Covers by Benjamin
An original oil painting by this extraordinary aviation artist would make a wonderful addition to a private collection or a valued gift to the AMA Museum.
About the artist
Robert A. Benjamin describes himself as a traditional representational artist who has made a commitment to portraying aviation subject matter. He is an artist member of the American Society of Aviation Artists. Examples of Benjamin's work are on display in:
- San Diego Aerospace Museum
- Pearson Air Museum (Vancouver, Washington)
- U.S. Air Force Art Program collection
- AMA Museum
Work and publications
Alert readers will recognize Bob Benjamin as the artist who, between 1982 and 1989, produced more than 40 aircraft paintings for Model Builder magazine. He created the Desert Storm cover for the August 1991 issue of Model Aviation; the original is currently on loan to the AMA Museum. Another of Benjamin's original oil paintings appears on the cover of the March 1992 Model Aviation. Among his projects at that time was the design of the promotional poster for the 1992 Schneider Cup Reenactment.
Modeling and electric flight
Many Model Aviation readers may not realize that Benjamin is as dedicated to model building as he is to aviation art. He began in 1950 with simple solid models, progressed through Control Line and a few Free Flight designs, and started flying radio control (RC) in 1962 with the single-channel equipment common at the time.
While he continues to create scale-like sport designs for relaxed flying, Bob’s primary involvement is with RC scale modeling. He has also become committed to electric power, having used it exclusively for several years. In 1991, he became the first modeler to qualify for and compete in the Scalemasters finals using an electric-powered model. In cooperation with Astro Flight, he has produced a series of video presentations promoting and explaining high-performance electric flight.
Commissions and plans
Bob draws and inks his own plans for magazine presentations and produces his own cutaway drawings. He accepts custom work on a commission basis.
Availability and contact
The originals of both the August 1991 and March 1992 cover paintings are available for purchase. Inquiries should be directed to:
Robert A. Benjamin 1222 26th Ave. NE Olympia, WA 98506 Telephone: (206) 352-2602
Potential purchasers might consider buying one of the paintings and donating it to the AMA Museum in Muncie, Indiana. The work would remain on public display there with a plaque commemorating the donor.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
