AP 118 · Annex C · Aircraft profiles in three dimensions

The Hangar

Fourteen aircraft, drawn side-on in the manner of the old profile books, and every one built as a model you can turn in your hands. Choose a plate.

Aircraft
14
First flights
1917–1968
Built, all told
72,000+
UK collections
30

14 of 14 plates

Plates

  1. Plate01Great War
    Side profile of the Fokker Dr.I, Dr.I 425/17

    Triplane fighter · Germany

    Fokker Dr.I

    Fokker Dr.I · 425/17

    First flew
    1917
    Built
    320
    Top speed
    115 mph
    Span
    7.19 m
    View plate 01
  2. Plate02Between the wars
    Side profile of the Supermarine S.6A, S.6A N248

    Schneider Trophy racer · Britain

    Supermarine S.6A

    Supermarine S.6A · N248

    First flew
    1929
    Built
    2
    Top speed
    357 mph
    Span
    9.14 m
    View plate 02
  3. Plate03Second World War
    Side profile of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, B-17G 44-83735, as “Mary Alice”

    Heavy bomber · United States

    Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

    B-17G Flying Fortress · 44-83735

    First flew
    1935
    Built
    12,731
    Top speed
    287 mph
    Span
    31.62 m
    View plate 03
  4. Plate04Second World War
    Side profile of the Hawker Hurricane, Mk I R4118

    Fighter · Britain

    Hawker Hurricane

    Hurricane Mk I · R4118

    First flew
    1935
    Built
    14,583
    Top speed
    340 mph
    Span
    12.19 m
    View plate 04
  5. Plate05Second World War
    Side profile of the Supermarine Spitfire, LF Mk IX MH434

    Fighter · Britain

    Supermarine Spitfire

    Spitfire LF Mk IX · MH434

    First flew
    1936
    Built
    22,685
    Top speed
    454 mph
    Span
    11.23 m
    View plate 05
  6. Plate06Second World War
    Side profile of the Avro Lancaster, B.I R5868 “S for Sugar”

    Heavy bomber · Britain

    Avro Lancaster

    Lancaster B.I · R5868

    First flew
    1941
    Built
    7,377
    Top speed
    282 mph
    Span
    31.09 m
    View plate 06
  7. Plate07Early jet age
    Side profile of the Gloster Meteor, F.8 WK991

    Jet fighter · Britain

    Gloster Meteor

    Meteor F.8 · WK991

    First flew
    1943
    Built
    3,947
    Top speed
    600 mph
    Span
    11.32 m
    View plate 07
  8. Plate08Early jet age
    Side profile of the de Havilland Vampire, FB.5 VZ304

    Jet fighter-bomber · Britain

    de Havilland Vampire

    Vampire FB.5 · VZ304

    First flew
    1943
    Built
    4,400
    Top speed
    548 mph
    Span
    11.58 m
    View plate 08
  9. Plate09Early jet age
    Side profile of the English Electric Canberra, B.2 WH725

    Jet bomber · Britain

    English Electric Canberra

    Canberra B.2 · WH725

    First flew
    1949
    Built
    1,755
    Top speed
    580 mph
    Span
    19.51 m
    View plate 09
  10. Plate10Early jet age
    Side profile of the Hawker Hunter, F.6 XG225

    Day fighter · Britain

    Hawker Hunter

    Hunter F.6 · XG225

    First flew
    1951
    Built
    1,972
    Top speed
    715 mph
    Span
    10.26 m
    View plate 10
  11. Plate11Early jet age
    Side profile of the Avro Vulcan, B.2 XH558

    Strategic bomber · Britain

    Avro Vulcan

    Vulcan B.2 · XH558

    First flew
    1952
    Built
    136
    Top speed
    645 mph
    Span
    33.83 m
    View plate 11
  12. Plate12Cold War
    Side profile of the English Electric Lightning, F.6 XS903

    Interceptor · Britain

    English Electric Lightning

    Lightning F.6 · XS903

    First flew
    1954
    Built
    337
    Top speed
    Mach 2.0
    Span
    10.62 m
    View plate 12
  13. Plate13Cold War
    Side profile of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier, GR.3 XZ133

    V/STOL attack · Britain

    Hawker Siddeley Harrier

    Harrier GR.3 · XZ133

    First flew
    1960
    Built
    825
    Top speed
    735 mph
    Span
    7.7 m
    View plate 13
  14. Plate14Cold War
    Side profile of the SEPECAT Jaguar, GR.1A XX824

    Strike · Multinational

    SEPECAT Jaguar

    Jaguar GR.1A · XX824

    First flew
    1968
    Built
    543
    Top speed
    Mach 1.6
    Span
    8.69 m
    View plate 14

How the plates were drawn

Every profile is an orthographic render of the same procedural Blender model you can open on its plate: port side, nose to the left, set level and lit like the gouache profiles in the aircraft annuals of the 1960s and 70s. Each model was built from published dimensions and three-view drawings, checked against photographs of one real airframe, and painted as that aircraft.

Draw to scale

Press Draw to scale and every plate is redrawn at one scale, set by the largest aircraft on show, so the Fokker Dr.I sits beside the Vulcan as it would on the apron. The bar on each plate is five metres. The full story of the collection, and why these aircraft, is in Fourteen aircraft in 3D.