Light Painting AirCam 912S N74TV
Up next, we’ve got a cool light painting project of the experimental aircraft AirCam 912S N74TV. Joannie and I light-painted this unique airplane near Carrollton, Georgia, while on our return trip back home from Florida.
Here’s what the AirCam 912S N74TV looked like on our iPad Pro’s screen prior to light painting everything.
This unusual project came about from our friends, Ray and Melisa Fowler, whom I met at EAA AirVenture last July in Oshkosh. This is the 5th aircraft light painting that has come about since last July – all courtesy of Ray and Melisa.
Just a few weeks earlier, on our way down to Florida, we light-painted their cool Piper L-4 N33579 and a Willys “MB” Jeep (pictured below).
Here’s the finished light-painted artwork of PIPER L-4 – N33579 and the Willys “MB” Jeep. Pretty cool! Thank you, Ray and Melisa, for the opportunity to create this for you guys!
Please click on this link to check out the cool light painting project and its full story.
Features of the AirCam 912S
This is the base image of the AirCam 912S N74TV in the hangar. Shortly after creating this image, we turned off all the lights and went at it!
The Lockwood AirCam experimental-amateur-built aircraft is a twin-engine aircraft designed for low-altitude, high-visibility photography. It’s powered by twin Rotax 912S engines and is often used for scenic, slow-speed, or specialized filming missions.
Key Details about the AirCam 912S N74TV:
- N74TV is registered with the FAA as an AIRCAM, with an airworthiness date of 2022-06-02.
- It features Twin Rotax 912S engines.
- The AirCam is known for its ability to take off in less than 200 feet, cruise at slow speeds (between 55 and 100 mph), and fly safely on one engine.
- It is an open-cockpit high-wing twin designed by Phil Lockwood.
- The aircraft is often associated with aviation photography, hence the name “AirCam”.
- It has a range of 340 miles at 70 mph on its 28 gallons of fuel.
- Wingspan is 36 feet with a length of 27 feet.
- Height with conventional landing gear is 8 feet, 6 inches, and 13 feet, 6 inches with amphibious floats.
As you can see, the AirCam is a fairly small aircraft. That size is the key to allowing it to fly slowly for filming projects at low altitudes, hence the name “AirCam”.
Don’t Mess With Mother Nature
Ray had shown me the AirCam 912S in the afternoon prior to light painting the L-4 and the Willys Jeep. It was in a hangar just a short distance from their place. Upon seeing this unusual aircraft, I was excited for the opportunity to light-paint it.
Since they’re part of the country was going to be hit with an ice storm in about 36 hours, we decided to create the project on our return trip back home. We weren’t exactly sure when that might be, but Ray told me he’d make it happen. Joannie and I hit the road early the morning after the L-4 project to get to Florida and away from the icy mess that was closing in on Georgia.
Light Painting the AirCam N74TV in a Hangar
Here’s the finished light-painted image of the AirCam 912S N74TV and quite a few RC’s too!
The hangar where the AirCam 912S is kept is rather unique in its own right. There’s litterally dozens of remote-controlled aircraft on display all throughout the hangar. Pretty cool!
We created the project in the hangar for two reasons: one, it kept the dew point outside and well away from the aircraft, and two, it allowed us to light paint the RC aircraft as part of the artwork.
Due to a mix-up (by me), Ray wasn’t even going to be in town until the following morning. So he had his friend, Tiru, give us a hand that night. We’re very grateful that Tiru was available and willing to give up an evening of his time for us! Thank you, Tiru!
All told, Joannie and I took 158 images that night. We used 44 of those images, in a total of 102 layers, to create the Master File. A link to the short Build Video on our YouTube channel is below, so you can see the project come to life from start to finish.
Lots More To Come
This entire working vacation to Florida and back was a blast! But, we were not done yet! Upon completing the light painting of the AirCam, we snuck in another “mini” light painting prior to packing up. A close-up of the AirCam’s Twin Rotax 912S engines! It literally only took about 15 minutes to set up and photograph. That project, and its story, will be next.
Not only that, but Ray (who knows everybody in aviation on the East Coast and beyond) was kind enough to set us up to meet with a good friend of his, Jack McCormick. Jack is the Director for FAA Compliance at the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation & Flying Museum in Hampton, Georgia.
After speaking with Jack on the phone about the possibility of creating something cool for the museum. He then spoke to Fred Edwards, the Director of Operations at AAHF, about the idea. Fred gave the green light to light-paint a pair of their Vietnam Helicopters, a UH-1H “Huey” and an AH-1F “Cobra”!
Those two are pretty incredible aircraft, with even more incredible histories. Both are also airworthy! In fact, you can actually ride in them at airshows in several parts of the country! The light paintings of those two “birds” are also coming in the days ahead! Stay tuned! – M&J