Box art- fact Vs fiction ?

I DO remember seeing a model of a B-17 which was shown being attacked, with a burning engine.

I have a model of a Mig-19 by someone like A model that shows not one but two F-4s in flames. Turns out to be true however not all at once.

Box art isn't intended to depict actual historical events. It's intended to sell models. The artists work to the requirements of the manufacturers.

For a while there was a semi-moratorium in Europe on scenes with violence in them for box art. Several Airfix box illustrations got modified to remove flak bursts, flaming cockpits, aircraft crashing, etc. I don't know what the legal ramifications are nowadays, but it seems like American and British box art doesn't have much violence in it any more.

Compare this to the original box art of, for instance, the old Aurora Fokker D-VII, which showed the airplane on fire and the pilot either wounded or dead.

Well, it's marketing. Like showing people having fun driving their Pinto rather than showing one bursting into flames from a rear end fender bender.

I suspect research by the artist depends a lot on the individual artist.  Some seem to do a lot of research and the depicted aircraft are quite authentic, others appear to be real flights of fancy.  So I think the answer to the question is- it depends.

Remember those Monogram double-kits from the mid-late 80's? It was always the German plane on the receiving end. Was just looking at the Do.335/P-47 box art with the 335 on fire, under attack by the P-47.

I guess one of them had to lose, hey?

I remember a box art depicting a Jagdpanther in Africa about 35 years ago.  I thought it was the coolest thing.

Many Yarens Ago ;

  There was a company called REVELL of Venice , California .The Box art was done by many accomplished artists .There was , to me the best when it came to ships . John Steele was the absolute best in his field and the Box art showed it . After going in the service I got to live some of those bad weather scenes .

   I understand that today His art and others is worth more than the model in the box . So people buy empty boxes ! Just for that outstanding art !

When I was thirteen, I was in a hobby shop in Blythesville, AR during a contest. There was a MPC 1/48 EA-6B on the shelf; I had never seen it before, but I was blown away by the box art (an a/c on the carrier deck), and the size of the box. Another guy in the club bought it (I couldn't afford it anyway); it about broke my heart. Ten years later, he's selling his stash, and behold, there she was for a cool $5! It's still unbuilt and the box isn't in the best shape, but I'm still smitten by it. I guess that's what box art can do...

Tanker, the Revell Box Art from before they switched to photos of the built model in the mid to early 70s was indeed outstanding! I had the one from their Ki-61 Tony cut out and displayed on the wall of my bedroom until I went off to the Army at age 18. I still remember many of their dramatic scenes from other kits to this day. Their 1/32 aircraft series really had some gorgeous box art... The 1/72 stuff was pretty sharp too!

Oh but their "Picture Fleet" was really good stuff, and John Steel was my favorite.

His San Juan Capistrano is still my favorite, and the Saratoga in some Arab port is a great one.

Stik about five years ago I found that Tony kit in a little cigar shop. The guy had been using it in window displays to set a kind of "manly" tone. Picked it up for $ 20.00.

Then I ended up giving it to Sean "Summit" in exchange for a stack of magazines. Never regretted that, but I miss him.

I don't remember the Prowler, but it sounds good and I'll look for it. oldmodelkits.com is always a good place to start.

As always, for those who remember the "photo of built model box art" era, the fine print... "Paint and cement not included. Model may be painted to match details on box"

I was at my LHS this weekend and found this 1/72 Academy combo kit. I thought at the time, Wow, no one is getting shot and no one has the advantage.

modelcrazy

I was at my LHS this weekend and found this 1/72 Academy combo kit. I thought at the time, Wow, no one is getting shot and no one has the advantage.

Nice box art!  But dogfighting with a full load of bombs and a belly tank.........

As a rule, most a/c would have to jettison their load before engaging in a dogfight.

Actually, The art may not be that far off. It looks like the 47 is flying over the D-Day invasion and was jumped by the 190. A pilot may not want to jettison a load only to drop it on the friendlies and may try to get farther inland before jettisoning.

Never the less. I may get the kit.. mainly because of the box art.

A good deal of both aircraft and auto Aurora box art of the late 50's and 60's was done by Mort Kunstler, a magazine illustrator at the time. He later gained additional fame for his very accurate art depicting events from the American Revolution and Civil War. He recently had an exhibition at the Norman Rockwell Museum. https://www.mortkunstler.com/

what bothers me is Trumpeter showing modern trucks with the tarps over the bed on the cover but no tarps or even bows in the kit.

Nice drawing. I recognize Priller's Fw-190, but who is the pilot of the P-47? 

I thought the above box art depicted an epic dogfight between the P-47 and the FW-190 in the Pacific.

I guess the box art will have to have a little disclaimer like the auto ads now.

Ah Yes !

  Now some other box art in REVELL'S history are those wonderful ones of ordinary life . Like the ones with prop - passenger planes at the gate and the car , ships and planes in their transport set .Or the really La -Ti - Da picture of the couple exiting or entering the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham !

    The one that were really nice there were the cars and trucks in their multi-piece car and truck models . They showed American Life through the eyes of an advertising bent - I/e Life is grand in America !

   I have always appreciated the pictures on the box of the Tug " Long Beach " .Of course it was originally a N.Y. Harbor Tug ! The P.T. 109 stands out as does the Cambeltown on the dock gate at St Nazaire ! Shouldn't forget the great art around the 1/32 Mosquito Bomber or the space subjects , plus the great art on the Nuclear Reactor and the Launch complex sets .

Oh, and not to forget the box art on the model of the " PERKASA  MTB ! I think by Tamiya ? See , even though most don't pay them much mind , the art list goes on and on .

GMorrison

I DO remember seeing a model of a B-17 which was shown being attacked, with a burning engine.

GNorrison, do you mean this?

That´s one of my all time favorites! Google Roy Cross. He was Airfix main box artist.

This is the original oil painting:

This is "The Box Art" for me:

That was my first kit ever.

Few more RC box arts:

This was interesting:

Burning one:

These are hilarious! Looks like Roden box artists were bored:

Trabi

These are hilarious! Looks like Roden box artists were bored:

 

 

 

Looks like the artist(s) were a bit of a daredevil. I'm not sure I get the top one with the lightning and the RR tracks angling into the sky.

Trabi

GMorrison

I DO remember seeing a model of a B-17 which was shown being attacked, with a burning engine.

 

GNorrison, do you mean this?

 

That´s one of my all time favorites! Google Roy Cross. He was Airfix main box artist.

This was my first. I put so much glue on that the wings melted and drooped.

Chrisk-k

I thought the above box art depicted an epic dogfight between the P-47 and the FW-190 in the Pacific.

Stik, I was pretty sure that the Germans used Texans to do that job....

Nope, definitely Stukas. It's on the Internet, so it must be true!