As part of their multimedia presentation for the 2003 Paris air show, Smiths Aerospace wanted to demonstrate the new suite of in-flight refuelling equipment that it was designing for the Boeing KC-767A GlobalTanker. This aircraft represented the first of the new generation of refuelling aircraft and Smiths was naturally very eager to show its new refuelling technology to the world at Paris.
The decision to include the refuelling story in the multimedia presentation came very late in the day, and because the technology was so new it meant there was minimal reference material available. Flying Pixels was not deterred by this combination of factors, and despite having less than a week to go before the final deadline the project was taken on. "We started work on Friday afternoon and delivered the finished animation to the client on Tuesday morning. We didn’t get much sleep that weekend!" jokes Steve Hill at Flying Pixels. "We had to show two different types of combat aircraft refuelling from the 767 tanker, together with a detailed assembly of the wing-mounted refuelling pod, in a 3D environment. It was a huge task but we pulled out all the stops to get it delivered on time."
The combination of detailed engineering structures and aircraft in flight has become a distinctive signature of the work of Flying Pixels.
|