Hobbs Army Air Field B-17 Project
"Fortress on the Plains"
by Brian Norwood
Installation of "Fortress on the Plains" at
Hobbs Industrial Air Park is now complete.
Congratulations to the artist, Brian Norwood on
a successful conclusion to many, many months of hard work!
The reverse of the sculpture showing the heavy steel framework
required to support it.
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A life-size metal silhouette honoring the men, women and aircraft of World War II, the sculpture shown in the artist's conception above depicts the world famous Boeing B-17 �Flying Fortress� along with support personnel, air and ground crews. This one-of-a-kind aviation sculpture by Lea County artist Brian Norwood has been installed at the Hobbs Industrial Air Park in Hobbs, New Mexico�site of the former Hobbs Army Air Field. From 1942 to 1946, HAAF served as a transitional training base where pilots learned to fly four-engine bombers, chief among them the B-17. The sculpture
stands 19 feet tall, and stretches for more than 81
feet from end to end. For more information,
contact Brian Norwood at [email protected]
or by calling (505) 441-7391. Brian is the
creator of The
Trail
Ahead, the Jal Cowboy Sculpture Project.
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| Progress
on
the site installation of "Fortress on the Plains" is
shown below, as it began to take shape on August 8,
2008. The silhouettes in the photo below may look
like people working on the installation, but they are
actually part of the sculpture itself, symbolizing the
hundreds of men and women who worked together at Hobbs
Army Air Field during its heyday. |
With the backhoe holding the 4,000 pound piece of metal in place
work begins to attach it to the frame at the installation site.
Above, the large metal piece representing the fuselage of the B-17
is loaded onto a trailer for transport to the site.
The frame that supports the sculpture is made of 6-inch square tubing.
| Artist
Brian
Norwood is shown below at work on "Fortress on the
Plains". The size of the sculpture requires the
work to be done inside an airplane hangar. He
begins with massive sheets of quarter-inch thick steel
measuring 10 feet by 40 feet and weighing 4,800
pounds. With the shapes that comprise the plane
and people complete, he is ready to begin construction
on the supporting framework. |
Thank you to Brian and to all who have supported his project for
honoring our World War II veterans!
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