THE SCARLET STORMER

by Ferrando Acuña

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While living in Mexico City in 1939 at age 8, I had the chance to get my first Bill Barnes book.  I was so thrilled by George L Eaton´s adventures of Bill Barnes and Sandy Sanders flying the Scarlet Stormer and the Eaglet that through them I got the aviation fever. The Golden Era of aviation was on and many beautiful designs of airplanes of the time got in my blood.

Years passed, the great war passed and the fever continued up to the present.  I still like to build model airplanes and why not? By being a painter I had to portray one of Bill Barnes airplanes, his favorite, the Scarlet Stormer so I made this rendering and depicted Bill and Sandy coming from the overcast and right on top of the airport.  The two Diesel V-12´s roaring, throttled back and starting the let down.

I always admired the work of Frank Tinsley the BB´s artist and by having the advantage of getting the plans he draw for BB´s airplanes I was able to paint the plane as close as possible to his original creation.  In 2001, BB flies again!

 

 
The Scarlet Stormer painting was done in oil on canvas, measures 20¨ X 29¨.
 
 
1. Tail detail with BB´s identification
2. Cockpit detail with Bill and Sandy glancing at the airport
3. The two Diesel V-12 engines with contrarotating props
 
The next project I have in mind is to build a scale model of one of BB´s planes.  Possibly the Scarlet Stormer or the Snorter.
 
Ferrando Acuña, 2001

 
 
About the artist:
  • Born in 1930, Bogotá, Colombia.
  • Studied art in the California College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland - California, and at his father´s studio in Bogotá - Colombia.
  • One Man Show in Bogotá and Cali - Colombia, and Santo Domingo - Dominican Republic.
  • Paintings and airplane scale models in the Colombian Air Force Museum in Bogotá, and in the National Museum of Transportation in Cali - Colombia.
  • Mural in the Colombian Air Force School, in Cali - Colombia.

Ferrando Acuña is specialist in painting airplanes of all ages and railroad paintings as well.

Photos and text © by Ferrando Acuña