USA - 1917 Thomas-Morse S-4

A Colorful Thomas-Morse Scout

Thomas-Morse S-4 - 1917

I hereby declare today as Flashy Paint Scheme Friday. It gives me a chance to post cheery planes to brighten up the end of the work week. The cowling on this Tommy was easy to do. Once I had a layer holding a shaded monochrome image of the fuselage I added the cowling as a new layer stacked above the fuselage and filled it with a checkerboard pattern from my toolbox, and played with opacity and blend types till I was happy with the results. The wheel was even simpler, I had the image of it saved to my parts folder from drawing Eddie Rickenbacher's SPAD XIII. Slap an American roundel on the lower wing. and the rest is a cakewalk. Eventually I will redo it with wood textures on the wing struts and a few more details.

The Thomas-Morse Scout became the favorite single-seat training airplane for U.S. pilots during World War I. The Scout first appeared with an order for 100 S4Bs in the summer of 1917. The U.S. Army Air Service later purchased nearly 500 of a slightly modified version, the S4C. Dubbed the "Tommy" by its pilots, the plane had a long and varied career.

References

1. Thomas-Morse S-4. (2010, August 24). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:17, January 15, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thomas-Morse_S-4&oldid=380768615
2. Thomas-Morse S-4 The-Blueprints.com Retrieved from http://www.the-blueprints.com/blueprints/ww1planes/ww1-usa/31404/view/thomas-morse_s-4c/
3. Thomas Morse S4C Scout The Cradle of Aviation Museum Retrieved 09:17, January 15, 2011, from http://www.cradleofaviation.org/exhibits/ww1/scout/index.html
4. Thomas-Morse S4C Scout National Museum of the USAF Retrieved 09:17, January 15, 2011, from http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=271
5. Thomas-Morse Scout - USA The Aviation History On-Line Museum. Retrieved 09:17, January 15, 2011, from http://www.aviation-history.com/thomas/scout.html
6. Angelucci, Enzo, Great Aeroplanes of the World, London, New York, Sydney, Toronto: Hamlyn, 1973. p. 41
7. Donald, David, ed. Encyclopedia of World Aircraft, p. 875, "Thomas Brothers and Thomas-Morse aircraft", p875. Etobicoke, Ontario: Prospero Books, 1997.
8. Holmes, Tony (2005). Jane's Vintage Aircraft Recognition Guide. p 52. London: Harper Collins. ISBN 0 0071 9292 4.
9. Swanborough, Gordon and Bowers, Peter. United States Navy Aircraft since 1911. London:Putnam, Second edition, 1976, p. 471-472. ISBN 0 370 10054 9.
10. United States Air Force Museum. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio: Air Force Museum Foundation. 1975, p. 10.