In the increasingly sophisticated field of computer-generated imagery (CGI), even an aircraft in the earliest stages of development can take shape with a likeness that will be almost indistinguishable from the first prototype that will eventually roll out of the production facility. So advanced are today’s digital images that, even for some with the most expertly trained eyes, it’s difficult at times to tell a computer-generated image from a photograph of an airplane.
In addition to offering highly faithful renditions of aviation’s present and near-future stars, CGI can also give aircraft of the past a rebirth in imagery that technology of former decades never could. Take, for example, a formation of Consolidated B-24s heading toward the port of Wilhelmshaven to conduct America’s first strike on Nazi Germany soil during World War II. Scenes like these that could only rarely be captured on scratchy black and white film can now be re-created in the finest detail thanks to the advancements of CGI, providing viewers a window back in time with a one-of-a-kind visual experience of history.
