...

Nice painting! 

Please note that in the past the Catalina WQ-Z was frequently presented as having serial W8406 and now it is known that should be AH 545. 

Regards

J-W

 

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Why has there been such confusion around what serial WQ-Z had? Shouldn’t that be in  written in all reports?

I used W8406 too for my work.. will need to change that if AH545 is correct.

Thanks for pointing it out

 

 

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No, the serial would not always be quoted.  Would that it were.  IIRC, in Coastal Command a more usual reference would have been 209/Z.  More generally, often either the serial or the individual code might be quoted, depending upon the unit concerned.  If at all.  It is not uncommon to find a reference such as Z/8406 in pilots' log books. 

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Black Knight, I know and I find it confusing...
I’ve seen photos of both WQ-Z as W8406 and AH545...

I know the callsigns were transferred over to new aircrafts as older were written off. My question is what s/n did WQ-Z have in late May 1941?

What caused the need to have  two different series of serials in the first place? (one letter, four digits and two letters, three digits)

Did one type replace the other at a certain date or what?

Ok, to answer my own questions, I found out that  by 1940 the s/n Z9978 was reached, and it was then decided to restart the sequence with a two letter, three digit, system that still exitsts today. 
So then it’s a question, when was the WQ-Z, that found Bismarck built. Had it been replaced before or after the incident?

 

some interesting read here, oddly they all list WQ-Z as s/n AH545...

http://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=AH545

 

 

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Thank you..

I just need a little tweaking  to get a more realistc look on the AA fire muzzle flashes on the Bismarck.. plus a little more work on the cloud cover..

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  • 1 month later...

 

On 4/11/2021 at 1:12 PM, Nils said:

I tried to recreate a scene from the search of the fleeing Bismarck escaping the british Home fleet forces, 26 May 1941

 

That's so clever, but how? What did you start from? What program did you use? What questions should I be asking? I have no idea about this ... whatsoever!

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Thanks or your kind words Bertie. 
To put it simple, I use an application called Modo for modelling, texture work and rendering and I do so called post work in Photoshop.. (painted clouds, flames and so on )

All in all it takes me about a months work to do it all..

the modelling takes the most of the time

Thanks again for your interest.

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13 minutes ago, Nils said:

Thanks or your kind words Bertie. 
To put it simple, I use an application called Modo for modelling, texture work and rendering and I do so called post work in Photoshop.. (painted clouds, flames and so on )

All in all it takes me about a months work to do it all..

the modelling takes the most of the time

Thanks again for your interest.


So that’s a photo of a model? (Assume I’m an idiot and use short words😆)

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I've just had a look at the Modo website and I realise that you meant digital modelling. What I don't understand is where does the shape of the Catalina actually begin. Surely you don't draw it by hand with an iPencil? If you do, I'm even more amazed.

 

Now I understand what my Mum went through the first time she met a 'Micowave', as she always called it. I'm getting OLD!

Edited by Bertie Psmith
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The Catalina is as you say a digital model, or a 3 dimensional object. Usually started out as a multi sided cylinder that’s beeind chopped an formed in a 3 dimensional room, until it resembles the shape of the fuselage.. time consuming but fun.. this is the ultra quick way of explaining it.

Also check the thread here for my Me-110 wip model below..

perhaps it’s easier to see what I mean

 

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  • 7 months later...

Digital painting looks good Nils, although I find the extreme ‘bokeh’ - suggesting an aperture setting of about 2.8 or less - takes away the overall realism, as does the hard contrast and strong shadows on the aircraft, whilst the background has the impression of a murky, sunless day. Just offering some objective criticism…

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