R.I.P. Douglas Carrick

I was just informed by a friend that Douglas Carrick, the accomplished draughtsman, aviation artist and historian who's airplane drawings served generations of modelers worldwide, passed away last week, aged 85.

Doug was a legendary figure who's work was instrumental in setting the standards for how scale aircraft drawings are produced, researched and presented. Back in the early 1960s, he was the first to produce an entirely accurate set of scale drawings of the Messerschmitt Bf 109E by meticulously researching actual aircraft, a process that set the standard in the modeling industry ever since. I personally remember these drawings, and the countless models (including mine) and books that they had shaped and influenced.

Doug's passion for the Battle of Britain and World War I aviation rendered many such invaluable points of reference. In a fashion so typical of an avid aviation enthusiast, Doug came to be particularly knowledgeable about French aircraft of the Great War, especially the SPADs. His work has been reproduced many times, most recently in the Aviation Archive series of books together with the work of other famous draughtsmen like Arthur Bentley or A A P Lloyd and in Windsock Datafiles.

Doug spent a large part of his life in Stockholm, where I've had a priviledge of knowing him personally. He was an incredibly generous person who's wisdom, wit and friendly attitude never failed to impress. He inspired many - those that knew him personally and those that merely came in contact with his work.

The modeling world will not be the same without him.

2 additional images. Click to enlarge.