Eagle Cutaways by Roy Cross recalled in Constant Scale magazine

By John Freeman on January 27, 2019

The latest issue of Constant Scale, the journal of the Airfix Collectors Club, features an article by downthetubes contributor Jeremy Briggs about the 1950s and 1960s Eagle comic cutaways by artist Roy Cross, the Club’s Honorary President.

Alongside the feature about Eagle, there’s a more technical cutaway image by Roy published in a 1949 issue of Air Reserve Gazette.

Born in Camberwell, London, in. 1924, Roy Cross was introduced to art by an aunt who lived at Smallford. His natural talent and ability helped him play a modest yet important role as a youngster in World War Two, creating work for numerous publications, firstly the Air Training Corps Gazette, his talent leading to him gaining Air Ministry approval as an approved representative for press visits to RAF airfields, which allowed him to sketch aircraft.

As a commercial artist after the war, he captured the imagination of generations of young boys and, working for the company for ten years, helped establish Airfix as one of Britain’s leading toy brands of the 1960s and ’70s – mainly through his aviation art.

When he moved into the fine arts in the mid 70s, he became a marine painter, and is recognised today as one of the finest in the field (and in aviation art).

Constant Scale, the Airfix Club journal, is published four times a year and includes articles about the history of Airfix, its products and information supplied by former Airfix employees who are members of the Club.

Several “Club Guides” have been published, including two Contents and Indexes for Airfix Magazine and the Complete Airfix Artist and Kit List now in its fifth edition, which lists artists against box releases.

• The current subscription to the Club (for 2019) is: £18 (UK), £28 (Europe & Eire) | £30 (Airmail outside Europe). It includes four issues of Constant Scale (Nos. 69 – 72). 28 pages (A4) per issue and includes eight pages of colour. Back issues cost £2, or £6 for a complete year (UK). (All issues from No. 1 to No. 64 – Price on application)

• More about Constant Scale here on the Airfix Collectors’ Club web site | Read some sample articles

• Buy Airfix “Dogfight Doubles” Kit’s from Amazon (affiliate link, using this helps support downthetubes, thank you)

If you’re a fan of Roy Cross work, then check out The Vintage Years of Airfix Box Art and More Vintage Years of Airfix Box Art

• There is a four part chronology of Roy Cross remarkable career on the unofficial Hatfield airfield web site

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.