"Flight thru Instruments" and the Fine Art of Instructional Illustration

While paying a visit to the studio of San Francisco artist Alanna Spence recently, Telstar Logistics was introduced to a lost gem of a book called "Flight thru Instruments."

Published as a pilot-training manual by the US Navy in 1945, "Flight thru Instruments" teaches proper aeronautical navigation techniques through the use of elaborate illustrations -- the kind of stuff that today might be called "info-graphics."

But oh, what info-graphics these are! Produced entirely by hand, the illustrations in "Flight thru Instruments" possess a richness and accuracy of detail that -- if we may say so -- puts the majority of today's graphic artists to shame.

In fairness, however, "Flight thru Instruments" wasn't produced by an average group of 1945 artists, either. Not at all.

After our visit to Alanna's studio, we hurried home to search online for a copy of the book to add to the Telstar Logistics corporate library. Along the way, however, we also learned a bit about the book's pedigree. It turns out, "Flight thru Instruments" is so beautiful because it was created by the General Motors "Graphic Engineering" Staff under the leadership of Harley Earl.

And who was Harley Earl?  Earl worked as a designer at General Motors from 1929 until 1959, where he rose to become the postwar chief of GM's styling section. He drew styling inspiration from airplanes throughout his career, and Earl's most famous design innovation was a little trick he cribbed from the swooping rear fins of the P-38 Lighting fighter flown during World War II. Earl adapted the design for the 1948 Cadillac, and in a stroke, he set in motion a "tailfin" craze that would continue for more than a decade. Before that, however, he put his staff in the service of the war effort, and "Flight thru Instruments" was created in response to a US government contract.

With all that in mind, "Flight thru Instruments" provides a sneak peek at the shapes, styles, and aesthetics that would inspire Earl's automotive work for years to come. But if you're just looking for a good primer on how to fly an airplane safely in nasty weather, the book is great for that too.

LINKS:
Flight thru Instruments (additional illustrations from the book in a Flickr photoset)

Recalling the Graphics Feast At GM Styling During the War Years (Article about "Flight thru Instruments" on the "Official Harley Earl website.")

Harley Earl, Father of the Dream Car (Concise Harley Earl biography by the Detroit News)

PREVIOUSLY:
The Intimate Industrial Illustrations of Frank Soltesz

Two Generations of Lockheed Lightnings, Two Generations of Lightning-Inspired Cadillacs?

Comments

[Capt'n chris]

This is unbelievable!!! Since I started flying I have yet to see another book with such clear, concise, and easy to understand graphics. A pic is worth a thousand words, and this book is worth a million.

[zeke]

This is great! Is the complete book available anywhere (pdf perhaps)?

[Eyelight]

These illustrations are brilliant.
Talking about Harley Earl though, I know it's the accepted story that he got the idea for tailfins from the P-38 Lightning, but on Richard Earl's tribute website to his grandfather, he claims that the tailfin idea was knocking about earlier than that, and has pictures of a customised 1936 Cadillac that Earl did for Hollywood actor Buck Jones, with rounded tailfins.
Here's the link, www.carofthecentury.com/tail_fins_rising.htm
Scroll down near the end of the page.

[Dill Pixels]

Didn't the Buick Y-Job have tailfins (1938)?

And yeah, did you find a copy of this book for your own? I like it so much I'd like to get one too.

[Sui Generis]

This looks absolutely incredible. There are a couple of copies available on Amazon for those who are interested. I already ordered one!

[Dill Pixels]

I was wrong. It was the Buick LeSabre concept that had tailfins, not the Y-Job.

And I ordered a copy of the book, too. Hope it's in decent shape..

[Mike]

amazing illustrations. You never see books illustrated like these old ones anymore. Thank you for sharing this.

[richard earl]

Why has Detroit's Auto World Been Crooked for Decades Now?

This is not a question that may be answered in one sentence, as the process which led to this demise began in 1958, when Harley Earl, the man behind the scenes, was conveniently deposed. Ever since then, Detroit's megaphone (especially the one at GM) marginalized his story and modern milestones. My inquiry which began as a curiosity well over 10 years ago, inspired by an affinity for the auto design industry and admiration for a man who was unquestionably instrumental in "creating the central universe of what makes the modern auto industry tick today" (naturally, this affected how aero products were mass produced in the USA directly before, during and after WW II) revealed intrigue, conspiracies, chair-spinning scandals and a silent coup, which subsequently served as the catalyst triggering a new era: The beginning of the demise of GM. Let’s examine why GM has never let the business side of this story leak out of Detroit, and reveal how high-ranking "the auto design equation" is to the long-term success of their company and the entire auto world economy.

Also, most people just don't know it, but GM was the largest designer and/or builder of war planes "in the world" at the end of WW II.

[Jorge]

I friend of mine has seen it and says that it's great. He is a pilot and says that the illustrations are really great.

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[Gabe]

Why would anyone ever illustrate anything like this nowadays when you can just ask some kid to Photoshop something up for $50 so he can have something for his portfolio.

I wish I grew up before Photoshop, I'd be rich.

[Gulfshore Trading Company]

We have a copy of FLIGHT thru INSTRUMENTS up for sale on eBay.

[Gulfshore Trading Company]

It is up for auction on eBay. Your chance to own a pristine copy of an unbelievable book.

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[Optos Books]

Thanks for this chock-a-block article and all the links about the fascinating backstory of Flight Thru Instruments, NAVAER 00-80W-7! It is an astonishing example ‑ quintessentially American - of mid-20th century Graphic Design and Illustration at their modernist best. And by the US Navy - definitely one for the "Who Knew?" file!

We offer this terrific title whenever we can find it. Please visit this listing: [ http://www.optosbooks.com/cpCommerce/product.php?p=2053 ] to see if it is in stock. And if not, do let us know that you would like our next copy for your library!

www.optosbooks.com

• Buying and selling out-of-print, hard to find books on design, with a modernist bent and an eye for the unusual.

[r4]

Hi,

Excellent art.....I m quite interested to know about photoshop work....This looks absolutely incredible.

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What an amazing work! I heard you can do great things in photoshop but really!
Can you get this good buy studying online?

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